Agriculture Ministry to Employ Sit to Reduce Fruit Fly Population

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is aiming to employ the sterile insect technique (SIT), through the Plant Quarantine Produce Inspection (PQPI) unit, to reduce the island’s fruit fly population.

This technique involves the mass production and release of sterilised male insects into the wild, where they mate with wild females but produce no offspring, thereby reducing the overall population over time.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, provided details at the opening of the 11th Tephritid Workers of the Western Hemisphere (TWWH) Meeting, which was held at the Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters Resort, in Trelawny, on June 3.

“We have seen this technique being deployed successfully all over the world and we believe it has tremendous potential to address the issue we have here in the Americas and some of our other regions,” Mr. Green said.

He added that the Ministry is also looking into genetic technologies, such as gene editing and ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference.

This approach offers new avenues for targeted and environmentally friendly pest control, as it targets key genes involved in fruit fly development and reproduction.

Through this method, scientists can potentially develop novel strategies to disrupt their lifecycle without harming beneficial insects or the environment.

“If we are to combat fruit flies, we cannot just take the traditional methods, and it requires integration of innovation, cutting edge technologies and our willingness to embrace new ideas and to harness the power of collaboration and technology to develop sustainable solutions,” Mr. Green said.

One of the measures in place, the Minister outlined, is the systems approach, which involves a holistic and integrated strategy for pest management.

This approach takes into consideration the entire ecosystem and employs a combination of cultural, biological and chemical control measures.

The Minister outlined that the Ministry through the PQPI and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has already implemented several other fruit fly mitigation measures.

This includes the registration and training of farmers through farmer field school sessions, training and enhancement of the Ministry’s surveillance teams, implementing monitoring traps for fruit flies, particularly on mango farms, among other approaches.

Mr. Green outlined that the meeting is an important one, which “is a priority for our Ministry, and should be for all stakeholders, as it is a significant milestone in our collective journey towards sustainable agriculture and plant health”.

He also emphasised the importance of fostering cooperation and knowledge-sharing among professionals, dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by fruit fly infestations.

Minister Green commended the PQPI team for tackling the fruit fly challenges on the island, “so our farmers can truly access additional markets”.

The TWWH meeting is being held from June 3 to June 7 and is hosted by the Ministry, through the PQPI.

The event seeks to find best practices to mitigate the fruit fly problem in the region.

Some 110 delegates from 36 countries, including the United States and nations from Latin America and Europe, are attending the event.