Citrus producers in Quintana Roo are concerned that the presence of the citrus leprosy disease which, together with the HLB disease that is already affecting their crops, will decrease their production and fruit quality.
Gaspar Santin Moo, a producer with five hectares of Persian lime and two hectares of sweet orange in the town of Bacalar, said that the presence of Huanglongbing (HLB) has caused losses in plantation and fruit quality issues and that the presence of the citrus leprosy will increase the damage.
He said that with these pests would make it difficult to market the fruit as they are just beginning to export this product and that having another plague would make it impossible to progress, because the foreign markets were very strict and monitored the fruit's health.
He also stated that if the plague had already been detected by the National Health Safety and Quality Agroalimentaria (SENASA) in some southern states of Mexico, it was very probable that it was already in Quintana Roo, as most diseases have entered through the Caribbean and this plague would not be the exception.
Plant Health Committee
It is worth noting that, according to information by the chairman of the Plant Health of Quintana Roo, Evaristo Gomez Padilla, citrus leprosy is a viral disease that is transmitted through a mite (Brevipalpus phoenicis), and that it generates lesions on the plant's leaves, branches and fruit of the trees infected, causing considerable crop losses and reducing their commercial value. This disease mostly affects sweet orange, tangerine and lime.
Gaspar Santin Moo, said that producers were so concerned that they would ask the authorities to conduct a prevention campaign; otherwise they risk losing large tracts of crops, which would reduce the production and increase prices, just as happened three years ago when the price of a kilogram of limes soared to 100 pesos in some parts of the country.
Source: sipse.com