The Seremi of Agriculture of Maule, Claudia Ramos, and the team of the Agricultural and Livestock Service SAG, headed by the regional director (S) Viviana Valdés, together with the provincial presidential delegate of Curicó, José Patricio Correa, held an informative meeting with mayors and technical teams of the communes of Curicó, Romeral, Teno and Rauco, to explain the scope of the fruit fly detection campaign, following the appearance of an outbreak in the commune of Chimbarongo.
This is about the appearance of 3 specimens in a backyard located in the aforementioned commune of the neighboring region of O'Higgins, announced on Friday, May 3, and which activates a surveillance campaign within an established radius -from the outbreak- that goes between 7.2 or 27.2 km depending on the destination market. In the latter, the area that remains under surveillance within those 27 km corresponds to the demands of the Chinese market, which includes sectors of the 4 northernmost communes, in the province of Curicó.
At this morning's meeting, attended by the Mayor of Romeral, Carlos Vergara, and the Prodesal of the other three communes, information was provided on this phytosanitary alert situation, the impact of the pest on the fruit sector, the surveillance actions that the SAG began to implement, and the self-care and collaboration measures that farmers and the general population can follow.
“Immediately after the capture was reported, we were activated as SAG and the two regional ministries involved in this campaign headed by the national director of SAG, José Guajardo. We are at a limit with the sixth that leads us to work together to intensify surveillance and thus prevent this plague from spreading, reaching our area and also to be able to remain a country free of the fly, which is important for our exports,” said the SAG. Seremi Claudia Ramos.
He Provincial delegate José Patricio Correa , meanwhile, conveyed a message of reassurance to the population: “I call on farmers to trust in the work of the SAG within the quarantined area, to allow access to the farms and to facilitate this campaign by following all instructions,” he indicated.
In turn, the Regional Director (S) of SAG, Viviana Valdés, explained that “in the area, the number of traps on surveillance routes near the highway will be increased, which currently number 23 and will increase to 33 with their respective reviews every 12 to 14 days; in addition, work will be done in coordination between both regions for dissemination campaigns mainly aimed at preventing the trade of fruit of unknown origin, as well as allowing the entry of Service officials to the homes of the communes under quarantine.”
Fruit fly
The fruit fly or Mediterranean fly is one of the most damaging agricultural pests in the world. It attacks more than 250 species of fruit and vegetables. The larvae feed on the pulp of the fruit, causing its destruction. Chile is the only country in South America that has been free of fruit flies since 1995, therefore, tourists visiting Chile and people traveling outside the country should not carry any type of food of plant origin when entering the national territory.
