Kenyan avocadoes shrink in size and yield on Persea Mites
2 min read
By Antynet Ford
Avocado farmers in the Subukia area of Nakuru County are calling on the Pest Control Products Board to approve pesticides for spraying Persea Mites in a move to protect them from mounting losses, as the pest shrinks their fruits and harvests.
John Ngari, who has both Fuerte and Hass avocado trees, said the cost of production had increased because he has been buying several pesticides pending PCPB approving the appropriate one to be used.
But the production of his trees had anyway fallen continuously since 2023, when he first noticed the pests.
“They have been prematurely shedding the leaves when they have just flowered, causing serious costs as the numbers produced have gone lower and lower between 2023 and this year.”
“PCPB is yet to approve the pesticides to be used when spraying Persea Mites. We have been trying to use every chemical that we think is appropriate. Even though it is working, it’s really an issue because it has kept on recurring and the harvest is going ever lower since when we first spotted the pests in 2023,” he said.
Farmers have also been left with no guidance on how to treat the pest while they wait for the right approval.
“The yields have greatly dropped with the trees losing leaves, and fruits becoming smaller. In terms of the market, Kenyans have been complaining about the poor fruit size even though I’m yet to receive complaints from the export market,” he said.
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He said the PCPB approving the right pesticides will also help in protecting the good insects, which are important for yielding the fruits, as the other chemicals he is now using tend to kill them.
When he first noticed the mites, it was because the leaves of his plants started turning brown with spots underneath.
Within a short period it spread to more trees raising concerns and leading him to try out various pesticides. He later learned from an extensive officer that there is no approved pesticide to be used, though he recommended a few that John could try.
