The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) stated that Puebla had stopped using methyl bromide to combat the plague known as the banana moko to reduce the possibility of health and environmental problems.
According to SAGARPA, they stopped using methyl bromide as part of work being carried out to update various provisions of the Official Mexican Policy (NOM) to combat pests in banana crops.
SAGARPA stated that since the NOM-068-FITO-2000 had been published in the Official Gazette on April 21, 2000, the agronomic and plant health situation in the banana zones had changed, which is why the Standard needed to be modified.
The disease known as the banana moko is caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum bacterium and it causes economic losses to producers by reducing the harvest. Additionally, when the problem is detected, the free marketing of the fruit of the regions affected is restricted, both domestically and internationally.
SAGARPA stressed that updating the NOM benefits banana cultivation in the country that covers an area of 75,337 hectares in the states of Campeche, Colima, Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatan.
Currently, Puebla is among the 10 states with the highest production of banana. The biggest producers are the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca and Guerrero, with a volume of 2,208,651 tons.
According to SAGARPA, they stopped using methyl bromide to control the disease because this active substance was identified as being responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer, so the countries affiliated with the United Nations agreed to progressively reduce its application until it is completely banned.
Source: e-consulta.com