MaximsNewsNetwork: 18 July 2009 - WTO: Around the world, millions of farmers have to battle the Medfly and its cousins. If there's any hint that fruit flies have infested a crop, trade stops. Belize is the only country in Central America to be officially declared free of Medfly and now farmers can export their crops to major markets like the United States.
Meet Ceratitis capitata This beautiful insect can be a real pest! Its better known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly.
This insect is one of the worlds most destructive agricultural pests, able to turn a beautiful and nutritious fruit crop into a rotten mess in days.
Around the world, millions of farmers have a fight on their hands to deal with the Medfly and its cousins.
And no one wants to import these pests. If theres any hint that there are fruit flies around, trade stops, as countries protect the health of their plants and consumers.
Some farmers are winning the battle. Belize is the only country in Central America to be officially declared free of Medfly.
Farmers all over Belize can grow and export papayas, peppers and many other crops to major markets like the United States.
In 2001, the US recognized Belize as free of this pest.
The first Medfly infestation in Belize occurred in 1987 in the Stan Creek District in the south of the country. Elsewhere, the Central and Northern districts also paid the price because there was no way to prove their products were safe.
SOUNDBITE (English) Hernan Zetina, Medfly program coordinator:
At that time investors were planting papayas in the Cayo district. This was a new commodity that had been admissible into the US. However because there wasnt a comprehensive national surveillance program the entire country was placed under quarantine and we were not able to export to the US.
SOUNDBITE (English) Rene Montero, Minister of Agriculture, Belize:
That affected our economy tremendously in terms of foreign exchange earnings and also in terms of employment for our people.
The Belizean authorities decided to act, with help from international partners.
Monitoring is the first step, the government has to know where Medfly is a problem.
SOUNDBITE (English) Delilah Cabb, Belize Agricultural Health Authority:
We have Medfly technicians in the field checking on a daily basis, 52 weeks in the year, to ensure that no Medfly is in Belize.
Next comes eradication,
SOUNDBITE (English) Hernan Zetina, Medfly program coordinator:
Whenever a Medfly is detected we have an emergency action plan that we immediately implement. The task force convenes a meeting and we decide on a course of actions to be taken.
Then, countries buying from Belize have to know that the fruit are safe.
Every box of papayas gets a rubber stamp.
SOUNDBITE (English) Hernan Zetina, Medfly program coordinator:
With this program in place it meant that any commodity that were outside of an infested area could still be exported into the US.
Keeping the fruit fly away is a constant challenge.
SOUNDBITE (English) Francisco Gutierrez, Belize Agricultural Health Authority:
It costs us around half a million Belize dollars per year to run the programme for the surveillance activities and all the other associated activities to maintain the area free."
SOUNDBITE (English) Hernan Zetina, Medfly programme coordinator:
We have estimated that for every dollar we spend in the Medfly program one hundred and forty dollars is generated indirectly or directly.
The private sector, which bears some of the cost, has invested heavily because its now confident that papaya production is safe.
SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Eva Chan, employee, Belize Fruit Packers Co:
Life would be hard without the papaya plant. Im a single mum with two kids. Its a struggle."
SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Gregoria Tun, Evas mother:
Papayas mean lots of jobs. The kids benefit. Without it we couldnt feed them."
Being pest-free is a prize worth protecting.
SOUNDBITE (English) Delilah Cabb, Agricultural Health Authority, Belize:
Whenever governments invest in sanitary and phytosanitary capabilities it gives the country the opportunity to be able to have market access and at the same time if those products have to be consumed locally, we have high quality products being sold on the local markets.
Fail to invest in pest-free status and the costs mount.
The fly would have to be eradicated. At the same time, production and trade would be lost.
And once lost, a reputation or a market can be difficult to recover, as another country, Benin, found out.
MaximsNewsNetwork: News Network for the United Nations and the International Community. See: http://www.MaximsNews.com. "GIVING POWER & RESONANCE TO THE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY"
Loading...
11:00
Dzidzantun Papayas In Production.AVIby jfluoma2,986 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (1)