Ordinance establishes national citrus disease prevention and control program

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) published this Tuesday (25/05), in the Official Gazette of the Union, the Ordinance No. 317 which establishes the National Program for the Prevention and Control of the Huanglongbing (HLB) pest - also known as Greening - caused by the bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter spp.  

This is the main citrus disease and the biggest threat to the world's citrus industry, as it attacks all types of citrus and there is no cure for diseased plants. In Brazil, the pest is present and under official control in the states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.  

The new regulation defines the criteria for maintaining the phytosanitary status of the Federation units without occurrence, including the obligation to establish a Contingency Plan, aiming at the adoption of immediate actions to be taken in the event of the occurrence of the pest.  

“A novelty in prevention actions was the institution of mandatory monitoring of the insect vector diaphorina citri and citrus seedling nurseries that must be carried out in all areas at risk of HLB introduction, including in municipalities in states where the pest already occurs”, reports the general coordinator of Plant Protection, Graciane de Castro. 

The procedures relating to the delimitation and control of the pest in the states where it already occurs were also updated, aiming to prevent its spread to other free areas in the country.  

The program was prepared based on the review of Normative Instruction No. 53/2008, requested from Mapa by research institutions, State Plant Health Bodies and associations representing the citrus production chain, involved in disease monitoring and control actions.