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The National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases, known as Weqaa Center, announced the nationwide awareness initiative in a statement released this month, framing integrated plant pest management as a practical sequence that starts with regular crop monitoring and accurate diagnosis before assessing infestation levels and choosing an appropriate response. The center said the drive simplifies what has often remained a technical concept into actionable steps on the farm, emphasizing prevention alongside targeted interventions that may combine agricultural, biological and mechanical methods rather than defaulting to chemical solutions. Field activities, workshops and educational materials will reach farmers, agricultural workers and extension specialists, according to the announcement.
Weqaa Center described the campaign as a step toward establishing integrated pest management as a sustainable practice that safeguards food security while protecting human health and the environment. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Khuraiji, head of the Plant Health Sector at Weqaa Center, said in remarks carried by the statement that pest management does not always depend on chemical control and instead begins with visual inspection, trap-based monitoring and accurate pest identification to determine the most appropriate intervention. The official added that the effort focuses on providing reliable information and promoting long-term prevention to help reduce reliance on chemical pesticides.
According to data from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Kingdom’s total production of agricultural and food commodities exceeded 16 million tonnes in 2024 while the agricultural sector contributed about $31.5 billion to gross domestic product. Weqaa Center’s plant health efforts already cover 80 percent of agricultural areas, where 20 priority plant pests guide monitoring and control activities. The center has previously reported success in lowering red palm weevil infestation rates from 7 percent in 1993 to less than 1 percent through integrated management approaches.
A Weqaa Center assessment found that small farms saw infestation rates drop from 0.98 percent in 2016 to 0.26 percent in 2023, although larger operations have shown slower progress at around 2 percent. The center maintains a workforce of around 2,000 dedicated to inspections and treatments, having conducted more than 74 million palm tree inspections and treated over 18,700 trees by 2023. These outcomes illustrate the center’s broader push to translate monitoring data into precise, evidence-based decisions across crop types.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that plant pests and diseases cause losses of up to 40 percent of global crop production each year, generating economic damages that exceed $220 billion annually. Weqaa Center noted that its campaign aligns with the International Plant Protection Convention Strategic Framework for 2020-2030 and supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger and responsible consumption. The initiative also builds on a regional workshop the center hosted in Riyadh in January that brought together specialists from across the Near East and North Africa to share integrated pest management techniques for greenhouse vegetables.
Campaign materials will include digital content and printed guides designed to equip participants with the skills to move from observation to intervention without over-reliance on chemicals. Weqaa Center, which operates as an independent entity under a board chaired by the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, issues annual statistics and organizes awareness activities as part of its mandate to strengthen the Kingdom’s plant health system. The drive forms one element of ongoing efforts to link technical knowledge directly to on-farm practices that sustain productivity and market confidence.
