The Punjab Agriculture Department has launched a project to tackle the issue of fruit fly at a cost of Rs 227 million in 30 districts of the province and increase the production of mangoes, citrus and guava. According to a spokesman of the department, the project will help manage 13 generations of fruit fly in a year which directly damage fruits and cause significant loss.

The farmers are not updated about its control. Generally chemical control is adopted which does not control the pest on long-term basis. Moreover, consequential pesticide residue also causes hazard to human health. Solution lies only in managing fruit fly through integrating all possible methods. Two generations of fruit fly - Zoneeta and Daarseeloze - attack mangoes, guava and orange. To mitigate this loss, a plan has been evolved, the spokesman added.

Initially, 50 percent subsidy will be given in 15 districts on fruit fly trap material. During the last financial year, the department had provided fruit fly traps to orchards spreading over 16,500 acres of land in the province while next year growers of orchards spreading over another 15,000 acres of land will also be provided these fruit fly traps. Orchards growers of notified districts will be provided Methyl Eugenol and six trap boxes per acre for control of male population of fruit fly and Protein Hydrolysate with material for control of female population on cost sharing basis. The farmers having orchard areas from 1 to 12 acres of targeted crops will be eligible for 50pc subsidy and those having area from 13 acres and above for will be provided 30pc subsidy.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016