SMALL FARMERS and householders are being warned not to purchase cheap uncertified citrus plants from unregistered producers.
The warning has come from programme manager of the Citrus Protection Agency (CPA) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Alfred Barrett, who said unregistered plant producers were selling uncertified citrus plants to unsuspecting consumers.
Mr. Barrett said persons were using sour orange rootstock to produce the plants, which were being sold without the certification tag. He pointed out that the sour orange rootstock has proven to be highly susceptible to the tristeza virus, which has "devastated citrus orchards islandwide".
"They cannot get clean 'bud wood' to produce the plants, neither can they acquire resistant or tolerant rootstock, so what they use is sour orange which is a major problem to us," he added.
CERTIFIED PLANTS
Plants provided under the Citrus Replanting Programme were certified as disease free by the ministry and carry a tag from the CPA certifying the plants' nursery origin.
Mr. Barrett urged citrus farmers to purchase plants from approved nurseries, noting that the CPA, which was set up to monitor the citrus certification programme, would be "keeping tabs on the industry".
He pointed out that the CPA was finding it difficult to apprehend persons involved in selling uncertified plants because their fields were in places that were difficult to reach, or they transported their plants directly to buyers. Mr. Barrett further warned that persons found carrying out this illegal act could be arrested and fined $10,000, or imprisoned for six months.
