Wakenaam farmers still battling red palm mite

Despite repeated efforts to curb its impact, the red palm mite continues to affect coconut farms in the Essequibo Islands.
Guyana Times was told that the pest, officially known as Raoiella indica Hirst has resurfaced on the island of Wakenaam.
Red palm mite causes leaves of plants to wither before falling off and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) had distributed chemicals to coconut farmers to treat their plants late last year. The pests have, however, returned causing farmers to worry over possible losses.

Farmer Ramkissoon (only name given) told this publication that red palm mite was still plaguing his coconut farms. He said that the mites have been attacking particularly coconut nurseries. Ramkissoon expressed concern for the 600 plants he has in his coconut nursery, which could all be wiped out by the pest.
In December 2015, Government had allocated $49 million for the procurement of chemicals and additional materials to contain the pest in the affected locations.
Red mite has been plaguing local farms in various communities for a number of years. It had entered the Caribbean around 2004. The presence of the pest was first observed in Wakenaam, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). NAREI at one point quarantined the island and had put in place preventive measures in neighbouring Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). However, those efforts did not stop the pest from reaching the Pomeroon and other farming communities on the Essequibo Coast. The mites are dispersed through wind and from affected plants.
In November last year, more than 70 farmers on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), and Pomeroon, Region Two had benefited from a distribution exercise.
Somanti Rajkumar, a Pomeroon farmer, had related in November 2016 that his farm was full of mostly dried palm leaves, irregular shaped nuts and many fruitless trees.
He had stressed that production had been reduced from 1000 to 400 nuts annually.
However, just days after he applied the chemical, the unhealthy branches fell and greener healthy palm trees had become visible.
A small-scale coconut farmer operating in Hand-en-Veldt, Deodat Rambarak had related that prior to an infestation in late 2016, he had produced 3000 nuts annually. This figure had decreased, which had resulted in him falling short of his target to supply an agro-processor.
Efforts by this publication to contact NAREI on Wednesday proved unsuccessful as several calls to various numbers were forwarded to a voicemail service.