(Ecofin Agency) - Dakar just officially launched the Support Project to Regional Plan to Control and Fight Fruit Flies in West Africa (PLMF). The €23.5 million project was initiated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), backed by the European Union and French Development Agency (AFD).

According to Paco Sereme, head of West and Central African Council for Agriculture Research and Development (WECARD), the project aims to: “At the regional level, coordinate efforts in terms of control and monitoring of fruit flies and at the national level, share good practices and results of research so that each and everyone benefits”.

Laurence Hart, AFD’s director highlighted that his institution decided to support the PLMF because of damages caused by fruit flies. “For mangoes only, losses amount to third of beneficiaries’ exports, that is €10 million”.

The project involves 8 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Senegal.

Aaron Akinocho