More than 80% of persimmon producers see the need for more active ingredients to fight against pests.

A survey by La Unió on the challenges and solutions for persimmon cultivation reveals that more than 80% of the people surveyed consider the available active substances insufficient or ineffective in fighting current pests, which greatly hinders phytosanitary control and generates significant production losses for farmers. Over 200 persimmon producers from the Valencian Community participated in this survey. Its results show a worrying situation for the sector, marked by the high incidence of pests such as the 'cotonet' and whitefly, the insufficiency of authorized active substances for their control, and the low presence of useful fauna in the fields for biological control. According to the data collected, the cotonet is the most destructive pest and more than 60% of producers indicate that they suffer serious incidences. "We are facing a critical situation. Producers cannot bear such significant losses of persimmons due to pest infestation, they cannot face such aggressive pests ...