Mekong Delta: Citrus mealybugs appear insignificant, easy to prevent

China’s quarantine has been stricter

In regard to the citrus mealybugs damaging dragon fruit trees, Mr. Trinh said that the locals should not be worried about this because the damage is mostly partial, not difficult to prevent. However, the quarantine in general (including citrus mealybugs) for fruits exported to the Chinese market is increasingly stricter and more intense.

Accordingly, export enterprises now also control this pest object very strictly. “The mealybug control has almost been completely done in the fruiting stage. After harvesting, there is still the washing and processing stage, so the risk of mealybug infection in export dragon fruit batches is always under control", said Mr. Trinh.

Currently, in general, mealybugs in orchards are still present, but most of them have been dealt with. Mealybugs are commonly found on longan trees but get thoroughly handled by farmers right at the fruit’s early stage.

As claimed by Mr. Doan Van Sang, General Director of Cat Tuong Agricultural Processing and Production Co., Ltd in Dao Thanh Commune (My Tho City, Tien Giang), besides longan, citrus mealybugs also appear on rambutan. Currently, quarantine regulations in import markets, including China, are very strict. Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful with this creature, especially exports not only to China but also to the USA and the EU.

Easy to handle

It is currently the hot season in the Mekong Delta, so citrus mealybugs often appear in fruit-producing areas, but at an insignificant rate.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, Chairman of An Hoa (Euphoria Longana) Club, in An Khanh commune, Chau Thanh district (Dong Thap), shared that this year, longan growers have had a good harvest due to favorable weather, without attack from pests and disease, especially citrus mealybugs destructive to longan fruits, so the longan fruit of this crop has bright and beautiful color, high yield.

Often when longan is preparing to create cotton and fruit, farmers have used pesticides to prevent and treat diseases and other destructive insects such as stink bugs, thrips, eriophyes..., killing citrus mealybugs at the same time.

According to Mr. Pham Tan Xieu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chau Thanh district (Dong Thap), currently, the district has had an additional growing model for Ido longan variety (Euphoria Longana) in order to limit the attack of pests and diseases, gain higher profits compared to the favorable season, and create a regular longan supply to the market.

In recent years, gardens have gradually applied technical advances to limit and control pests and diseases (fruit wrapping, variety selection, pruning to create canopy, handling flowering and spreading crops,…), therefore, the risk of mealybugs as well as other harmful organisms is always strictly controlled in longan growing establishments granted export planting area codes.

As recommended, when seeing the appearance of mealybugs attacking fruits, farmers do not need to panic, and buying pesticides is not required. Farmers only need to use cold water to water their plants every day, strongly on places where mealybugs cling to or use a solution of dishwashing liquid mixed with cold water to spray on longan trees, this can also prevent citrus mealybugs.