ABSTRACT
Agricultural pests, especially insects and weeds, play an important role in the chronic underproduction that characterizes many East African farming systems. This chapter focuses on Mbita Division, a low-rainfall farming region in South Nyanza District of western Kenya. The Mbita area illustrates the significant threat that pests can pose to basic food security and agricultural development, with particular reference to semiarid environments in East Africa. The chapter presents the severity of pest hazards in Mbita Division both and during the colonial period when the first agricultural development programs were initiated in the area. The existing package of recommendations for the control of stem borers is based on a combination of cultural and chemical controls. The chapter highlights the importance of understanding pest management strategies within the broader context of the overall farming system and the necessity of considering farmers’ goals and priorities in order to develop appropriate and effective policies for pest control.
