Georgetown: A total of GYD$49 has been approved by the government to help fight the red palm mite pest that is affecting the coconut industry.
The issue has posed a major setback for coconut farmers, particularly those in the Pomeroon.
This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon who said that the sum will be expended on the purchase of chemicals, equipment and safety gear for distribution to coconut farmers at a subsidised cost to assist in combating the outbreak.
“Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder had informed Cabinet that farmers in the coconut industry, particularly in Regions 2 and 3, have been primarily affected by the red palm mite pest,” Harmon said.
According to Harmon, technical teams have been deployed to those areas to assist farmers in confronting the problem.
The red palm mite pest, also known as the raoiella indica, was known to affect only plants in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and African countries. However, the pest was observed in the Caribbean islands in 2004.
The pest moves through wind currents, following which it settles on plant leaves and after a period of time, the leaves begin to lose their colour. The pest feeds by inserting themselves into the plant tissue and removing their cells, leaving the leaves with a yellow-brownish colour.
The mites live for a period of two to three weeks and the plants begin to rot soon after being affected. The pest also thrives on plantains, bananas and ornamental plants and some reports indicate that the pest has also infected those plants in parts of the country.
The demand for fresh coconut produce and coconut based health and beauty products have skyrocketed on both the regional and world markets. Many of the Caribbean countries that once had a booming coconut subsector have been unable to satisfy this growing demand.
From the 1980s onward production began to decline sharply as a result of loss of international markets for traditional products, ageing populations, loss of consumer confidence and growing pest and disease problems.
It is estimated that there are currently 24,000 hectares of coconut cultivation across the country with an average annual production of 90 to 100 million nuts.
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