Spotted-wing drosophila worries strawberry growers

According to the Economic Report released by Emater/RS-Ascar on Thursday (4), strawberry production remains stable in Rio Grande do Sul, with regional variations in the behavior of the crops and in the prices paid to producers. In the administrative region of Caxias do Sul, in Nova Petrópolis and neighboring municipalities, Emater reported that "practically no rainfall occurred" and that temperatures remained above 30 °C, without damage to production. The volume harvested increased compared to the previous week and marketing is occurring normally. The entity recorded the presence of spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) and fig fly (Zaprionus indianus). According to the bulletin, "the prices received by producers have decreased," varying between R$ 12.00 and R$ 20.00/kg in sales to Ceasas, intermediaries, and markets, and between R$ 18.00 and R$ 30.00/kg in direct sales to consumers. In the Pelotas region, the crop remains in full production. The bulletin highlights that ...