Punta Cana.- The Dominican Republic is making notable progress towards the rapid eradication of the Mediterranean fly, using the final phase of the international protocol, as stated by engineer Rosa Lazala, director of Plant Health of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Lazala announced that the release of the first 3 million sterile males this week represents significant progress in the process of achieving the eradication of the fly in record time.
Highlighting the progress, Lazala highlighted that since January 23, no captures have been recorded in the traps strategically located in the Punta Cana detection area, keeping the MTD (Mediterranean Fly Trap Density) at zero.
Lazala assured that the Dominican Republic's commercial partners can trust in the collaborative efforts of national and international authorities that actively participate in the eradication of the fly. In addition, he mentioned that in the coming days the total elimination of insects will be officially announced.
Recognizing the cooperative efforts, Lazala thanked international agri-food protection organizations such as Oirsa, Senasica, Moscamed and Mexico, in addition to the FAO and Aphis-USDA. He also praised the dedicated work of Plant Health technicians in achieving this important milestone.