Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Ahmed Shiyam has announced that a permanent solution has been found for the white fly infestation affecting coconut trees in the Maldives.

Speaking at a press briefing at the President’s Office on Wednesday, Shiyam said the solution was identified through technical analyses carried out at the specialised agriculture laboratory established in HDh. Hanimaadhoo.

The minister said efforts to control the disease in the worst-affected islands will begin very soon.

Shiyam noted that the initiative forms part of a two-year project being implemented with the support of the Chinese government. He said the project aims to protect coconut trees, which play an important role in the country’s food security and agricultural sector.

White and black fly infestations have spread across many islands in recent years, weakening coconut trees, reducing coconut production and, in some cases, causing trees to die.