St. Charles Parish has been placed under quarantine in an effort to stamp out an insect that can kill citrus trees in the parish.
Local store owner Shay Majoria, of Majoria’s Supermarket, says it doesn’t really impact the oranges that he sells at his store, at least for now anyway.
Agricultural Commissioner Mike Strain announced the start of the 120 day quarantine on June 20. Agriculture officials soon plan to detail the prescribed treatment intended to kill the psyllid, the insect known to spread citrus greening disease.
“People can still buy our oranges, the ones we get come from Florida from a warehouse,” Majoria said. “The thing that impacted us was the tomatoes.”
But, according to the Louisiana Agricultural Commission, the disease has also infected thousands of trees in Florida. So far, Strain says they’ve confirmed the disease only in New Orleans.
Getting a handle on the tiny bug is critical, particularly in Plaquemines Parish. That parish serves as the heart of Louisiana’s citrus industry, and Parish President Billy Nungesser says many residents have at least one or two orange or lemon trees in their backyards.
“This could be devastating to the industry,” he said.
Strain said fruit and nursery stock can only be shipped from Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Charles parishes if they are properly handled and treated. He said properly handled citrus can be shipped from trees in Orleans, though no nursery stock can leave that parish while the quarantine is in effect.
Psyllids are jumping plant lice that also destroyed thousands of acres of citrus trees in Florida in 2005.
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