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HOME	FEBRUARY 19th, 2005

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The Ministry of Agriculture in Grenada says that it has seen the emergence of a number of new pests in the country in the aftermath of hurricane Ivan last September.

Pest Management officials have said however that they have recognised a decline in the infestation index and population of the West Indian Fruit Fly to zero since the passage of the hurricane.They are concerned though about two pests which prior to September 6 were occasional and did not cause economic damage but have changed their focus since.

In early January, the Pest Management Unit was alerted to the presence of Army worms attacking Flamboyant on the compound of the Point Salines International Airport (PSIA). Officials have said that at present, foliage growth on the affected trees is back to normal because of the administration of two cycles of Dipel by field staff.

They say that another Pest, the Pigeon Pea Leaf Hopper has inflicted severe economic damage on agricultural produce. Because of the sensitive nature of the Pigeon Pea Plant and the way crops are planted in the country, assistance to farmers in managing this pest has been limited.

Farmers are advised to apply Karate as a foliar spray and the Unit promised to conduct a survey to determine the intensity of the infestation with the hope of deploying field teams to implement control measures. The Ministry said that although there is a problem with pests, some vegetables are back and so Grenadians can now purchase a large variety of them on the local market.

Agronomist Cecil Winsborough told reporters at a recent press conference that efforts are being made to revitalise other food crops on the island. He said that local dasheen are now on sale and the plan by the Ministry is to focus attention on getting planting materials such as yams that were destroyed during Ivan for the start of the rainy season.

Winsborough stated that work is also being done on nurseries on the island with the intention of reviving tree crops in conjunction with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). He said that the international organisation has also provided Grenada with some seeds which are being distributed to farmers.

However, the Agronomist is warning that people would not be able to find a wide variety of plants at the Mirabeau Propagation plant at the moment as was the case in past years. He said the building was extensively damaged during the hurricane, and that a lot of items have to be replaced before normal operations can resume.