There are renewed worries for the security of the Mexican citrus industry with the news that an Asian citrus psyllid trapped in the Mexican city of El Cuyo has tested positive for Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease.
While the discovery in a backyard tree on the Yucutan peninsula is not near any commercial groves, it is an unwelcome development following the first outbreak of the pest in Mexico last year, Capital Press reported.
Ted Batkin, president of the Citrus Research Board, said that the find was not surprising, although the fact that the positive discovery was not near the border with Belize – where the pest and disease were recently discovered – is not what was expected.
As a result of a discovery, the Mexican government has put in place an emergency programme of survey work and ground treatment to contain the pest, with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) committing resources for testing and eradication.
