Joseph Blandford of the Ministry of Agriculture has said that resistance from farmers who are unwilling to cut citrus trees is one main challenge in the fight against the Citrus Greening Disease.
He said ministry of agriculture officials have received threats from farmers who refuse to cut their citrus trees.
“We are still battling with areas where the disease is present because we are getting tremendous resistance from farmers to cut down the trees. We have one or two situations that are not so pleasant, staff is being threatened every day,” he said.
He pointed out that the police have been assisting the ministry in its efforts to eradicate the disease.
Blandford noted that it is possible to have the vector on the island but not necessarily the disease. However, once a tree is infected, the disease can spread.
One method being used by the ministry is the use of parasitoid, Blandford noted.
“The parasitoids are a parasite of that vector. It lays its eggs in the body of the vector and as the larvae develop it feeds on that vector and in the process killing the vector. It then creates an exit hole, flies out and goes to another vector to repeat the same process,” he explained.
Blandford gave the assurance that as long as preventative methods are implemented quickly enough the disease can be eradicated.
Commercial farms have not been affected with the disease thus far.
Farmers are asked to cut down their citrus trees and not to replant until two years later, as a form of containing the disease.
The citrus greening disease has been sighted in Pointe Mitchel, Laplaine, Cabrits and Wesley.
Blandford said that the disease was first seen in Dominica in May 2012 in the Cabrits area.
all you better pass my garden straight,all you have all you big job,when all you cut my trees where i getting money?
but when the disease spreads the farmers will loose all for all
They need to give them some sort of compensation.
Ok cut down your citrus Trees. Is there any other alternative to bring in an income for the farmers? every action got a reaction. farmers have to wait two years to plant a tree and six years to get fruits. thats approximately 8 years to get an income from your citrus tree . by week two you broke and dead.
I do not believe that the farmers do not want to cooperate, but imagine you show up on my door step with a chainsaw to cut down my only source of income with no compensation. people need to be properly informed and educated about the entire process. i also think that some form of compensation should be arranged. you should see this staff in action its heart breaking.
read your bible.remember the locusts