The repeated alert launched by farmers in the Valencian Community by the imports without control since Africa to Europe have already begun to have an impact not only on the sector, but also on consumers: pomegranate and citrus fruit harvests are being “ruined” by the pests.
After Asaja-Alicante demanded that the Ministry of Agriculture “put pressure on the Government “Faced with the unstoppable advance of the South African journey” among lemons, oranges and grapefruits, by distributing photos as proof of the stained and damaged fruits, it is now the Appellation of Origin of the Mollar Grenade from Elche – the main producing area in Spain – which has already confirmed the disaster of this campaign, 60% below normal.
Citrus fruits stained by South African thrips imported to Europe, in a photo provided by Asaja-Alicante
“We are tired of denouncing that we cannot compete with them and in addition our borders are a real sink for parasites that ruin our crops,” they stressed from Asaja-Alicante. In fact, in June, July and August, South African citrus fruits have already 20 interceptions black spot (Phyllosticta citricarpa) during its first three months of export, a fact they consider “scary“.
“The expansion of Scirtothrips aurantii – commonly known as South African thrips, is very serious not only for the profitability of farmers, but also for food safety which affects the entire Mediterranean basin,” they detailed from the organization that presides Jose Vicente Andreu.
For the production of lemon verna, another pest in this country, has already caused economic losses of 40%, although it also affects the vine and now the “concern” is also growing due to the arrival from Argentina of the so-called HLB vector “if we continue with great permissiveness and passivity of the government of Pedro Sanchez “before this avalanche of plagues.”
For the mollar pomegranate, grown in 40 municipalities of Alicante, which represents 75% of the total national production and generates more than 4,000 jobs Direct and indirect, the thrips plague comes from Africa and Yemen, arrived in Huelva in November 2020 and was detected this year for the first time in the Valencian Community.
“The warm temperatures of this winter have favored the development and the propagation of this pest and the main damage occurred during flowering and fruit setting, the deterioration of which is observed on the fruit in the form of scars around the bark,” described DO president Francisco Oliva.
For these reasons, many grenades are pulling At ground to ensure that those remaining on the tree are of greater caliber and better quality.
Oliva regretted that “this situation East catastrophic and even more so for a sector that has accumulated bad campaigns due to drought, the effects of climate change, the drop in consumption due to inflation, low prices in the countryside, increased international competition, the presence of new varieties… We have accumulated too many disadvantages. and this scourge “This is what we were missing.”
Like Asaja, this Regulatory Council of the Designation of Origin of the Mollar of Granada of Elche asks the Autonomous Administration to communicate the urgency of the measures of border control to the executive of Pedro Sánchez. Next week, they plan to meet with the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Barrachina.
