Agricultural unions in Spain are demanding urgent action from the Ministry of Agriculture following the discovery of a vector for HLB, one of the most damaging citrus plant diseases in the world.
The detection of psyllid Africana in groves in Galicia in north western Spain marks the first time the insect has been spotted on the Iberian Peninsula, leading to fears it could cause irreversible damage to the country’s citrus exports, worth around €178m a year.
Cristóbal Aguado, president of Valencian agriculturalist association Ava-Asaja said the situation facing the industry was “extremely grave”. He has called on central and regional governments to establish a rigorous monitoring plan to prevent the insect’s spread to other production areas and eradicate it from the mainland.
HLB, or citrus greening, is a devastating disease that enters trees through the leaves and attacks its roots. Healthy citrus trees can produce fruit for multiple decades, however, once infected with HLB, trees can yield discoloured, inedible fruit and can die in as little as five years.
The disease has already caused severe damage to citrus production in South Africa, Brazil and a number of countries in Asia. It has also been detected in the US, where exhaustive containment policies have so far prevented it from taking hold to the same extent as in other countries. Aguado has demanded “immediate” action from the Agriculture Ministry, claiming it was vital for Spain to adopt a similarly rigorous policy to protect its national industry.
