In Seychelles, a senior agricultural official has reported significant leaf beetle activity on Mahe, the main island, with no occurrences on the Inner and Outer islands. Roy Govinden, a senior agricultural research officer, highlighted the receipt of 594 beetle infestation reports from December of the previous year to mid-March 2024, primarily concentrated in 20 districts of Mahe. Anse Etoile, Beau Vallon, and English River are the most affected areas.
Introduced in November 2023, the beetle targets golden apple trees and is suspected to have entered Seychelles via imported goods, common in countries like India and China. The Department of Agriculture's rapid response team has conducted fogging operations at 193 locations, covering 273 trees, which is 32 percent of the reported cases. Despite challenges such as limited resources and weather constraints, many treated trees have shown recovery.
Source: seychellesnewsagency.com