The Ministry of Agriculture has quarantined some farms in Tuli Block following detection of the Asian fruit fly in the area, the ministry has announced.
Boitumelo Rabasha, the Public Relations Manager at the ministry said that the Asian fruit fly attacks and damages tomatoes, citrus, cucumber, mango, cashew, nuts, papaya, guava, green pepper, water melons, squash, pumpkin, butternuts, bananas, avocado . Wild fruits that are attacked by the flies include morula and the wild monkey orange (mogorogorwana).  
She pointed out that the main pathway for fruit flies to spread from one area to another and from one country to the other is through the movement of infested fruits.
In an effort to prevent this fruit fly from invading other parts of the country,
Rabasha said that the ministry had put up quarantine measures with immediate effect and these include that fruits from affected farms will require a permit issued by Plant Protection Division regardless of quantity; mass trapping of the flies in and outside the farms using insecticides and synthetic lures; coordination of field sanitation measures through collecting and destroying infested fruits and inspection; inspecting and coordinating cold treatments and heat radiation for fruits intended for market outside the fruit fly infested areas.
Tuli block farms produces the bulk of fruits and vegetables consumed in the country although the country imports most of these items.from South Africa.
