Mexico: 50% of citrus production in Tamaulipas in danger

The bacteria that causes the HLB, also known as yellow dragon disease, was detected in citrus orchar…

The bacteria that causes the HLB, also known as yellow dragon disease, was detected in citrus orchards from the center of the Tamaulipas, which will cause a loss of up to 200,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect jobs. Additionally, 50% of the production is in danger of disappearing.

Citrus producers from Güemez, Padilla, Hidalgo, Abasolo, and Soto la Marina are seriously alarmed in face of the catastrophe that awaits them if they do not find a solution to this serious problem.

According to data provided by inspectors from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food of Tamaulipas, headed by Tomas Ruiz Ruiz, there are also signs of this bacteria in orange and lemon trees planted in the backyards of houses in urban areas and in some trees that are on the sidewalk.

The strongest outbreak has been detected in the areas of Güemez, Hidalgo, and Padilla, and some known producers have determined its better to knock down the trees affected to somehow avoid the continued spread of the disease, which will soon cause major economic losses for the members of this sector.

In face of this, Ruiz Ruiz called citrus producers to implement actions for the control of the huanglogbing. The arrival of this pest was expected because it had been detected in states such as Tabasco, Campeche, and in the state of Texas.

He insisted that the presence of the yellow dragon disease in the citrus-growing area of the entity would cause losses because it would affect the owners of the orchards, the shops that sell supplies for the sector, and even orange pickers.

The huanglongbing is one of the most feared pests because it kills the trees it affects in a matter of weeks. It should be mentioned that Tomas Ruiz Ruiz, inspector of SAGARPA, and a group of technical specialists have the task of walking the streets of the city, for an undetermined period of time, to detect the presence of this pest in the trees located on the sidewalks and in the backyards of houses.

Tamaulipas has an average annual citrus production of 600,000 tons of orange, grapefruit, mandarin, and Mexican and Italian lime, which are harvested in more than 44,000 hectares of orchards in the citrus area of the entity.

Therefore, producers fear that if the presence of this pest is confirmed, 50 percent of the citrus industry could disappear in just six years.