A team of 22 technicians from the 10 Agricultural Extension Agencies in Tenerife has prepared 120 inspection records of farms free from phylloxera during the early days of this week, following an order from the Canary Islands Government implementing measures to prevent the spread of this pest, detected at the end of July in vineyards on a semi-abandoned farm in Valle de Guerra.
The Minister of Primary Sector, Valentín González, highlighted “the essential work of our Agricultural Extension agents, whose efforts focus on ensuring that the inspection process is as smooth as possible for the vineyard owners, so they can obtain the necessary grape transport authorisations as quickly as possible.”
González emphasises that “the fieldwork conducted by Agricultural Extension agents across the island is vital in preventing the spread of phylloxera” and calls on farmers and Regulatory Councils to “inform the Agencies sufficiently in advance of the harvest, so we can adequately plan the implementation of the order concerning the control and eradication of phylloxera.”
The Tenerife Cabildo and the Canary Islands Government have developed a technical inspection protocol that outlines how sampling in vineyards should be conducted. The document details the symptoms to observe and specifies a designated number of plants per hectare to sample.
The Agricultural Extension agents also utilise an innovative application that allows them to complete the movement guide and inspection record remotely during their visits to the farms. These documents are sent in real-time to the Canary Islands Government to expedite the issuance of movement authorisations, thus streamlining the process for vineyard owners and technicians.
Valentín González notes, “Being aware of the workload involved for Agricultural Extension technicians in launching the phylloxera control process, the Cabildo will formalise a request with the Canary Islands Government for GMR (Rural Environment Management) to incorporate 7 new operators to assist with control efforts.”
