Invasive Fly: Florida Fruit Industry Worth $700 Million Could Be Destroyed By Oriental Fruit Fly


An invasive fly in Florida has caused farmers to quarantine 85 square miles of land. The Oriental fruit fly can lay eggs and feed upon 400 different varieties of fruit crops. The invasive Florida fly could destroy $700 million worth of crops if agriculture officials cannot quickly eradicate the insect.

The small yet invasive fly has ground the typically productive Florida fruit growing business to a halt. The Oriental fruit fly was first noticed several weeks ago in the Miami. The spottings of the fly have since spread to Redland and other areas of Miami-Dad County. Growers in the region typically raise dragon fruit, tomatoes, and papaya, Newsweek reports.

Florida agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam declared the quarantine, which covers a space larger in size than both the Bronx and Manhattan combined. During the quarantine, much of the fruit will likely go to waste because the crops cannot leave the secured area.

“[The fruit fly] pierces it, lays its eggs and causes obviously a very unpleasant condition in that fruit when those eggs are laid in there,” Putnam said.

https://youtu.be/woY42mybhN0

The Oriental fruit fly quarantine went into effect just as many Florida farmers were preparing for harvest. Although some of the crops impacted by the invasive fly could be shipped after they have been irradiated, such a process is very expensive, MSN notes.

During an interview with NPR, Florida fruit grower Salvador Fernandez said the invasive fly quarantine has forced him to let nearly 20 million pounds of dragon fruits and 500,000 pounds of mamey fruit to wither on the vine.

Florida agriculture staffers are planning to spray insecticides to eradicate the invasive fly if their numbers continue to increase. Before a plan to hand spray the chemical pesticide malathion, the state must garner permission from the EPA. The pesticide has been used in the past to get rid of invasive fruit flies in California and other states. Malathion cannot be used on organic farms. If the pesticide is sprayed on such growing operations, the growers lose their organic growing certification status.

To date, 159 fruit flies have been found by scientists in the Miami region. State officials are reportedly hopeful that the quarantine will kill all of the Oriental fruit flies. The quarantine expires on January 18.

While state agriculture wait and hope the quarantine works, farmers and folks who work in the Florida fruit growing industry are worried about losing their land and their paychecks.

What do you think should be done to stop to invasive fly from destroying fruit crops in Florida?

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