Bet-El Fruits applauds the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s recent allocation of R2 million to assist local farmers in combatting harmful insects. As a committed player in the industry, Bet-El recognizes the significance of safeguarding export fruits against pests and diseases. This funding supports a groundbreaking Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program in the province, ensuring that fruit quality meets the stringent requirements of Western importing nations.
Citrus producers in the Western Cape employ the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to combat false codling moth (FCM). The SIT program is administered by X-SIT, a subsidiary of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA). Hannes de Waal, chairman of the CGA, welcomed the provincial government’s support for the program, emphasizing its significance in maintaining vital markets like Europe and the USA. The industry employs over 20,000 workers in the province, contributing to rural development and stability while earning essential foreign currency.
The SIT treatment program commenced in Citrusdal in 2007 following research by the CGA, Citrus Research International, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the US Department of Agriculture. This program adheres to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that do not involve pesticide use. It entails the mass rearing of male and female moths, which are then sterilized through irradiation and released in orchards. When sterile moths mate with wild moths, the resulting eggs are infertile, leading to a substantial reduction in the FCM population over time.
This technique ensures that exported fruits meet international phytosanitary regulations and food safety requirements. Sterile insect technology is employed in many countries to control various pests, with the program either fully or significantly funded by the government in most cases. In South Africa, users bear the cost, but the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s contribution will assist producers facing financial constraints to continue using this service.
Dr. Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, praised the project, stating that their support for the SIT program provides access to citrus producers who cannot afford it. It supports compliance with export requirements and protects job opportunities within the citrus industry, which plays a critical role in the Western Cape’s fruit and export basket, as well as job creation and economic development.
Dr. Meyer further emphasized the effectiveness of the SIT program in reducing fruit contamination and scarring in commercial citrus orchards, thereby minimizing the risk of fruit rejection in importing countries. The SIT program employs 140 people and is not limited to citrus but also used on approximately 19,500 hectares of fruits, such as table grapes and stone fruits. The facility in Citrusdal has the potential to expand its program to cover more than 40,000 hectares.
De Waal is optimistic about the future, emphasizing that SIT programs worldwide are relatively expensive but contribute to a more sustainable, integrated pest management approach for critical pests. He hopes that ongoing support will encourage other funders to recognize the importance of the sterile insect technique in protecting export crops. The Western Cape alone exports around 20 million 15 kg cartons of citrus each season, generating substantial revenue and sustaining approximately 30,000 jobs in the province. Nationally, the citrus industry provides employment for 140,000 South Africans.