For over a decade, South Africa has utilized a public-private partnership to manage the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), which poses a threat to its fruit industry. The International Plant Protection Convention's Strategic Planning Group, during its October 2024 meeting, recommended this model for other pests like Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Fusarium TR4).
South Africa's fruit industry, producing over 4.7 million tons annually, contributes significantly to exports and GDP. However, Medfly, affecting citrus, melons, tomatoes, and bell peppers, poses challenges. The Sterile Insect Technology (SIT) program, initiated in the Western Cape, emerged as a cost-effective control method. Sterile male flies are mass-produced and released, reducing pest populations sustainably. Despite initial underfunding, the program evolved into FruitFly Africa (Pty) Limited in 2003, requiring grower contributions through a "subsidiary levy."
In 2009, a private-public partnership with deciduous fruit and table grape growers and the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) was established, each funding 50 percent of the program. This led to an upgraded mass-rearing facility, enhancing sterile fruit fly production and quality. By 2023, production will have increased to 65 million flies weekly, a 1,200 percent rise from the 1990s. Wild Medfly populations in SIT areas decreased by 73 percent, covering around 40,000 hectares weekly. Some areas are now managed as low-pest-prevalence zones, boosting residue-safe exports.
The Areawide Integrated Pest Management System (AW-IPM) set up Medfly traps and a fruit fly bait program, funded by producers, using a Spinosad-based product. Jan Hendrik Venter, Director, Plant Health Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development South Africa, stated, "The co-funding approach worked because it was built on a solid cost-benefit analysis and thorough, continuous applied research, to achieve national priorities such as export competitiveness, economic growth and development, job creation, food security, and reduced insecticide use."
Anton Rabe, Executive Director of Hortgro, noted, "As a growers' association, Hortgro is very satisfied with the outcomes of the programme to increase pest surveillance and reduce Medfly in our main production areas. Our farmers are using the most environmentally friendly approach possible to control fruit flies on an integrated, area-wide approach. This has reduced import rejections due to pests or chemical residues."
Since the partnership's inception, fruit exports have grown from 558,000 tons to 1.02 million tons, ensuring safe trade and economic growth. Stakeholder engagement through clear information secured long-term commitment. The SIT program, integrated into a World Trade Organization-funded project, aims to identify low pest prevalence and pest-free areas in South Africa and Mozambique.
Source: IPPC