Belize Marks 25 Years Free of Mediterranean Fruit Fly

Belize and the United States are celebrating twenty-five years of successfully keeping Belize free of the Mediterranean fruit fly, one of the world’s most destructive agricultural pests. The milestone was recognized during a ceremony in Placencia attended by US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Rhonda Slusher, Kelly Moore, Administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Belizean officials, MOSCAMED commissioners, technical experts and programme personnel. The wider regional Medfly programme is also marking fifty years of cooperation. It began in 1975 as a partnership involving the United States, Mexico and Guatemala and later expanded to include Belize. The programme is designed to contain the pest in Central America and prevent its spread into pest-free areas farther north.  The Mediterranean fruit fly can attack hundreds of varieties of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Female flies lay their eggs inside produce, where the larvae feed and cause the fruit to rot. An outbreak could lead to crop losses, costly eradication measures and restrictions on agricultural exports.  Belize’s Medfly-free status has therefore been important to local farmers and exporters, allowing the country to access international markets while protecting investments in fruit and vegetable production.