Local farmers warned about pest invasion
Efforts have been established to assist the tomato, potato and cabbage producers in this area in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality.
Steynsdorp – Pests were identified on crops that posed a threat to the local farmers’ yield in two projects, the Phumuzakhele Vegetable Project and the Mukelo Agri Co-op.
The pests were identified during a recent visit by a team of officials from the national and provincial departments of agriculture and the Agricultural Produce Agents Council (Apac), who were part of the Fresh Produce Marketing Workshops also held in Mkhondo and Msukalikwa Local Municipality in the Gert Sibande District.
The workshops discussed fresh produce marketing, Apac, agricultural marketing information systems, quarantine pests for successful fresh produce marketing and the Agricultural Products Standards Act, and the safe use of chemicals, among others.
Meanwhile, calls are still made to tomato producers to be on the lookout for damages on their crops due to Tuta Absoluta and Late Blight, which cause havoc on tomatoes. Tuta Absoluta is an invasive insect pest, very destructive, exclusively on tomatoes, while the Late Blight is a potentially devastating disease of tomato and potato, infecting the leaves, stems, tomato fruit and potato tubers.
Some emerging farmers around Mkhuhlu near Hazyview have since reported losses due to these pests. The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs said farmers must know how to spot these pests, be aware of the damage they cause, and must know the safest methods on the use of chemicals.
The department also emphasised the importance of taking soil samples, including putting in place mitigating strategies that can help prevent the outbreak of pests like these.
