Samples of New Beans Pest Sent Abroad for Lab Testing

As we reported last week, there’s a new pest that is affecting beans crop, but luckily, it is not a countrywide problem as far as is known. Today, Minister of Agriculture Jose Abelardo Mai told News Five that the pest has been detected only in the Toledo District and that samples have been sent abroad for a determination on what it is and how to treat the problem.

Jose Abelardo Mai

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“The last thing I knew Friday is that we had sent samples abroad for proper identification, and then we will come up with a strategy to deal with that too. We know where it is contained. It is only in Toledo we found.”

Marion Ali

“Based on what’s known, can you see how it’s affecting the industry down south?”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“They did the reports that it was found, it’s affecting beans in the Toledo District. We were yet to get information to see how widespread it was and what was the level of damage it was doing, because you can find an insect in a plant, you know, and it may not be doing serious damage. But this one I understand, we were doing that kind of evaluation before, but we know that it has been found elsewhere in other countries I understand, so we need to look, we need to pay attention to that. Whenever a new pest is found in the country that we did not have, then it gives – it sends a serious alarm and also our training partners, they look at us and say, “Hey what are you doing?” How could you treat it if you do not have measures in place? So, that’s why we have to be very alert for these new pests.”

Marion Ali

“Do we have measures in place for that?”

Jose Abelardo Mai

“There are established protocols, that when you find a pest this is what you do: A, B, C, D. BAHA manages that.”