The Valencian Growers Association (AVA-ASAJA) has requested the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the various agricultural departments of the country's regional governments, to urgently introduce exceptional control measures after the insect called African psyllid (Trioza erytreae), which acts as vector for citrus greening disease, was detected in numerous municipalities of Galicia, and for the first time in the Iberian peninsula, as the disease could have devastating effects for the crop.
"This is extremely serious news," laments the President of
AVA-ASAJA, Cristóbal Aguado, "and it is absolutely essential for the Ministry of Agriculture, in coordination with the autonomous regions, to launch a plan for monitoring, control and prevention; firstly, to try eradicating the insect from Galicia, and secondly, to prevent it from spreading to other areas, as if this was to happen, the future of Spain's citrus industry could be in serious jeopardy. We consequently expect an immediate and forceful response from the authorities."
The greening disease bacterium causes irreversible damage to citrus crops; it results in a progressive deterioration, to the point of making the tree unproductive and even killing it in some cases. The worst part is that there are currently no effective solutions to tackle the problem, so that once citrus greening is detected, the only option left is to burn the plantations affected to prevent the disease from spreading.