FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining will be aggressively embarking on medium- to long-term fruit fly eradication programmes, which are eventually expected to result in increased exports, especially mangoes.

“Our overall initiatives to combat fruit flies are perfectly aligned with the ministry’s strategic direction, the New FACE of Food,” said Agriculture Minister Floyd Green.

He was speaking Monday during the 11th Tephritid Workers of the Western Hemisphere (TWWH) meeting at Royalton Hideaways Hotel in Falmouth, Trelawny. It was the opening day of the three-day event.

“This strategy is focused on food security, agri-business development, climate-smart technologies, and export expansion – all of which are areas that would truly flourish if we were able to properly manage fruit flies. In fact, under this initiative we have placed a focus on fruit trees, with priority on mangoes. Of course, if we truly wish to see mango maximise its full potential then we must do the groundwork in pest control management,” Green stated.

The minister revealed that a Sterile Insect Technique Programme has been established in Jamaica, and Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is now working on a project proposal to access funding.

“This programme will involve International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences’ (ICENS) sterilisation facility under the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] country programme, and also the establishment of a facility to rear the insects. The biological component of this project will be done jointly with R&D,” he said.

He also spoke of plans to strengthen the staffing capacity of Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection (PQPI).

“This equates to the establishment of a new Surveillance and Canine Unit. The PQPI will structure this unit to lead and coordinate all surveillance activities within the country, improve surveillance management and [be] fit for purpose,” Green said.

In his remarks, director general of ICENS, The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, Professor Charles Grant noted that the conference comes at a very “exciting time in Jamaica”.

He told those gathered that, with support from the IAEA, Jamaica is on the verge of having its first-ever multipurpose gamma irradiation facility installed.

“The gamma irradiation unit is expected to be delivered by the end of July, 2024,” said Grant.

Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.

Under the Mango Irradiation Programme, which facilitates export of the fruit, the Ministry of Agriculture works with the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS) to ensure compliance with US import requirements, which stipulate that mangoes be treated by irradiation or hot water immersion prior to being brought in.

The agriculture minister told the delegates gathered at the conference that the “impact of fruit flies on agriculture, trade, and food security cannot be overstated”.

“These tiny pests have the potential to wreak havoc on our crops, leading to devastating economic losses and a crippled livelihood for our farmers. The Mediterranean fruit flies and Anastrepha present a major obstacle to international trade, as quarantine restrictions are enforced in affected areas,” Green said.

“Furthermore, the harm caused by these pests undermines initiatives aimed at food sustainability, and impairs our ability to meet the nutritional requirements of our expanding population. We must therefore commit to remedying this problem if we want to ensure continued growth in production and ,by extension, in the agricultural sector at large,” he added.