Surveillance Programme to Combat African Citrus Greening Disease in E Cape

The department has called on nursery owners, citrus growers, and the community at large to cooperate with DALRRD and CRI officials during the survey.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) has announced the initiation of a surveillance programme to address the recent detection of African citrus greening disease in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. This official effort aims to assess the extent of the disease and prevent its further spread across citrus-producing regions.

African citrus greening, a bacterial disease that affects citrus trees, is primarily spread by the African citrus psyllid (Trioza erytreae). Symptoms include blotchy mottling and yellowing of leaf veins, leading to reduced fruit quality that is unsuitable for sale or processing. Left unchecked, the disease can cause severe economic damage to citrus growers.

The DALRRD’s surveillance programme will be conducted in collaboration with Citrus Research International (CRI). A delimiting survey will determine the geographic spread of the disease, which will allow for the implementation of appropriate phytosanitary measures. The survey will include laboratory analysis of collected samples and will involve monitoring citrus trees for suspicious symptoms. Yellow sticky traps will be used to collect vital information on insect vectors.

The department has called on nursery owners, citrus growers, and the community at large to cooperate with DALRRD and CRI officials during the survey. They also stressed the importance of not tampering with surveillance equipment like the sticky traps, which are crucial for gathering data on pest populations.

The intra-provincial movement of citrus propagation materials from infected areas to non-infected regions within the Eastern Cape is strictly prohibited under the Agricultural Pests Act of 1983. Infested areas include districts like Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, and parts of Nelson Mandela Bay, while non-infested areas such as Chris Hani and Cacadu districts remain protected zones.

In another development, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen will unveil the results of the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS) on Wednesday. Conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the survey, spanning all nine provinces from 2021 to 2023, provides crucial insights into the state of food and nutrition security at district levels. Findings will guide government interventions to ensure that households have access to adequate food and nutrition, contributing to the broader goal of national food security.