P.G. under quarantine; medflies found in fruits

Farmers and fruit vendors operating in and around the Punta Gorda town limits are under quarantine tonight after inspections by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture done over the weekend turned up female Mediterranean fruit flies. According to the Belize Agriculture Health Authority’s Director of Quarantine, Delilah Cabb, on Thursday, two specimens of the Medfly were found in P.G. Over the weekend, teams went into the area to strip fruit trees of ripe fruit and found up to six more Medflies. Today, BAHA took their fight against the pest to Belmopan where a statutory instrument declaring Punta Gorda a quarantine area was passed. What that means is that no fruits or vegetables can leave the town at any time until further notice. Restaurant owners and hoteliers are also being asked to sign compliance agreements stipulating that the fruit they import to P.G. are grown in Belize and are properly washed. Any other fruit will need a special permit from BAHA. Officials from Ministry of Agriculture will begin spraying “success”, the concoction being used to kill the flies, this week. According to the experts, the medfly has not established itself in Belize, however, because the flies can be found in neighbouring Honduras and Guatemala, they cross the border when fruit is illegally imported to Belize. During bad weather conditions, the medfly can also be carried to new areas on strong winds. The medfly attacks the ripe fruit of several trees including citrus, mango, sour sap and avocado, rendering the fruit useless as the female fills it with eggs.