Citrus greening is affecting fruits on the island, according to St. Vincent (SVG) Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar.
Citrus greening disease is a disease of citrus caused by a vector-transmitted pathogen. The causative agents are motile bacteria, Liberibacter spp.
“In St. Vincent and the Grenadines and many other windward islands, in fact, it’s a global issue; it’s called citrus greening, and if you follow the history, millions and millions of dollars worth of farm and planting material were destroyed in Florida, and we know that Florida has a significant citrus industry,” he explained.
“Citrus greening has affected what can be brought into the country. People are occasionally upset when we refuse to allow them to bring products into the country, but citrus greening has impacted and continues to effect us.”
The USDA says Citrus Greening (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) is one of the most serious citrus plant diseases in the world. It is also known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or yellow dragon disease.
Once a tree is infected, there is no cure. While the disease poses no threat to humans or animals, it has devastated millions of acres of citrus crops throughout the world. Citrus greening is spread by a disease-infected insect,
CABI scientists from Brazil, Costa Rica and Trinidad have teamed up with experts from Fundecitrus and the University of São Paulo-ESALQ to share their expertise on the debilitating citrus greening disease which threatens the success of citrus production – including oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes – in the Caribbean.
