Another Catch 22

The palm forests of this area are loosing value day by day. Growing palm trees was a profitable business until the arrival of the picudo rojo beetle. Now the cost of the necessary sanitary certificates which have to be obtained before the trees can be sold, makes growing them unprofitable.

Small growers are most at risk of loosing out. One method of treatment is to cut down affected trees and crush them. This treatment, although effective in eradicating the problem, is not subsidised so the grower looses out. New biological treatments are also prohibitively expensive so the growers have no choice but to leave the palms without certificates which means they cannot be sold.

There are an estimated 200,000 palm trees in the area of which about 100 have been infected by the picudo roja. If it remains unchecked though the numbers will increase and of course municipal as well as commercial trees will be at risk.