France’s agricultural services management and chamber of agriculture have set up an information day in order to tackle the threat posed by the tomato leafminer (tuta absoluta), which first appeared in Latin America before spreading to Spain last year and Morocco and Algeria this year.
The insect is said to be far more damaging than the citrus leafminer since it attacks the entire plant. Up to now, it has succeeded in destroying more than 500ha of tomato fields.
According to French monthly Végétable, the country’s farmers have been advised to rotate their crops and to use chemicals only as a last resort.
