Home   >   Agriculture   >   MedFly detected, southern Belize under quarantine

MedFly detected, southern Belize under quarantine

By on July 16, 2013
MedFly

MedFly

The government of Belize has placed the southern third of the country under an agriculture quarantine following the detection of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

The MedFly, as the pest is also known, is detrimental to fruits and vegetables and the quarantine of the Stann Creek and Toledo districts went into effect on Saturday, July 13.

According to officials of the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA), Belize’s agriculture surveillance body, the high number of fruit flies detected in this latest infestation parallel’s the last major detection in 2003.

Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture here believe that illegal importation of fruits and vegetables from Honduras or Guatemala is the source of the MedFly introduction to Belize.

Zetina explained to reporters on Monday evening that the MedFly was first detected at the the end of April and early May but quick implementation of eradication measures resulted in the containment of the pest.

But the situation deteriorated quickly in the last two weeks when according to Zetina “the amount of flies increased exponentially” prompting BAHA to place the two southern districts of Belize under a 24-hour quarantine.

A statement from BAHA explains that the Mediterranean Fruit Fly detection was at various points in the Toledo district and along the Placencia Peninsula in the Stann Creek district, a hub for tourism activities in the southern part of Belize.

As part of the quarantine, a 24-hour check point has been implemented on the main road to the south and officials are confiscating and destroying any fruits or vegetables found to be in the possession of motorists on the Southern Highway.

BAHA has appealed to Belizeans to refrain from illegally importing fresh fruits and vegetables from Guatemala and Honduras where it is confirmed that there is an infestation of MedFly.

Belizeans face a possible maximum BZ$10,000 fine if caught illegally importing fruits and vegetables without the proper permits.

The Agriculture Quarantine will remain in place initially for 6 weeks, but depending on surveillance measures in place, the quarantine may be extended further. Zetina told reporters on Monday evening that if the MedFly is detected further north or is found in the citrus of papaya fields, it would seriously impact Belize’s ability to export markets, including the USA and could result in the loss of millions of dollars in export earnings for the country’s agriculture sector.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA Image

*