Tenerife fights phylloxera: a commission has been created, funds have been allocated, and controls have been strengthened.
In Tenerife, a technical commission has been created for weekly monitoring of phylloxera spread, funds have been allocated to combat the pest, and a call for cooperation has been made to preserve winemaking.
A technical commission has been created in Tenerife to check the spread of phylloxera (a grape pest) on a weekly basis. This was agreed at an emergency meeting of the Island Wine Council, convened by the local authorities (Cabildo). The Wine Council itself will meet monthly to inform winegrowers about the situation.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the island's six wine-producing regions, experts, members of the Avibo and Viboten associations, representatives of Casa del Vino, the Ministry of Agriculture, GMR Canarias, and other specialists.
Since the end of July, local authorities, together with the government, have been removing infected plants and identifying areas for inspection and treatment. 2,000 inspections have already been carried out and 56 cases of infection have been detected.
Special instructions have been developed for winegrowers on how to take soil samples and what signs of the disease to look for.
Last week, the Tenerife authorities allocated €150,000 to hire eight phylloxera control specialists. They will join the existing 22 agronomists and 9 employees of the agricultural department. The processing of documents has also been accelerated and more digital tools have been introduced, including a mobile application for processing inspection documents electronically.
The President of the island, Rosa Dávila, visited the Wine Council to support winegrowers who are concerned about phylloxera. She stressed that the main thing is to preserve the quality and reputation of local wines, as well as to support the families who live thanks to winemaking. Dávila called for calm and cooperation: "The local authorities will be by your side, providing resources and support to overcome this problem together and preserve the future of winemaking in Tenerife."
The Vice-President, Lope Afonso, noted the importance of cooperation between all stakeholders and thanked the winegrowers for their role in the fight against phylloxera.
The Councillor for Agriculture, Valentín González, explained that the situation is under control and does not affect the quality and uniqueness of Tenerife wines.
Representatives of wine-producing regions and associations expressed concern about the situation and supported measures to control and eradicate phylloxera. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation and monitoring.
Local authorities and all participants called for joint responsibility and cooperation to preserve the winemaking heritage.
The Tacoronte City Council proposes to double the number of local grape varieties grafted onto American rootstock in order to preserve them, as well as to strengthen gene banks in state institutions.
The CC de La Victoria organisation proposes a package of measures to combat phylloxera and other risks, including providing technical support, assisting with applications for aid for farmers, and organising training programmes for young farmers.
The Secretary General of the coalition in La Victoria, Román Afonso, criticised the urgent call for a plenary session by the PSOE.