According to information provided by the National Lime Council (Conalim), citrus greening is one of the main phytosanitary problems affecting national citrus growing. Sergio Ramirez Castañeda, representative of Conalim, said that the states of Colima and Michoacan are the ones suffering the most, despite all the efforts being made to eradicate it.
The also president of Mexico's Sistema Producto Limón in Michoacan confirmed that, despite the intense campaign for the control and eradication of Huang Long Bing (another name for the disease) carried out in Michoacan, around 90% of the lime crops in the municipality of Coahuayana are affected, which is really alarming.
In this sense, Sergio Ramírez Castañeda informed that the "hot spots" for the disease are in the municipalities of Tepalcatepec and Buenavista, in Apatzingan Valley, where at least 32 fields have been identified as infected by citrus greening.
Nevertheless, he mentioned that, jointly with Sagarpa and Senasica, they are working on an operation to tackle Huang Long Bing in 8,000 hectares, and collaterally, in an intense awareness campaign with the producers of Apatzingan Valley to inform them of the magnitude of the risk for the citrus industry.
He also explained that the state of Colima is the most affected by citrus greening, and that in order to avoid a collapse of the little more than 90,000 hectares of lime crops in the country preventive programs are already being implemented in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Michoacan.
Additionally, he said that as an integral part of the prevention, combat and eradication campaigns, there will also be fumigation of the country's lime-producing areas, aimed at controlling the spread of the disease.
Finally, Sergio Ramírez Castañeda made an appeal to the lime producers of Apatzingan Valley to accept the reality of the risks brought forth by citrus greening, asking them to join in the prevention and combat actions currently underway in the region, because only then could the damages be reversed.
Source: Cambiodemichoacan