‘3 million olive trees replanted out of 21 million infected’
“Xylella is a national problem, as well as a regional and European one. And if it continues to ‘walk’ there will be no more oil to market”, also causing “damage to the economy and tourism with the loss of the environment and landscape”. Alfonso Cavallo, president of Coldiretti Puglia and national councilor of Unaprol (Italian Olive Consortium), said this during a hearing at the Permanent Agriculture Committee of the Chamber regarding the fact-finding investigation into the emergency linked to the presence of Xylella fastidiosa in Puglia. Coldiretti and Unaprol have asked for a national table to address the completion of the extraordinary plan for the olive regeneration of Puglia, the fight against the advancement of the Pauca, Fastidiosa and Multiplex subspecies and a second plan for the regeneration of the affected areas in Puglia. As well as the involvement of Italian and European institutions on the problem. So far, explains Coldiretti, just over 3 million olive trees have been replanted compared to 21 million infected trees, equal to just over 14%.
“The containment zone has expanded dangerously to the north – added Cavallo – and the disease front is very broad. The ‘surgical eradication’ must be implemented promptly, but above all measures must be activated to uproot all the dried olive trees, which still loom in the Salento countryside, and financed measures for replanting and the full resumption of olive growing and agricultural activity”, implementing “a full debureaucratization of measures”.
