Italian civil protection authorities
said they had destroyed 45 olive trees infected with the Xylella
fastidiosa bacteria in the southern region of Puglia on Tuesday
to contain the risk of the bug spreading to the north of the
country.
The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria was first detected in
southern Italy in 2013, marking the first outbreak of its kind
in the European Union. Once it has infected plants it can dry
them out, and it has reportedly caused about a million olive
trees in Puglia to die so far.
Giuseppe Silletti from Italy's civil protection agency
thanked farmers around Oria, Puglia, where the cull took place,
for cooperating with authorities. He said the operation had
added to recent efforts to halt the bacteria's progression and
reduced its presence by 90 percent.
"We continue our efforts to protect the agricultural and
olive assets in Puglia," Silletti said.
Some local farmers reacted with surprise and anger to the
decision.
"They woke me up at six in the morning, I ran over and they
were cutting down eight of my olive trees. I am angry, there
have been no tests, this is not the way to stop contagion,"
olive grove owner Franco Curci told ANSA.
Italy started chopping down affected olive trees in Puglia
in April, after the epidemic prompted France to declare an
embargo on Puglia products at risk of infection from the deadly
pathogen.
A drastic plan to destroy infected Puglia trees and others
seen as being at risk of infection and to create buffer zones to
stop the bacteria spreading was drafted after the European
Commission demanded "strict precautionary measures".
But the cull was suspended in May after an appeal was
presented by environmental associations and Puglia farmers, who
say it is excessive.
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