Tobacco thrips outbreak disrupts pepper production in Almeria, Spain

Published 2024년 10월 14일

Tridge summary

Almería, a major pepper production hub in Spain, is experiencing a crisis due to an outbreak of tobacco thrips, a pest that has led to quality and quantity issues in local peppers. The pest, originally from Southeast Asia, was first detected in Spain in 2017 and began affecting pepper crops in 2023. The crisis is exacerbated by the need for environmentally friendly control methods and the high costs of inputs, as well as the need to meet strict European Union regulations on pesticides. Producers are implementing various control measures and discussing potential adaptations with retailers in the face of this challenging situation.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Almería, one of the main pepper production hubs in Spain, is facing a major crisis caused by an outbreak of tobacco thrips (Thrips parvispinus), a pest that is seriously affecting the quality, volume and costs of local production. The Ejidomar cooperative, which brings together nearly 180 producers in the region, has sounded the alarm, to Fruitnet, on the growing impact of this scourge. Originally from Southeast Asia, tobacco thrips was first detected in Spain in 2017, in greenhouses of ornamental plants, before attacking pepper crops in 2023. The consequences of this invasion are serious. According to Rafael Roldán, sales director of Ejidomar, some farms have lost entire harvests. Although this cooperative managed to avoid the worst, it had to sell 25% of its harvest in class II due to defects in the skin of the peppers. The Official College of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Almería (COITAAL) reacted quickly to this threat by publishing a guide to identify and control the ...

Source: Agrimaroc