In this regard, the Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, said that the necessary monetary and technical investment will be made to avoid its propagation.

During a press conference at the Ministry’s headquarters, Cruz called on farmers not to worry because the Dominican Republic has a National Fruit Fly Surveillance and Control Program.

He indicated that after its identification, the emergency protocol was immediately activated in the perimeter where the outbreak was detected.

In his speech, the director general of the International Regional Agricultural Health Organization (OIRSA), engineer Raul Rodas, said that Santo Domingo is an example of early identification of pests and has an effective phytosanitary surveillance.

Meanwhile, the director of Plant Health, engineer Rosa Lazala, said that the flies have not affected any production, because there is no agricultural activity in the area where they were found.

The Mediterranean fruit fly is considered one of the most dangerous agricultural pests because, according to studies, it attacks about 250 species of fruit trees, damaging their pulp.

jg/abo/mem/mpv