Axel Herrera Seminar, the coordinator of the Public Investment Project of Organic Bananas (PIPBO), stated that the red rust thrips affected 3,500 hectares of bananas for export in Piura, i.e. almost 45% of the 8 thousand hectares devoted to this crop.

Herrera Seminar also stated that said pest had been detected by the Banana Technical Table after it had appeared in 2012.

Herrera said the goal of the PIPBO was to reduce the effect of the pest on bananas from 45% to 30% by releasing biological controllers. 

The project requires a 9 million soles investment and will favor more than 8 thousand associated producers in the region that work on some 7,800 hectares of organic banana for export.

According to Herrera Seminar, they have already purchased 35 million biological controllers for bananas and they have released some in 410 hectares of demonstration plots. It is worth mentioning that there are 75 banana associations in the region.

The productivity of this fruit was affected by the presence of the Coastal El Niño, and was down by 20%, as it encouraged the white spot plague which affected the root of the banana plants.