Agricultural emergency Declared In South Florida
September 15th, 2015 by Mike Vasilinda
Avocados. Mangos and papayas are at risk of infestation from an oriental fruit fly found in Miami Dade County in South Florida. 108 infestations have been found, so the the state has declared an agricultural emergency in the area. Department of Agriculture spokesperson Jennifer Meale says the hope is to keep the pest from getting out of Miami Dade and into the citrus belt of Florida.
“Commissioner Putnam and his team, along with the USDA, have instituted a quarantine area around the core finds of these oriental fruit flies\ in order to prevent the spread of this agricultural pest. If this pest spreads, it could devastate Florida’s 1234 billion dollar agriculture industry” says Meale.
Q: “So, it could affect citrus in Central Florida as well.”
“Yes, this oriental fruit fly feeds on more than 430 commodities including citrus and oranges” she responded.
So far, the infestation is not expected to affect prices because the affected fruit is being treated before ship[ping.
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