Twin towns Tacna in Peru and Arica in Chile are facing challenges from a fruit fly outbreak impacting olive producers. The close ties between these towns, due to family connections and shared history, have led to collaborative efforts in managing this issue.
Gianfranco Vargas, founder of Sudoliva, highlights the historical connection: "Since time immemorial, Tacna in the south of Peru and Arica in the Azapa Valley in the north of Chile have considered each other as twin towns."
The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) has resurfaced in Tacna, impacting local agriculture. Rubén Centeno, president of the Association of Organic Olive Producers of Tacna (Aprecoliv), notes, "In 2007, the regions of Tacna and Moquegua were declared free of fruit fly, but flies have returned to Tacna and are now a problem."
Roxana Gardilic Boero, president of the Azapa Valley Olive Growers Association, describes the agricultural setting: "Agricultural activity on both sides of the border takes place in a desert environment." This environment, influenced by the Humboldt current, supports olive cultivation but also exacerbates fruit fly challenges.
Margot Ríos Mamani, Aymara National Councilor, emphasizes the border's role in pest introduction: "Smugglers are bringing in fruit and vegetables from across the border from Peru into Chile and are doing much harm to the region and its farmers."
Efforts to manage the fruit fly include international cooperation. Vargas mentions ongoing discussions for an agreement with experts from the University of California, Davis, to leverage their experience in pest management. "The objective is to leverage their experience in the efficient management of this pest in Californian olive groves so that olive growers in Tacna and Azapa can control it efficiently," Vargas states.
Source: Olive Oil Times