David Granieri: "A change of pace is needed on Xylella"

Accelerate the authorization process of the new cultivars based on the results of the CNR trials, liberalize the "patent" of the FS17-Favolosa on schedule, encourage grafts with resistant cultivars through Psr tenders to try to save the tree heritage from the advance of Xylella.
That's what the. asked this morning president of Unaprol – Italian Olive Consortium, David Granieri (in the picture) on the occasion of the meeting “Xylella emergency: science at the center of solutions” organized in Bari for the centenary of the National Research Council.
Unaprol in these ten years, precisely with the CNR, has contributed to promoting important projects to try to find cultivars resistant to the bacterium and to try to curb the race of the same with the help of molecular dogs, in collaboration with ENCI, able to early detection of infected plants.
Equally crucial is that i 300 million euro allocated from Extraordinary plan for the regeneration of olive trees in Puglia, stuck in the Region while the bacterium continues to advance undisturbed towards the north of Puglia, are unlocked once and for all.
Three years after the publication of the Plan, in fact, also due to enormous bureaucratic constraints blocking companies, no resources have been paid out to farmers.
“A very serious fact because this first allocation represents only a first breath of fresh air for Salento olive growers which is not sufficient with respect to the damage of the bacterium – explains Granieri -. On the extent of replanting, for example, have been presented 26 collective questions and beyond 8.000 single questions, for a total of 222 million requests, compared to a total allocation of 60 million euros”.
According to Unaprol, a decisive change of pace is therefore necessary in the preliminary investigation and resource allocation procedures without proceeding with new tenders
“After ten years of Xylella we can say that there have been too many words, but very few concrete facts have been seen – continues Granieri -. The devastation of Xylella has caused incalculable damage both economically and environmentally and it is essential to involve other Ministries to mobilize additional resources capable of reviving the territories affected by this serious plant disease".