The Lanzarote parliamentarian of the Canarian Nationalist Group, Jesús Machín Tavío, asked this Monday in parliament, "what actions are being carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands, to end the plague of Mexican cochineal that has been seriously affecting the prickly pear trees of Guatiza and Mala for months”.
“It is spreading rapidly through the crops of Mala and Guatiza, putting at risk the survival of these plantations and one of the most emblematic tourist centers of Lanzarote, the Cactus Garden, is in serious danger of this bug arriving and eradicating many of the species that live inside the garden”, Machín warned.
Likewise, the nationalist deputy wanted to know if the Government of the Canary Islands “is making use of the results of the field work carried out by GMR Canarias (Rural Environment Management of the Canary Islands)”, which concluded with the identification of all the points “where there is a presence of Mexican cochineal”.
On the other hand, Machín recalled that “with the entry into the POSEI, we have a golden opportunity for the producers of Guatiza and Mala, who demand an active attitude from the Government to be able to place the cochineal on the market”.
“We must not forget that many of the people who are dedicated to the production of cochineal have it stored in their homes because its sale is impossible”, the deputy stressed.
“What does the Government plan to do?”, asked Machín Tavío, to insist then that “either the Executive puts effort into this matter or what little remains will be lost and one of our most characteristic landscapes and crops will disappear”.
