More than 100 growers attended two seminars on Xylella fastidiosa in the municipalities of Ostuni and Ceglie Messapica, where an increasing number of outbreaks emerged recently during the last monitoring campaign (Oct-Dec 2017). The seminars, organized by the Cia – Agricoltori Italiani, aimed to provide information on the pathogen, the vectors, the tools available for its control, and the latest European and national legislative measures.
On January 17th and 18th the Italian Confederation of Farmers “Cia – Agricoltori Italiani” organized two technical seminars in the municipalities of Ostuni and Ceglie Messapica, in the Apulia region (southern Italy), where several outbreaks have been recently reported (click here for the monitoring map). The seminars aimed to provide clear information to the growers that manage olive farms in these “new infected” territories, promoting their active cooperation and involvement in the containment strategies.
More than 100 farmers and representatives of the local Institutions attended the seminars and followed the discussion guided by the local representatives of Cia Giannicola D’Amico and Piero De Padova and the director Vito Rubino. Anna Rufolo, responsible for the Confederation for olive oil policies and member of the stakeholders’ board of the project XF-ACTORS, presented the key research actions ongoing in the framework of the project funded by the European Commission.
The organization of these events confirms the relevant interest and effort of Cia on this emerging topic. The Confederation actively supports the scientific community for raising awareness and knowledge transfer to farmers and stakeholders on the innovative tools and suitable solutions for early detection, management and good agronomic practices to contain the bacterial infections.
Therefore, the Confederation continues its action of promotion of the research programs at EU level in the interest of the Apulian territory and its olive growers, but also for all the farmers and sectors affected by this serious plant health emergency, to limit further economic losses in the infected or high risky areas.
