Horticulture sector has been accorded high priority in Uganda’s economic development plans for strategic contributions to national economy in terms of foreign exchange, employment opportunities, rural development and food and nutritional security. However, fruit flies inflict serious damages on a wide range of fruit and vegetable crops in Uganda. Losses in commercial exotic varieties of mangoes can be as high as 100% mainly by Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera Tephritidae), a pest originating from South East Asia, that has now become predominant having competitively displaced local fruit fly species in most host plants.

Recently, AMOCAS Limited, in a public-private-partnership with National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) produced a novel protein bait, derived from brewery waste yeast that has proved highly effective in fruit fly monitoring and suppression (control). Tephritidae fruit flies require protein for normal growth but females need more protein for egg maturation hence the greater attraction of the protein bait for females than males, a behavior that has been exploited for their control.

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