'Fruit fly a threat to export of fruits, vegetables'

The fruit fly is not only deteriorating our fruits production but also putting a dent in the export worth billions of the rupees. If we could not overcome the issue, we will be isolated from the world in term of fruits exports, said University of Agriculture Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.
He was addressing the National Conference on 'Sustainable Management and Control of Fruit Fly Infestation' arranged by US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Department of Entomology, UAF at New Senate Hall.
Chairing the session, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the university will carry out a commissioned research on the fruit fly aimed at overcome the disease. He said that fruit fly issue also disturbed the developed nation but they have minimised its losses with the help of modern techniques.
He said the government was making the tangible steps to address the issue in the national agricultural policy whereas the Punjab Agri policy was also being devised that would come up with the solution to fight the crises.
He said it is not a permanent solution to treat fruits after harvesting. He called for taking the measures to prevent fruit fly from attacking the orchards, especially citrus, mangoes and guava. He said that we have to quarantine our orchards yearly to overcome the disease.
He said that the University Entomology Department and the USPCAS were running multiple research and development projects on the issue that will help bring the tangible solutions and policy recommendations.
USPCAS Chief of Party Dr Bashir Ahmad said that the world population will grow to nine billion by the mid of this century. He said that we have to produce the more food from the same resources. The control of diseases was prerequisite to increase the productivity and to increase of the farming community. He said that per acre water availability and agricultural land was decreasing whereas the demand was increasing with the ever increasing population. He said that fruit fly affects the production by 20 to 50 percent whereas in the worst condition up to 80 percent.
Dean Faculty of Agriculture Prof Dr Muhammad Amjad termed it a serious threat to export of fruits and vegetables. He said that plant protection measures helped increase per hectare yield by protecting crops from diseases and controlling the pests. He said modern practices must be promoted and practised in the fields to reduce the hazardous usage of pesticides.
He said that collaborated efforts are needed on the part of researchers, farming community and other stakeholders to fight with the issue. He said that the country was blessed with the tremendous resources, there is need to tap the potential.
Chairman Entomology Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that Australia had developed a national fruit fly management plan. He said that fruity fly had become a national problem.
He said that the Punjab government was revamping the agriculture policy under the convenor ship of UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan with a special focus on productivity enhancement, farmers issue and disease management.
Chair Climate Changes Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Chatha said that they will conduct commissioned research under the USPCA on the fruit fly in order to overcome the problems. He said that the frequency of fruit fly interception in the recent years had been increased dramatically and is expected to increase due to climate changes.
Dr Shahid Majeed said that they were working on the new technology on the issue that will help control the pest. He said that fruit fly had become a great challenge for the researchers, farmers and policy makers to save the fruits from the destruction.
Dr Shahid Mansoor, Dr Mansoor Sahi, Dr Amanullah, Dr Sohail Ahmad and other notables also spoke on the occasion.