The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) has decided to declare the state of Roraima as an area under quarantine for Bactrocera carambolae (star fruit fly) for an indefinite period. The decision was published, this Monday (10), in the Official Gazette of the Union. The measure will allow the adoption of measures for monitoring, delimitation, containment and control of the pest in the state. The carambola fly originates from Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia. The plague arrived in Suriname in 1975 and, in 1996, it was found in Brazil, in Oiapoque, in Amapá. Since 2010, the fly, which is considered a quarantine pest (located in a restricted area in the country and subject to official control), has been present in Roraima. The pest causes damage not only to carambola, but also to other fruits of great economic value such as guava, cashew, mango, taperebá, acerola, muruci, tangerine and pitanga, among others. Environmental impact The presence of the carambola fly usually causes socioeconomic and environmental impact, such as increased costs and reduced production, environmental and food contamination due to the increased application of pesticides, restrictions on fruit exports and also increased spending on phytosanitary control if it spreads to other regions. One of the causes of pest dispersal is the transport of host fruits. Fruit contamination occurs when it is perforated and fly eggs are placed inside. At the drilling site, a hole is formed where rotting occurs. The fly larvae destroy the fruit pulp, making it bad for consumption. According to the ordinance published today, the quarantine will continue indefinitely, “as long as there is no change in the phytosanitary status and the legal requirements for its maintenance are observed.”
Agência Brasil
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