Prov’l govt. holds Training on Mango Pest Control

Lingayen- - - To lessen the threat of ‘cecid flies’ on mango growing, the provincial government sponsored a “Technical Training on the Control and Management of Pests and Diseases in Mango with Emphasis on Cecid Fly”, on September 13 at the Provincial Training and Development Center (PTDC).

Dalisay Moya, Officer-in-Charge of the Provincial Agriculturist Office, said the whole day training was aimed at helping local mango growers acquire more knowledge about the pests that have been causing damage on their crops.

Pangasinan last year suffered a huge loss in mango production due to the infestation of cecid flies or ‘kurikong.’

“Last year, the province suffered a big loss of about 90 percent because of kurikong,” Manaoag Vice Mayor Lito Arenas who is also President of Mango Federation of Stakeholders in Pangasinan said as he noted that the huge loss has now untagged the province from being dubbed as one of the country’s top mango producer.

Pangasinan supplies at least 40 percent of the total production, records from the Department of Agriculture showed. Last year, the province produced more than 120,000 metric tons of mangoes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Celia P. Medina, Director of Crop Protection Cluster in University of the Philippines in Los Banos, said that further studies are being conducted to find out the most effective way of eradicating the pest.

Medina, who spearheaded the training proper, lectured on several topics such as: Cecid Fly Management and Control, Differentiating Cecid Fly vs. Capsid Bug Damages, Mango Hoppers Management and Control and Pesticide Resistance Management.

“It is important that our mango growers get to know the pest well so that they know how to contain them,” she said further stressing that getting enough knowledge on pest’s history is very vital.

Cecid fly is one of the top emerging pest problems in mango production. It affects developing fruits, which results in premature fruit drop early in the season and low quality of fruits at harvest because it leaves circular black marks on the skin of mangoes, making them unattractive and unmarketable.

The training was participated in by local growers coming from mango producing towns of Anda, Dasol, Mangatarem, Bugallon, Basista, Sta. Barbara, Urbiztondo, Calasiao, Mapandan, Pozorrubio, Umingan, Balungao, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Manaoag, Binalonan, Tayug and Bautista and the cities of San Carlos and Urdaneta.