Across the Volta Region, farmers growing high value horticultural crops, such as oranges, mangoes and vegetables, are suffering due to crop losses caused by fruit fly infestations. The flies lay eggs in the fruits causing them to fall prematurely with worms in them.
Resource-poor and commercial farmers in the district told that since 2014, they had lost over 70 per cent yield to the attack by the flies.
Mr Patrick Beseh, of the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in charge of the Plant Health Rally, "Plantwise" initiative, advised the farmers to regularly collect fallen fruits and dispose of them properly.
Mr Theophilus Zottorgloh, the Volta Regional Deputy Co-ordinator, "Plantwise" initiative, said reports indicate that a good number of farmers had abandoned their farms due to the infestation. He said the situation had caused some farmers to lose thousands of Ghana cedis affecting the living conditions of thousands of people.
"Plantwise" initiative is under the auspices of Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences, an inter-governmental non-governmental organisation working with agriculture extension officers known under the project as "Plant Doctors" to find solutions to pests and diseases especially reducing yields of resource-poor farmers.
Source - www.freshplaza.com
