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The Belize Agricultural and Health Authority (BAHA) is reporting tonight that it has detected the Mediterranean Fruit Fly on the Placencia Peninsula. 

This comes 7 weeks after the medfly was first detected in the Sapodilla Cayes, Dump in the Toledo District and Hopkins in the Stann Creek District.

So, now operation are stepped up to ensure that this highly destructive pest does not wreck Belize’s agro-productive sector.

The medfly notorious in other parts of the world for its ability to destroy the agricultural produce, once it infiltrates a country through contraband fruits and vegetables that act as its host. It is responsible for millions of dollars in lost earnings and revenue. It infiltrates a country’s agricultural sector, and then starts to rapidly reproduce when adult medflies inject their eggs into fruit.

BAHA is reporting that illegal fruits and vegetables from other parts of the world were most likely brought in as contraband to Placencia, which caused the pest to land on Belizean soil.

BAHA reports that  they managed to successful eradicate it in Hopkins, and with this new detection is threatening the livelihoods of many Belizeans. BAHA says that the situation will not improve unless the public actively participates by refusing to bring illegal produce into Belize.

BAHA warns that a quarantine may be necessary to stop medfly’s spread.