Guyana, Brazil and Suriname are collaborating to eradicate the carambola fruit fly which plagues agricultural produce and poses economic and environmental challenges in the region.
Chief executive officer of the National Agricultural and Research Extension Institute (NAREI) Dr. Oudho Homenauth said the exercise is centered on the elimination of the Carambola fruit fly, which poses a serious threat.
“It is recognized that no one country in the region can seriously manage the pest problem. We all have to work together. So, it is imperative that our efforts be combined; and the three countries, that is Guyana, Suriname and Brazil have agreed to work together to have a unified approach to make a difference,” Dr. Homenauth told a workshop hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).
He said that as Guyana continues to expand its non-traditional agricultural sector, systems need to be in place to protect crops.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd who noted the effects of the carambola fruit fly on Guyana’s agricultural development.
She said studies show the fly is responsible for as much as fifty percent yield loss of the carambola crop.
