Spain: South African thrips wreak havoc on the pomegranate harvest in the Valencian Community

Published 2024년 10월 25일

Tridge summary

The quarantine thrips, Scirtothrips aurantii, is causing significant damage to pomegranate crops in the Valencian Community, leading to losses exceeding 15 million euros by damaging nearly half of the harvest. The damage Severe damage to pomegranates is similar to that in citrus fruits, with the pest causing silver spots and scars on leaves and deformities and spots on fruits. This has resulted in a significant portion of the production becoming unsellable for fresh consumption, forcing it to be sold at lower prices to the industry. La Unió Llauradora is calling for the Ministry of Agriculture to provide emergency aid and to permit the use of phytosanitary products like Spinosad to combat the pest. The organization is also seeking increased funding for the investigation of a mystery issue causing internal rotting or browning of pomegranate arils, which has impacted the fruit's commercial quality in the past two years.

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Original content

The quarantine thrips plague Scirtothrips aurantii Faure is causing serious losses in pomegranate production in the Valencian Community. According to estimates by La Unió Llauradora, this invasive insect has caused damage to almost half of the harvest, which represents direct losses of more than 15 million euros. The agricultural organisation, in contact with the affected farmers and after inspecting the fields, has estimated that 50% of the production, some 30,000 tonnes, has already been damaged, with the province of Alicante being the most affected. The damaged production, mainly protected under the Granada de Elche DOP, presents serious quality problems that prevent its commercialisation for fresh consumption. This fruit must be destined for the industry, where it is paid at significantly lower prices (0.13-0.14 €/kg compared to 0.40-0.60 €/kg for first and second quality fruit). Impact of the pest and damage to crops The damage caused by Scirtothrips aurantii in pomegranates ...

Source: Agrodigital