By Caribbean Medical News Staff
The detection of the Mediterranean fruit fly (ceratitis capitata) in the Dominican Republic has resulted in an instantaneous import ban on all agricultural products from that Caribbean island. This, according to a release from the St Kitts and Nevis Department of Agriculture. Included in the ban are: all vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains, branches and cut flowers.
Jeanelle Kelly, who is a quarantine officer in the Department of Agriculture, gave this explanation for the reason of the ban.
“The ban was put in place to ensure there is no introduction of the pest into our local agricultural sector. The pest can wreak havoc on agricultural products by embedding itself into the fruit or other type of commodity and breed; the spread is rapid and devastating,” said Kelly.
She added, “The ban will remain in effect until the Dominican Republic has successfully shown that satisfactory plant health measures have been employed to control and/or eradicate the pest.” 267 registered crop farmers have been put on notice to monitor their crops for the presence of the dangerous bug.
Kelly said that the Department of Agriculture, “has an ongoing invasive alien species sensitization program for farmers and an active fruit fly surveillance program at ports of entry and within other areas of the sector to ensure national food security.”
Acting Permanent Secretary, Alistair Edwards who works in the ministry of agriculture, remarked on the actions being taken by his department and other stakeholders.
“I am pleased with the proactive approach of my quarantine team, the customs enforcement officers and the cooperation of farmers in meeting the threat head on,” he stated, “This approach involving all stakeholders locally will continue to ensure our sector is free of this threat and the ministry of agriculture appreciates the cooperation thus far from farmers and others,” said Mr Edwards.
