The Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos (COAG) of Almeria criticizes the slow progress in applying urgent solutions to the severe pest issue harming crops, especially peppers, which is now affecting other crops in the Almeria region. Andrés Góngora, COAG Almería's provincial secretary, pointed out that the technical group established a month ago to develop effective responses "is not making significant progress" at this critical period for the sector.
© COAG Almería
The second meeting of the Technical Group of Experts in Plant Health took place last Thursday. This working group includes over thirty specialists from the agri-food sector, focused on coordinating responses to pest issues affecting crops in the province, especially Thrips parvispinus and the red spider mite. However, despite the discussions, the necessary measures for the Almerian countryside were not put into action.
COAG Almeria emphasizes that current proposals, mainly involving biological control and preventive measures, are insufficient during an emergency. "Assistance protocols are only being planned for later, for example, in 2026, but farmers have been fighting these pests for over two months, impacting hundreds of hectares and forcing entire farms to uproot their crops," Góngora stated.
© COAG Almería
The organization recalls that the request for the Regional Ministry to process the exceptional authorizations before the Ministry of Agriculture was made at the start of the Technical Group's activities. This includes authorizations to use the necessary products for disinfecting infrastructures after removing affected crops. "To date, this request has still not been met," Góngora said. "Without these tools, we don't have the capacity to act effectively."
During the meeting, four main actions were discussed. A protocol for managing the removal of plant debris was introduced, along with a specific biological control protocol for peppers. Progress was also made in developing technical proposals for applying active phytosanitary materials to the Ministry of Agriculture, and mechanisms for collaboration were set up to monitor the transport of plant remains between farms.
However, the Working Group's responses do not sufficiently address the urgency of the situation. While early detection and strategies such as monitoring, climate control, auxiliary fauna, and suitable phytosanitary products are effective for the long-term sustainability of the Almeria agricultural model, they do not meet the immediate needs imposed by the current crisis.
For more information:
Andrés Góngora Belmonte
COAG Almeria
Tel: +34 619 30 17 54
www.coagalmeria.com
