"Florida (USA) will experience the lowest citrus harvest in a century and also the most expensive, due to the climatic events and the highly threatening phytopathy of the so-called "Greening". The news, published by the Washington Post and relaunched by Agrapress, is prompting us to look at the serious risk that our production will also face, if not adequately defended and protected," says Gerardo Diana, president of the Red Orange Consortium PGI, raising awareness on the disease also known as Huanglongbing or HLB.
Gerardo Diana
"We cannot waste any more time. We must protect our crops from the many plant diseases, which all are already far too close to us, as well as the possible contagions that would cause devastating effects on our crops," adds President Diana.
"In Florida, hurricanes have compromised the production of citrus fruits, and along with the disease at issue, it makes the fruit less sweet and highly contagious during the export phase," explains Diana. "We are very concerned about the impact this phytopathology could also have on our crops. It has already happened with the Xylella, which put at risk Apulian olive groves. We have asked and will continue to ask with even more determination for an increase in controls, throughout Europe and in Italy, on overseas goods coming from those countries where HLB is already a problem. We also ask for the strengthening of phytosanitary protection barriers, the only and real defense against the disease."
"The carrier of this plant disease is already present in Spain," says the president, "and we cannot allow mistakes in Italy, as we have already had to deal with the consequences of the Tristeza virus (CTV), which has cost and is costing our citrus growers so much. We need to find a solution, because 'greening' is knocking on Europe's doors, and if it were to reach us, the consequences would be devastating for our citrus cultivation."
"The Consorzio di Tutela Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP (Sicilian Blood Orange PGI Consortium) asks and appeals to institutions to avoid thwarting efforts and sacrifices due to a lethal threat such as HLB," concludes Diana, not without some serious concern. "There is no need for ad hoc legislative intervention, but what is necessary is the application of the laws that already exist, namely by optimizing and strengthening services and phytosanitary barriers. The latter, in fact, has proved to be effective over the years, delaying, for example, the arrival of Tristeza in Sicily and Italy. Lastly, we also need to support the research sector to find new greening-tolerant rootstocks."
For more information:
Gerardo Diana
Consorzio di Tutela
Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP
Via San Giuseppe la Rena 30/B
95121 Catania (CT)
Sede operativa:
Via Passo del Fico S.P. 70/I C/da Jungetto,
C/o MAAS Corpo B Catania
+39 095 507681
[email protected]
www.tutelaaranciarossa.it