Guyana, Brazil and Suriname collaborating to eradicate carambola fruit fly

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct 26, CMC – Guyana, Brazil and Suriname are collaborating to eradicate the carambola fruit fly which plagues agricultural produce and poses economic and environmental challenges in the region.
Chief executive officer of the National Agricultural and Research Extension Institute (NAREI) Dr. Oudho Homenauth said the exercise is centred on the elimination of the Carambola fruit fly, which poses a serious threat.
“It is recognised that no one country in the region can seriously manage the pest problem. We all have to work together. So, it is imperative that our efforts be combined; and the three countries, that is Guyana, Suriname and Brazil have agreed to work together to have a unified approach to make a difference,” Dr. Homenauth told a workshop hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
He said that as Guyana continues to expand its non-traditional agricultural sector, systems need to be in place to protect crops.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd who noted the effects of the carambola fruit fly on Guyana’s agricultural development.
She said studies show the fly is responsible for as much as fifty percent yield loss of the carambola crop.
“The increased movement of people and commodities along with the porosity of Guyana’s border increases the likelihood for the introduction and establishment of plant pests and diseases. Therefore, the implementation of concerted pest eradication efforts among Guyana, Brazil and Suriname, will alleviate the challenges faced in the control and eradication of the carambola fruit fly, ‘ Nedd said, adding that the Agriculture Ministry will continue its monitoring and assessment to eradicate the agricultural pest.