Medfly Mars Mango Grower’s Business

Although several miles from where a single Mediterranean fruit fly was found recently, a stop-sale order was issued by the Department of Agriculture to Truly Tropical in Delray Beach. The grove has 150 trees on 5 acres.

State and federal workers are stripping fruit from trees in a treatment area within 675 feet of confirmed fruit fly finds. According to state agriculture officials, fruit from trees on more than 130 properties in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, where the outbreak was first detected in early June, has been picked and taken away. Fruit seized includes lychees, loquats, and mangoes. In addition, sterile Medflies also have been released in affected areas to help stop the spread of the pest.

A larger quarantine area, that was expanded from its original coordinates to accommodate the latest Medfly find, covers more than 80 square miles. Although the fruit from trees beyond the immediate 675 feet of a confirmed find is left on the tree, no fruit removal is permitted from any commercial grove.
Patrols will be conducted around neighborhoods in affected areas to make sure no one is selling fruit from roadside stands.

Sources: Palm Beach Post and WPTV.com.