Lessons Learnt and Future Perspectives

Abstract

A fully developed horticulture industry offers many African countries with the opportunity to achieve food security, an increased and diversified income and employment and enhanced livelihoods for their people. Horticulture is, however, a high risk and knowledge-intensive industry and the rapidly changing dynamics of the markets can become a barrier to active participation by producers, especially smallholders, unless appropriate technical inputs are available to them. In Africa producers are likely to be excluded from markets if they are unable to meet production, sanitary and quality standards. Unfortunately, one of the major phytosanitary constraints to fruit and vegetable production is infestation by fruit flies. Over the last two decades, the combined efforts of several technical agencies and development partners across the continent have greatly improved our technical knowledge and understanding of the taxonomy, ecology and management of the complexes of fruit fly species inhabiting Africa.