The political party in Jaén has expressed concern over the increasing spread of the cottony cushion scale pest, which is no longer confined to the Las Villas region. This situation severely threatens the province's olive sector, leading to calls for the Andalusian Government to implement urgent measures and financial aid to curb its advance and mitigate damages.
Following a visit to an affected olive farm in Villanueva del Arzobispo, the severity of the situation was confirmed. The pest is spreading towards the regions of Cazorla and Segura, as well as to La Loma, Chilluévar, and Santo Tomé, increasing the number of affected Jaén farmers.
Among the demands presented is the need for precise zoning of affected plots to ensure aid reaches those who truly need it, avoiding the shortcomings observed in previous distributions. They have also requested that aid be multi-annual as long as the pest situation persists and that the amounts be substantial, unlike previous occasions.
“"It is essential that the aid is not meager, as in previous instances, and that a fair and effective distribution is guaranteed."
Another key point is the reinforcement of the Autonomous Administration's plant health technical teams. The presence of only one technician for the entire province is considered insufficient for a problem of this magnitude, and more specialized human resources are demanded to address the needs of affected farmers.
The political party recalled that the Ministry of Agriculture authorized the use of specific phytosanitary products as soon as the Junta requested it. Now, the responsibility lies with the Autonomous Administration to exercise its powers in plant health and prevent this pest from compromising a significant part of the economy and agricultural sector in the affected regions.
