In a press release, the French minister of agriculture has announced the publication of the results of a report on Xylella fastidiosa in Corsica. The report was finalized following an expert mission to the French island which had been announced by the ministry in July.
The mission was made up of an expert from the ministry’s Directorate General on Food Safety, as well as four advisors in entomology and bacteriology from the National Institute for Agronomical Research.
The goal of the mission was to come up with recommendations on how to prevent, identify and tackle the deadly bacterium, and actions to be taken.
The report was presented to the relevant government bodies in Corsica on September 9 and 10, before being made public.
The 139-page report confirms that the Myrtle-leaf Milkwort plants found to be infected are contaminated by a strain of Xylella fastidiosa. It also states that citrus plants are not at risk from this strain of the bacterium and that producers of clementine citrus fruits do not have to apply any measures.
The report also elaborates on the actions needed to respond to the contamination, including the identification of the strains of Xylella fastidiosa present on Corsica, as well as information on potential vectors and plants at risk; increased research on the national and European levels; and an adaptation of the EU eradication strategy to the situation in Corsica, while protecting national and European territory from further infections.
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