We are deeply concerned about what happened in Minervino Murge, Bisceglie, and Giovinazzo, where the Regional Phytopathological Observatory, in its constant monitoring of the area, discovered olive groves infected with Xylella. We are also concerned about what has happened in recent days in Bitonto, where the municipal administration failed to implement the measures it should have taken to combat the spread of the bacterium and was rightly fined. We want to reiterate this once again, with the utmost firmness: all good agricultural practices required by the protocols to combat the spread of Xylella must be followed. Putting olive growing in the area at risk is unacceptable and irresponsible.
È Giuseppe De Noia, president of CIA Levante Bari-Bat, to comment with extreme concern on the latest events regarding the plague which, in Salento, has Over 20 million olive trees have already been destroyedie now risks advancing towards the north of the region.
“Bitonto is one of the most important Italian olive-growing municipalities, thanks to the sacrifices of our olive growers who continue to create wealth and quality,” adds De Noia, "This is why the Municipality's attitude, which has failed to fulfill its obligations in doing its part to combat Xylella, raises enormous concerns. With the sum it will pay to pay the fine, the municipal administration could certainly have implemented the countermeasures it was responsible for. It is unacceptable that these events are happening in a municipality like Bitonto, the town where our regional president Gennaro Sicolo, as well as the national president of Italia Olivicola, the largest national union of olive growers, was born and lives. The challenge that is being implemented, which our president Sicolo is striving to implement, is to create an olive oil development model that can serve as an example and be copied in other areas of Italy, and yet the Municipality of Bitonto is being fined by the Carabinieri Forestali precisely on the issue of Xylella; in this way, all these efforts that are being made are being called into question. We continue to procrastinate, but it is necessary, as proposed by CIA Agricoltori Italiani, to have a roundtable discussion also at the local level." Metropolitan City level that coordinates and monitors joint actions and interventions aimed at preventing and countering the spread of the bacteria, in each individual municipality of the Bari metropolitan area".
Some time ago, together with the mayors of the municipalities in the Bari metropolitan area, a metropolitan technical committee on Xylella monitoring was convened. At that time, a collaborative effort was agreed upon between municipal administrations, trade associations, the metropolitan mayor, and various public and private entities.
“Failure to fulfill that collective commitment is unacceptable.” the CIA official insists. “Emergencies are always chasing each other - keep it going - Without ever planning for the future with a comprehensive vision, bringing together all the actors responsible for combating the Xylella phenomenon: we at CIA Agricoltori Italiani are tired of chasing emergencies; we demand serious, lasting, and concrete commitment, with a pragmatic and professional vision, to plan our future with greater certainty. Some people probably haven't yet understood that it's not enough for farmers alone to fulfill their duties by adhering to good agricultural practices, keeping their land clean and tidy, and maintaining it, as appropriate, with plowing, milling, harrowing, and shredding. Along with farmers, mayors and municipal administrations must also ensure compliance with the ordinances issued by the Puglia Region's Phytosanitary Observatory. There are mandatory obligations and duties regarding the cleanliness of public lands and gardens, which are sometimes poorly maintained, as well as of canals and roadsides, which are extremely dangerous areas for the proliferation of the bacteria. Everyone must do their part. CIA Italian Farmers – De Noia underlines – It has always demonstrated consistency in pursuing all necessary actions, supporting good agricultural practices, which are not only those to which farmers are subject, but also those that are the direct responsibility of all public and private administrations, including with the active involvement of agricultural entrepreneurs, as established by Legislative Decree 228 of 2001 (Agricultural Guidance Law), Article 15, through the signing of specific agreements with agricultural companies that could carry out all Xylella vector weed removal work in municipalities with the utmost professionalism. We also make a heartfelt appeal to the future regional government to continue the work already done, to implement an agricultural vision that concretely represents the development of our region, planning for the future with greater certainty, considering the potential cuts that the agricultural sector could face from the new Common Agricultural Policy.
