CITRUS GREENING PROJECTS GETS BOOST

February 04, 2010

The citrus greening control project has been strengthened by a donation from the International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health. This past Tuesday the Citrus Growers Association received new laboratory and vector control equipment to help combat the negative effects of diseases that are threatening the industry. OIRSA’s Program Coordinator Lemuel Palacio tells us more.

Lemuel Palacio; Program Coordinator, ORISA

“Our role is to support CGA and BAHA’s role to mitigate the negative impacts of this citrus greening disease on our citrus industry. We work closely with CGA to implement this project. The laboratory equipment and consumables will be used to conduct HLB testing as part of our surveillance and monitoring program. We believe that early detection of the citrus greening disease is key for the effective management of the disease itself. The portable pump will be used to control the vector in infected areas so it will be used. This equipment will help the project to reach its objectives which are to control and mitigate the negative impacts of Huanglongbing and the citrus greening disease in Belize and to help us to maintain the viability and the sustainability of the citrus sector.”

The equipment is valued at about six thousand dollars.

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