Italy: The alarm is growing in Puglia due to black spot on citrus fruit

With the citrus fruit campaign having just begun in Puglia, alarm is growing over imports from abroad of oranges contaminated by the 'black spot' fungus with the multiplication of interceptions of harmful organisms present in imported goods. Coldiretti Puglia raised the alarm, based on the Europhyt Interceptions report which traced the presence of Citrus black – spot on 3 loads of citrus fruits from Argentina, 14 from South Africa, 3 from Uruguay, 2 from Zimbabwe, where the harmful organism was found. “Puglia cannot afford the invasion of other alien viruses, after the 'tristeza' of citrus fruits and Xylella fastidiosa. Every year the citrus fruit campaigns in Puglia suffer lethal dangers for the sector, from the wild imports of products from abroad without a green passport, to the collapse of prices, to the environmental risks that agricultural businesses are suffering daily, a dramatic trend which has serious effects on the economic and employment plan for agricultural ...