With Oriental fruit flies threaten South Florida agriculture, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced spraying will begin perhaps as early as Friday. First spotted at the end of August, so far more than 160 fruit flies have been detected in more than 400 products, mostly around Redland. Oriental fruit flies lay eggs in fruits and vegetables, making them a major threat to produce.
Putnam said aerial spraying would occur in the quarantine zone set up in the Redland area. The area will be sprayed with Spinosad, an insecticide which was honored by the federal Environmental Protection Agency with the “Green Chemistry” award. The state Department of Agriculture is reaching out to the community to urge fisheries, beekeepers and other chemically sensitive residents to make adjustments if needed.
“I am committed to using every weapon in the arsenal to protect agriculture in Miami-Dade County, as well as the entire state, and the aerial spraying of this product that is approved for use by organic growers is one more measure we can take to eradicate the Oriental fruit fly,” Putnam said on Tuesday.
Putnam declared an agriculture emergency in the area two weeks ago due to the Oriental Fruit Flies. Up in Washington, D.C., 20 members of the Florida delegation sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Sec. Tom Vilsack, urging his department to continue efforts to eliminate the flies, earlier in the month.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., signed the letter and explained why the USDA needed to help eradicate the flies.
“On August 28, 2015, 40 Oriental Fruit Flies were found in Miami-Dade County, resulting in the immediate quarantine of the 1.5 square miles surrounding the fly detection area,” Curbelo said when the letter was sent out two weeks ago. “It is crucial that the U.S. Department of Agriculture continue working with state and local officials on the ground towards a solution to ensure the complete eradication of this invasive pest. These fruit flies are considered to be one of the most dangerous species to the crops of Florida, and if allowed to spread, could have detrimental effects on our agriculture community. I was proud to lead this letter and have the support of nineteen fellow Florida members of Congress in seeking an immediate remedy to ensuring the Oriental Fruit Fly does not impede our agriculture community.”
Miami Dade agriculture is a $1.6 billion industry and supports 11,000 jobs.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
