Efforts to eliminate the Tuta absoluta tomato pest along with the
recent fall in temperatures have contributed to the recovery of the
local tomato crop, a senior official from the Jordanian Farmers Union
(JFU) said. JFU President Ahmad Faour told The Jordan Times over the
phone Thursday that monitoring and mass trapping efforts to fight the
Tuta absoluta or tomato leafminer, a pest that has devastated a
substantial part of this year’s production of tomatoes, resulted in a
"significant" decline in the insect's population and therefore
mitigated damage to crops.
"The
effect of the pest on the crop does not exceed 5-10 per cent due to
farmers' efforts and the comprehensive plan of the Ministry of
Agriculture to eliminate the tomato leafminer using various types of
insecticides," Faour indicated. The JFU president explained that
farmers in the northern Jordan Valley are currently taking all
necessary prevention measures at their tomato farms, which he said are
"secure and in a promising condition".
Commenting on the tomato
farms in the southern Jordan Valley, Faour pointed out that after many
check-up visits to farms in Wadi Araba, Ghor Al Safi and Karama, "it
can be said now that the Tuta absoluta no longer exists there".
Faour
noted that the tomato harvest is now over in Mafraq and farmers there
have started planting another crop of tomatoes, adding that "if no
frost waves come, the crop will be saved".
"Generally speaking,
tomato farms are currently providing the local market with adequate
amounts of the produce, keeping prices stable and at reasonable
levels," he said. Faour warned, however, that the government and
farmers should maintain ongoing precautionary measures, explaining that
the insect’s behaviour as well as its ability to rapidly develop
resistance to insecticides "make it sometimes difficult to fully
eradicate".
Source: jordantimes.com
Publication date: 11/29/2010
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