Bolivia's national agricultural health and food safety service distributed a technological package to small scale growers, aimed at combating pests and avoiding losses in potato crops.
The white worm is currently present in the highlands region, where it usually leads to a 40 percent loss in the tuber harvests.
However, it can lead to a total loss of crops, said Hugo Esprella, the man in charge of the program for the integrated management of pests in potato.
The white worm, which is five to seven millimeters long, is considered one of the potato's main enemies, as it devours the potato from the inside, only leaving a shell.
Their life cycle lasts between 95 and 285 days, depending on the altitude of the crops.
Esprella said they were working in coordination with universities and different entities, such as the National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation, to develop biological and phytosanitary controls, in order to reduce crop losses.
Bolivians consume an average of 90 kilograms of potato annually; internal production covers that demand, except for some seasons when the production is low and the country imports potatoes.
The country is working hard to produce potatoes throughout the year and in all seasons, said the specialist.
