A new biological pest control centre has opened in HDh. Hanimaadhoo to help protect coconut trees from destructive pests, including the coconut hispid beetle.

The Palm Pest Biological Control Parasitoid Rearing Centre was inaugurated by Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources Ahmed Shiyam and the Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives, Kong Xianhua.

The centre was established under the Maldives Coconut Tree Pest Control Assistance Project, a joint initiative between the Maldives and China. The agreement for the project was signed on 14 July 2024.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the facility aims to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by breeding parasitoid insects that naturally attack harmful pests. These beneficial insects will be released in affected islands to control infestations.

The centre has the capacity to breed up to 100,000 beneficial insects per day.

The coconut hispid beetle was first detected in the Maldives in 1999 at Sun Island Resort. Although efforts to control the pest began in 2003 with international assistance, the coconut hispid beetle and the coconut scale insect continue to pose significant challenges to coconut cultivation in the Maldives.