Citrus quarantine zones are hurting mandarin growers in the south valley. The quarantines were issued in Tulare County to eliminate the Asian Citrus Psyllid, a pest that can carry a tree killing disease.
It's a slow day at BC Fruta in Strathmore. A handful of workers are packing mandarins, just enough to fill 2 pallets. the only order Abraham Betancourt has this week.
"We picked 60 bins last week, picked them up and put them in cold storage and they're still sitting there," said Betancourt.
He's been in the Mandarin business for 18 years. His buyers usually don't eat the fruit, they use it for decorations at events like the Chinese New Year, with the leaves and stems attached. The problem is, Betencourt's operation is sitting in a citrus quarantine zone where fruit has to be stripped of leaf trash before it leaves the grove.
"All my fruit is in the quarantine zone, all my buyers are in the quarantine zone so they nearly shut me down completely. I'm selling 2 to 3 pallets a day and that's a lucky day," claims Betancourt.
There are two quarantines in Tulare County. The zones are expected to grow because Asian Citrus Psyllids keep popping up. A little over a week ago three were found in traps in different towns.
The Psyllid is known to carry a tree killing disease called Huang-Long-bing. Fortunately, HLB hasn't made it to the county but the threat is enough to merit restrictions.
"Things are going well it's just that there's a few more hoops to jump through in Tulare County quarantine zones. They either get rid of the leaf trash at the grow site or do a pre-harvest treatment."
Bettencourt says it's costing him $300,000 dollars a week. He has more than 100 employees but there's no work for them. He says if things don't pick up he'll have to tear out his trees and plant something else.
"I'm gonna kill 3,500 trees, I'm gonna kill them faster than the Psyllid," said Bettancourt.
It's a slow day at BC Fruta in Strathmore. A handful of workers are packing mandarins, just enough to fill 2 pallets. the only order Abraham Betancourt has this week.
"We picked 60 bins last week, picked them up and put them in cold storage and they're still sitting there," said Betancourt.
He's been in the Mandarin business for 18 years. His buyers usually don't eat the fruit, they use it for decorations at events like the Chinese New Year, with the leaves and stems attached. The problem is, Betencourt's operation is sitting in a citrus quarantine zone where fruit has to be stripped of leaf trash before it leaves the grove.
"All my fruit is in the quarantine zone, all my buyers are in the quarantine zone so they nearly shut me down completely. I'm selling 2 to 3 pallets a day and that's a lucky day," claims Betancourt.
There are two quarantines in Tulare County. The zones are expected to grow because Asian Citrus Psyllids keep popping up. A little over a week ago three were found in traps in different towns.
The Psyllid is known to carry a tree killing disease called Huang-Long-bing. Fortunately, HLB hasn't made it to the county but the threat is enough to merit restrictions.
"Things are going well it's just that there's a few more hoops to jump through in Tulare County quarantine zones. They either get rid of the leaf trash at the grow site or do a pre-harvest treatment."
Bettencourt says it's costing him $300,000 dollars a week. He has more than 100 employees but there's no work for them. He says if things don't pick up he'll have to tear out his trees and plant something else.
"I'm gonna kill 3,500 trees, I'm gonna kill them faster than the Psyllid," said Bettancourt.