Malta’s olive tree growers say they are deeply concerned that not enough is being done to protect their crops from a deadly disease.
The dangerous plant bacteria – known as Xylella fastidiosa – has already killed around a million trees in Italy and has also been found in France.
The European Commission describes it as “one of the most dangerous plant bacteria worldwide” with huge economic impact on agriculture, public gardens and the environment. But olive growers here say little is being done to stop it from spreading to Malta.
“We are very aware of the situation,” says George Carl Camilleri from Ramla Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Gozo.
“Our concern is that people bringing trees and fruit from other countries are not being checked when they arrive in Malta, as it’s assumed that their items have been checked when they leave the country of origin.
“There are also people who buy trees from abroad without the obligatory certification, just because they can get a discounted price. But this risks not only the particular tree itself, but our whole island.”
The family-run business in Nadur has more than 1,000 olive trees and around 600 citrus and fruit trees.
“While we work hard to take care of our groves and orchards, it only takes one person – who doesn’t understand the situation – to undo all of our work in a split second,” adds Mr Camilleri.
Two other olive farmers told Times of Malta they are also very concerned about how close the disease is to Malta and have called for “those responsible to take all the necessary precautions.”
Italy’s largest agricultural association, Coldiretti, says olive oil producers have already lost more than €1bn to the bacteria, while France banned imports that could carry the pathogen in 2015.
People bringing trees and fruit from other countries are not being checked
Earlier this month, Times of Malta reported that olive growers are having a bumper crop this year, after a cold winter and hot summer provided the perfect conditions for growth. But their hard work may be for nothing if the disease – which is a type of tree leprosy – lands on Malta’s shores.
According to a spokesperson from Customs Malta: “Agricultural products, which host potentially harmful pathogens are dealt with on a case-by-case basis in accordance to guidelines laid down by the Plant Health Directorate.”
The directorate is responsible for the plant health aspects of import of plants, plant products and their propagation material entering the EU territory.
Its role is to ensure that consignments are free from harmful organisms and that they meet the requirements and conditions laid down in the Community and Maltese Legislations. If plants do not meet the criteria of assessment, they are denied entry and or destroyed.
When asked to respond to the olive farmers concerns, the Ministry of Agriculture was not available for comment.