Asian Pheasant Pest Control Center

The Center for Control of the Asian Pheasant Insect Pest in Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti is the coordinating and management body of the National Food Agency of Georgia. The main goal of the center is to monitor and control insect pests, in particular the Asian pheasant (Halyomorpha halys), which causes significant damage to agricultural crops. The pest has been spreading since 2016 and damages the harvest of hazelnuts, peaches, grapes, apples, pears, raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers and corn.

As part of its activities, the center conducts systematic monitoring of personal plots and abandoned buildings. Experts identify pest concentrations and install “attract and destroy” stations, which helps reduce pheasant numbers and determine the exact areas of its distribution. The monitoring results are used to plan treatment measures, taking into account the biological cycle of the pest and climatic conditions.

The Coordination and Management Center actively interacts with the local population and holds information meetings to increase awareness of the problem and involve people in the fight against the pest. The National Food Agency calls on farmers to timely carry out agrotechnical measures provided for in the agricultural calendar to preserve the harvest.

Thanks to active and effective measures implemented by the state, the geographical range of the Asian pheasant has not increased and remains localized in Western Georgia. However, for prevention, monitoring is also carried out in Eastern Georgia. Contacting the center is especially necessary for agricultural producers and farmers who are interested in protecting their crops from the pest.