The Ministry of Agriculture established a ban on Wednesday, 22 July 2015, throughout the country on several crops considered to be hosts for the whitefly. According to a press release from the ministry, the ban in effect through 30 September 2015, prohibits planting of eggplant, melons, cucumbers, watermelons, bell peppers, squash, cotton, tobacco, beans, tomatoes and other crops known to be hosts to the whitefly. Whitefly is a known vector of a plant virus that attacks a wide range of crops. Whitefly is especially active in the summer months and if populations are not controlled, it could cause wide spread crop losses.
Minister of Agriculture, Angel Estevez, called on the farmers and agribusiness to totally comply with the order contained in Resolution 31-14. He told reporters from Listin Diario that the Ministry would provide the resources and logistics necessary to ensure the enforcement of the control protocol being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture.