Description

The Oriental Fruit Fly, a highly destructive insect, has a significant impact on agriculture by affecting more than 400 different types of fruits.
The significance of the fruit and vegetable sector in Uganda lies in its potential to increase household income, enhance nutrition, diversify exports, and create employment, especially for women and youth. However, the presence of fruit flies, particularly Tephritid fruit flies, poses a substantial challenge to realizing these opportunities. Tephritids are globally recognized as a major threat to the horticultural industry, causing direct losses as infested fruits become inedible or drop to the ground. Recent findings in Uganda identify Ceratitis, Bactrocera, Dacus, and Trirhithrum as economically damaging species to horticultural crops. Among these, Bactrocera invadens, an invasive Asian species, is notably prevalent and destructive in mangoes. To address this issue, the implementation of fruit fly traps becomes crucial for mitigating economic losses and preserving the potential benefits of the fruit and vegetable sector in Uganda.
The Oriental Fruit Fly, a highly destructive insect, has a significant impact on agriculture by affecting more than 400 different types of fruits.