The Home-grown School Feeding Program (HG-SFP) is a model designed to provide school meals to students using foods sourced from local markets. HG-SFP recently has been incorporated as one of the strategies of educational development in Ethiopia aiming to address hunger and food insecurity problems of school children. Yet, evaluation of the successes and challenges of the program has been limited evaluated. The purpose of the present study was to explore the successes and challenges of the SFP in Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia. This exploratory qualitative study collected data from eight schools targeted for HG-SFP through key informant interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). A total of sixteen FGDs and twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted. Purposive sampling was used to include study participants based on their potential relevance in delivering in-depth information. The findings of the present study showed that HG-SFP was successful in improving class attendance and academic performance of school children. In addition, the program had a contribution in saving the parents’ money and time as a result of the food provided. With regard to SFP challenges, lack of permanent clean water provision, delay in ration delivery, poor-quality food provision, inadequate amount of food allocated for the academic year, lack of necessary infrastructure for the program, and lack of training in sanitation and hygiene for cooks were among the major challenges identified. Therefore, program challenges need high-level attention in order to make the school feeding program more successful in Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Successful attempts made for biological control of sugar-cane pests by introduction, redistribution, conservation and augmentation are discussed.

In Pakistan, Apanteles flavipes (Cameron) became established on Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), following its introduction from Japan, but it seldom attacked sugar-cane borers. Sugarcane-adapted strains were introduced which became established in Punjab and NWFP, but were not recovered after winter in Sind. A hybrid between sugar-cane-adapted strain and strain found locally on maize borer, was released. This resulted in its establishment.

In Sumatra (Indonesia), a local strain of A. flavipes was being encapsulated in Chilo auricilius Dudgeon. Following introduction of its strain from Thailand, it is giving very high parasitism of C. auricilius and C. sacchariphagus (Bojer).

A parasitoid, Epiricania melanoleuca (Fletcher) is giving excellent control of sugar-cane Pyrilla pe pusilla (Walker) in NWFP following its redistribution from the Punjab and in Sind after redistribution from the Punjab and NWFP. In Sind it is also being controlled by conserving its egg parasitoid Parachrysocharis javensis (Grault) by keeping some trash unburnt near the fields.

In Sind, infestation of Chilo infuscatellus Snellen was reduced to sub-economic level by augmentative releases of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii in March as soon as the pest started laying eggs.