Baja California Sur officials from federal, state, and municipal levels signed a collaboration agreement committing 2 million pesos (roughly $100,000 USD) to strengthen the National Fruit Fly Campaign across the state. The investment will fund expanded trap networks, fruit sampling, and detection work in all five BCS municipalities.
José Alfredo Bermúdez Beltrán, head of the state Secretariat of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Agricultural Development (SEPADA), announced the agreement. Four agencies are participating: SEPADA, the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), the State Plant Health Committee (CESAVE), and the federal Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER).
Outbreaks Eradicated After Coordinated Effort
The new funding follows a significant victory against the pest. At the start of the current state administration, officials recorded more than 20 fruit fly outbreaks in the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos. By 2025, coordinated efforts between the agencies fully eradicated the pest from BCS.
The agreement places special emphasis on the southern zone of the peninsula, where La Paz and Los Cabos experienced the earlier infestations. Trap networks will cover all five municipalities: La Paz, Los Cabos, Comondú, Mulegé, and Loreto. Local agricultural boards will assist CESAVE in carrying out detection and monitoring.
Maintaining Pest-Free Status
Cristina Pineda Alarcón, head of SENASICA’s Technical Supervision Department for the Northwest Region, recently visited BCS to evaluate the state’s phytosanitary status. She recognized the progress achieved and urged officials to maintain coordinated efforts to preserve BCS’s designation as a fruit fly-free zone.
That designation matters for the state’s agricultural sector. Fruit flies of the Anastrepha genus are among the most damaging pests to fruit crops in Mexico. Nationally, SENASICA invests more than 180 million pesos annually to protect fruit-growing regions. Travelers driving south on the Transpeninsular Highway may already be familiar with the agricultural checkpoint near the BCS border, where vehicles are sprayed as a pest-control measure.
The new agreement aims to ensure BCS does not lose ground after the successful 2025 eradication, keeping local fruit production safe from reinfestation.
Source: Gobierno de Baja California Sur (bcs.gob.mx)