Last month, three agricultural officials from the southern Italian region of Puglia warned that the threat to the socio-economic wellbeing of the area from Xyellela fastidiosa is being underestimated.
“On Xylella fastidiosa, there is still a tremendous underestimation of the problem because, obviously, we do not want to grasp the drama of the economic and social damage that the phenomenon produces,” read a joint statement from the presidents of Confagricoltura Puglia, Confagricoltura Brindisi and Confagricoltura Lecce, Luca Lazzàro, Antonello Brun and Maurizio Cezzi.
See Also:Puglia Warns Farmers of Ineffective Xylella Fastidiosa CuresXylella fastidiosa was first detected in Italy in 2013. Since then, it has spread across the Mediterranean region. In Puglia, a subspecies of Xylella fastidiosa, pauca strain De Donno, is responsible for causing a severe disease leading to the death and destruction of thousands of olive groves.
The disease caused by the De Donno subspecies of Xylella fastidiosa has spread rapidly over the years due to the high population of Philaenus spumarius, commonly known as meadow spittlebug, a xylem sap feeder and primary vector of the bacterium in the region.
Additionally, the extensive planting of two susceptible olive cultivars – Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò – and the high density of olive trees in the region infected with Xylella fastidiosa has aggravated the problem further.
“The first official report of outbreaks dates back to October 2013, in Gallipoli and Alezio in the Lecce area,” the joint statement read. “In eight years, Xylella has spread and, to date, has affected about 150,000 hectares of olive groves in the provinces of Lecce, Brindisi and part of Tarantino.”
Considering the average number of working hours that olive trees require to maintain and harvest, about 33,000 jobs have been lost, the three officials said.
“At this point, to restore these places and the olive-growing potential that was destroyed, the state and the Apulian region should invest €3.3 billion, while only €300 million have been invested,” the joint statement read. “This latter sum is not enough.”
Related Articles
Dec. 10, 2024
Italian Producers Grapple with Market Instability
Record olive oil imports paired with lowered yields have compounded the worries of the sector.
Nov. 7, 2024
Award-Winning Tuscan Producer Opens Olive Oil-Centric Restaurant
The Extra Floor Restaurant in Greve, Chianti, features the award-winning extra virgin olive oil of Frantoio Pruneti in a range of traditional Tuscan dishes.
Jan. 15, 2024
Oleocanthal: Behind the Health Benefits of Olive Oil's Famous Phenol
Found solely in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory properties and has been linked to beneficial impacts on cancer and dementia.
Feb. 19, 2024
A Dismal Harvest Concludes in Greece
With the country’s olive oil production almost halved compared to last year, record prices at origin have shaped a market searching for equilibrium.
Feb. 5, 2024
Farmers Across Europe Protest High Costs, Reduced Subsidies
With one eye on European elections in June, some officials have proposed relaxing environmental requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Jun. 12, 2024
Turkey Eases Export Ban Following Intense Lobbying
Turkish producers will be able to export 50,000 tons of bulk olive oil until November. With forecasts of bumper harvest, the sector wants the ban lifted completely.
Aug. 9, 2024
Italy’s Severe Drought Damages Olive Trees Ahead of Harvest
The country's major olive-growing regions are hit by heatwaves and drought. Production is anticipated to fall to historic lows.
Apr. 12, 2024
Olive Growing Starting to Take Root in Central Europe
As climate change makes Central European winters milder and drier, farmers in Austria and northeastern Croatia are beginning to plant olives.