FruitFly Africa Protecting Fruit Exports

South Africa’s fruit industry is continuing its fight against fruit flies with a world-recognised best practice tool in its pest management arsenal: aerial baiting.

The Fruit Fly Africa (FFA) team has launched its 2024/25 aerial baiting programme as part of a broader Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management (AW-IPM) strategy to protect the country’s fresh fruit exports. In October 2024, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) approved FFA’s application for statutory measures in key fruit-producing regions across the Eastern, Western, and Northern Cape.

This four-year approval (2024/25 to 2027/28) allows FFA to implement levy-funded activities to combat biosecurity risks—challenges that are nearly impossible for individual growers to manage alone.

A Growing Commitment

In this new levy cycle, several production regions increased their number of statutory aerial baiting rounds:

• Hex River Valley: from 6 to 7 baiting applications
• Warm Bokkeveld: from 4 to 5 baiting applications
• Lower Orange River (dried grapes): from 2 to 3 baiting applications

This reflects the industry’s growing commitment to fruit fly suppression, critical to securing global market access.

Between November 2024 (week 46) and May 2025 (week 22), FFA oversaw a total of 40 statutory aerial baiting operations, covering more than 188,000 hectares. In addition, -ten voluntary baitings—covering over 4,200 hectares—were carried out in regions like Tulbagh (pome and stone fruit), Orange River (table grapes), and the Hex River Valley (citrus). These operations utilised both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, all operated by experienced service providers.

FFA’s programme targets high-risk international quarantine pests, such as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) and the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)—both of which can threaten South Africa’s ability to export to key markets.

Environmentally Conscious

The aerial baiting uses GF-120NF™, a highly targeted bait with a zero-day withholding period on pome and stone fruit. It is also organically certified in both the U.S. (OMRI Listed®) and Europe (EcoCert), making it a preferred option for sustainability.

To ensure the programme’s continued effectiveness and safety, an independent quality assurance service evaluates critical metrics like droplet size, swath width, and product coverage.

Collective Action

FFA operates on a zero-profit basis, and thanks to collective industry action and grower levies, the aerial baiting programme remains both cost-effective and aligned with international best practices.

FFA extends its sincere thanks to all growers for their ongoing support and participation in this essential programme, which helps protect not just crops but also the entire industry’s global standing.