Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment |31 December 2024

The Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment started 2024 on a very busy note with the discovery of the ‘Podontia quatuordecimpunctata’ known as the ‘leaf beetle,’ which were infesting golden apple trees.

The beetle was first discovered on Mahe in November 2023 mainly in the Northern, Central and Eastern regions. During a press conference in January, the Chief Biosecurity Officer, Randy Stravens stated that the presence of the leaf beetle, very common in the Asian Region: India, China, Philippine and Malaysia, could have been as a result of someone entering the country with an infested plant while travelling or it could have been through transported goods. Fogging was the main measure used by the Agriculture department to n controlling the pests. To continue reading, please click here to subscribe to Seychelles NATION’s e copy