The Tegueste Town Hall has decided to cancel all events related to the wine sector that were planned for the traditional Harvest Festival, as a precautionary measure against the phytosanitary threat posed by phylloxera, recently detected in grapevine crops on the island of Tenerife. This decision is in compliance with Order No. 116/2025, issued by the Canary Islands Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty on 20 August, and agreed upon by the Town Hall, the Tegueste Wine Association (AVITE), the Lomo Neighbourhood Association, and the La Padilla community.
The suspended activities include the event ‘Harvest for Hope’, as well as the Grape Cluster Competition and the Vehicle Caravan, which were originally scheduled for 12 and 13 September, alongside the remaining cultural and festive programming for those dates. As there will be no events held this year for the Harvest Festival, there will be no selection of a Harvest Queen during the Remedios and Harvest Queen Gala 2025.
The Mayor of Tegueste, Norberto Padilla, stated, “The municipality has always been a reference point in the defence of rural life and the primary sector. Therefore, we accept this decision with responsibility and a total commitment to the public interest.” He emphasised the need to act in coordination with other public administrations in the face of a risk to the island’s agricultural ecosystem.
The Town Hall supports the local wine sector, with council member Maura Martel explaining, “We understand that protecting the vineyard now means preserving our economy tomorrow.” She underscored that “the cancellation of events is necessary and that work will continue on safe alternatives to invigorate the municipality without compromising plant health.”
Echoing this, the councillor for the environment, Julián Rodríguez, highlighted the ecological dimension of the problem, saying, “We are facing a pest that has historically wreaked havoc in European wine regions. Tegueste is not exempt from this risk, so we call for citizen collaboration and strict compliance with the measures.”
Furthermore, the Tegueste Town Hall reminds everyone that according to Order No. 116/2025 from the Canary Islands Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, any suspicion of phylloxera presence in a vineyard must be reported immediately to the relevant Regulatory Council or the Agricultural Extension Agency, in order to activate control protocols and prevent its spread.
Among the measures implemented by the Canary Islands Government, the transfer of grapevine plant material, tools, machinery, boxes, soil, or any other elements related to grape cultivation is expressly prohibited, both between the islands of the archipelago and within different geographical areas of the same island. Furthermore, the movement of grapes from Tenerife to another island is not allowed, nor is the export of grapes from the Tacoronte – Acentejo area.
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Additionally, the transfer of grapes from other islands to Tenerife is also prohibited, as well as inter-island movements, except in cases where there is explicit authorisation from the General Directorate of Agriculture. If such transfers are authorised, they must comply with strict phytosanitary control conditions.
The movement of grapes between areas belonging to different Denominations of Origin within the island of Tenerife is also restricted and will be subject to prior authorisation from the competent authority.
Regarding authorised transportation, it is stipulated that both the vehicles and the boxes used must be completely clean and free of plant remains, soil, leaves, or shoots. Additionally, the load must be transported in closed vehicles, or properly protected with tarpaulin or anti-thrips netting. Each time there is a change of origin parcel, thorough cleaning of the vehicles and containers used for the transfer will be mandatory.
Finally, workers participating in the harvest should disinfect all tools between farms or parcels as an additional measure to prevent the spread of the pest.
The Tegueste Town Hall has indicated that it will continue to inform the public about any developments related to this situation and reiterates its commitment to the preservation of rural areas, the wine sector, and phytosanitary safety in the municipality.
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