Disease decimates citrus fruits
Orange, lemon and grapefruit plantations are being replaced with passion fruit, acerola (Creole) cherry and pineapple, as a bacterial plant disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB), citrus greening or yellow dragon disease has decimated large citrus plantations. Once a tree is infected, its fruit turns sour, small and hard. The disease specifically attacks citrus plants and poses no threat to humans or animals. It has destroyed a large part of the Florida plantations and entered the DR in 2001. There is no known cure, and farmers see their citrus trees die within a few years.
Hoy reports that the DR stands to lose US$39 million a year in exports and local consumption. 30,000 hectares in the DR are planted with citrus, and production is estimated at 493,000 tons with 5,000 people employed in the sector. Plantations in Hato Mayor, El Seibo, San Francisco de Macoris, Zambrana, Cotui and Villa Altagracia have been affected.
Ricardo Barcelo of the Consorcio Citrico del Este, a major producer, said they have planted passion fruit, pineapple and acerola in the plantations, and expect to begin planting citrus at the end of 2011. The new plantations will be in nurseries, to prevent the new trees being infected. Barcelo said the government needed to carry out a campaign to create awareness of action that can be taken by other farmers.
The Central Committee against HLB, coordinated by Julio Borbon has received technical and economic assistance from the Regional Internacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (OIRSA), Brazil's Citriculture Defense Fund, the University of Florida, University of California at Riverside, the European Union and the Centro de Tecnologias Agricolas of the IDIAF, and the Ministry of Agriculture's Plant Health Department.
::. OIRSA
Huanglongbing (HLB)/Citrus Greening Disease, DPI - FDACS
