Mediterranean fly eradicated in the Dominican Republic

Punta Cana – After more than 290 days of intense work, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that it eradicated the transitory incursion of the Mediterranean fruit fly in the area of Punta Cana, registered by the National System of Official Plant Surveillance at the end of December 2023.

This goal was quickly achieved thanks to the effective organization and constant follow-up of the technicians of the Plant Health Department, led by its director Rosa Lázala, and the rapid action of the authorities headed by the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz.

The measures allowed the containment of the Mediterranean fruit fly pest (Ceratitis capitata) in the place of incursion.

“I thank the Plant Health technicians, who thanks to their professionalism and training managed to activate the protocol and win this battle,” said the minister.

The eradication process had the international support of OIRSA, FAO, IAEA, APHIS-USDA, and other agencies that joined this cause.

The director of Plant Health, Rosa Lázala, said that she had the support of the government of President Luis Abinader, which allowed the necessary work to be carried out in record time.

Agriculture in the Dominican Republic is characterized by a steady development in recent years and supplies about 86% of domestic demand, which allows maintaining the livelihoods of thousands of families.

Action against the harmful insect was carried out by trapping and fruit sampling and the release of sterile males, which was focused only in Los Corales, Punta Cana, in an area of less than one and a half kilometers.

However, the specialists indicated that the delimitation trapping protocol should be established in a total area of 49 km2 (4,900 hectares) around the initial detection of the pest (epicenter of the incursion).

Plant Health will maintain active trapping and quarantines at points of entry into the country as a preventive measure, in addition to other phytosanitary measures to avoid further incursions.

Technicians will apply insecticide-bait sprays, bait stations, mass collection and destruction of host fruits, and the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT).

APHIS-USDA authorities congratulated the Ministry of Agriculture and its authorities for their transparency in the face of this emergency, which allowed agricultural trade (exports) not to be affected; an action that gave a vote of confidence to the governing body of agriculture in the Dominican Republic.

The FAO representative in the Dominican Republic highlighted the achievement as a model of coordination of the different agencies that should be an example for other countries and highlighted the support of professionals from the “Moscamed” Program in Guatemala and Mexico, as well as the weekly supply of sterile males from Guatemala thanks to the coordination and financial support of OIRSA, FAO and other international organizations.

Out of 120 countries where the pest has been detected, the Dominican Republic is among the first 14 nations to eradicate it, and among the few nations to do so for the second time.

The project had an investment of more than 1.5 million dollars from the Dominican Government and the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health, OIRSA.