Square Miles of Farmland in South Florida Quarantined To Stop Oriental

The federal and state governments ceased the transportation of fruits and vegetables from the Miami-Dade County following a massive Oriental fruit fly outbreak.

One of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions has been effectively shut down after authorities detected a particularly harmful species of fruit fly. The spottings of the fly have since spread to Redland and other areas of Miami-Dad County. With its tropical climate and year-round growing season, growers there produce everything from tomatoes to papayas.

The Oriental fruit fly originates from Asia. Mamey — sometimes called mamey sapote — is from Central America. Agriculture officials got to know about the entry of invasive insects in farms of Redland, since then they have stopped the production of fruits and vegetables in the farming area. Fernandez doesn’t have any idea about how much it all would cost. He added they have about 500,000 pounds of Dragon fruit left on the trees, and could potentially be as much as 20 million pounds. Along with mamey and dragon fruit, other traditional market crops like tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash can also be planted.

Florida’s agriculture commissioner, Adam Putnam, has declared a state of emergency and ordered fruit stripped and destroyed in areas where the flies were found. almost 160 Oriental fruit flies have been identified so far, but counts have been dropping-a sign that eradication measures are working. They imposed the quarantine just as growers were starting to harvest tropical fruit crops.

“[The Oriental fruit fly] feeds on the fruit”. The decreasing numbers of pests found may indicate the effects of insecticide and pheromone-laced traps already in place.

Paul Hornby from U.S. Department of Agriculture says. If authorities don’t eradicate the fruit fly soon, Fernandez says there will be serious consequences for the industry.

Florida has experienced 75 fruit fly incursions over the past 90 years, so experienced scientists and farmers have a good chance of being able oust this unwelcome insect. Meanwhile, many growers expect to lose their jobs.