The Agriculture and Livestock Area of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, directed by the island's president himself, Oswaldo Betancort, in coordination with the Regulatory Council of the Designation of Origin Vinos de Lanzarote, has prepared the first roadmap with specific measures for the prevention of phylloxera on the island, following its recent detection in vineyards in Tenerife.
The document includes immediate actions involving administrations, winegrowers and wineries, and includes the creation of an island monitoring commission to analyze the evolution of this threat and ensure maximum coordination between institutions and the sector.
Among the short-term measures is the request to reinforce controls at the Border Inspection Point to ensure strict compliance with the Ministerial Order of March 12, 1987, which establishes for the Canary Islands the phytosanitary regulations relating to the import, export and transit of plants and plant products. This aspect is considered key to preventing the entry of the pest.
Likewise, specialized technical personnel will begin prospecting in abandoned vineyards of Lanzarote, given that almost 100% of the 18 cases detected in Tenerife have appeared in disused plots, where the lack of monitoring facilitates the spread of pests.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote has stressed the importance of acting quickly in the approval of this roadmap, "which demonstrates the firm commitment of the Cabildo and the Regulatory Council to the protection of our vineyard. The Lanzarote vineyard is a unique heritage in the world, part of our identity and economic engine through wine and wine tourism. That is why we must be especially diligent and act with collective responsibility to safeguard it against any threat."
Likewise, Betancort has reiterated the call to winegrowers, wineries and the population in general not to introduce plant material from other islands or territories and to actively collaborate in the early detection of any suspicious symptoms.
"Prevention is our best tool. We have an exemplary and committed sector, and we are confident that, working together, we can keep Lanzarote free of phylloxera," added the island's president.