Representatives from trade association Intercitrus, grower associations and co-operatives were present at the meeting at the end of last month with the minister for agriculture of the Valencia regional executive, Maria Angels Ramon-Llin.
The minister revealed that the budget granted to the battle against the damaging fly will total some ?7.2million: four times greater than any previous war-chest set up to destroy the pest.
Under the radical programme, trees in citrus growing areas affected by the fly and which are not in commercial production or used for their fruit by the owners, will be destroyed or failing that, their fruit will be destroyed before August 15.
Fruit which has fallen to the ground or is in any other way not saleable or left on trees after harvest or on diseased trees, will also be destroyed.
Agronomists will also be using sterile male flies released en masse in their battle against the pest, the alleged presence of which in consignments of clementines exported to the US at the end of last year has led to a ban on Spanish exports to the lucrative trans-Atlantic market.
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