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| A trader arranges oranges at Mawezi market, Mbeya |
Tanzania’s
orange exports face a ban, unless steps are taken to fight the invasive fruit
fly—Bactrocera invadens—which wreaks
havoc to the fruit farming in Muheza, Tanga, an expert has said
Speaking
at the Orange Crop Value Chain Platform in Muheza town last week, the expert,
Zuberi Seguni of Mikocheni Agricultural
Research Institute said countries found to have been invaded by the invasive
fly are not allowed to export fruits.
This
could spell doom for thousands of orange farmers in Muheza and other areas in
the region.
Tanzania
earns about US $35 million from exports of fruits and flowers annually,
according to statistics from the Bank of Tanzania.
Bactrocera
invadens, an alien invasive fruit fly species of Asian origin, was first
detected in Tanzania and Kenya in 2003. The pest then rapidly spread across the
region and is currently reported in at least 24 countries
Mr
Seguni told stakeholders at the platform
that the estimated loss to orange production due to the invasive fly has been
estimated at 32,000 tonnes yearly since it was detected in Tanzania in 2003.
Tanga
region was estimated to have a total of 840,000 orange trees (or 8,400
hectares) in 2008 with more than 80 per cent being found in Muheza District.
The
expert pointed out that production has been observed to have increased
dramatically to reach 7,400 hectares which produce over 72,000 tonnes of
oranges giving orange farmers an income of about Sh3 billion per year.
“This
income is now being threatened because of destruction being done by the
invasive fly which wreaks havoc to oranges and other fruits such as mangoes,
guavas, water melons, avocadoes,” he said.
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| an orange tree |
Control of the fly, according to Mr Seguni is
based on use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques which target at
reducing losses brought about by the invasive fruit fly without affecting human
health, animals and the environment.
“Control
is aimed at reducing unnecessary use of industrial chemicals,” Mr Seguni said.
He
informed orange crop stakeholders that picking oranges that have fallen down
from the tree and lying under the tree and burying them can control the problem
by 50 per cent, a step that calls for cleanliness of orange and fruit farms.
Control also uses bait including Mazoferm and
brown sugar which attracts the fly. Another known bait is Methyl eugenol (ME).
In Muheza, control activities in Muheza are being conducted Zonal Agricultural
and Livestock Research and Development Fund (ZARDEF) Northern Zone Project.
The Orange Crop Value Chain Platform was
established under the SIDO-FAO supported Rural, Small and Medium Enterprise
Support Programme (MUVI) project being executed by Match Maker Associates
Limited on behalf of the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO)
Source:
The Citizen,www.thecitizen.co.tz, reported by George Sembony
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