Brescia Vineyards Prepare for Golden Flavescence Eradication Measures
There is an emergency concerning the golden flavescence, the insect that has already destroyed two thousand hectares of vineyards in Piedmont alone. The twenty billion lire that should be allocated are deemed by Confagricoltura to be absolutely insufficient; at least 100 billion would be needed.
For compensation of damages, a specific regulation is required that provides for contributions towards the removal and replanting of vineyards, as well as aid to partially offset the loss of production. The Minister of Agricultural Policies signed this week the decree making necessary phytosanitary control measures mandatory to contain and, where possible, eradicate the golden flavescence, a disease causing severe damage to viticulture.
Survey of Vineyard Areas in Brescia
In the Brescia area, starting tomorrow, June 19, a survey of vineyard surfaces (Reg. EC 1493/1999) will be initiated with two experimental stations of Aima at the Vineyard Center of Brescia, located at viale Bornata 110. Interested parties must obligatorily fill out a declaration regarding the quality and quantity of vine-growing surfaces, using the specific forms provided by Aima.
The stations, which will be completed by the first week of July, will be available for farmers to prepare the declaration, while professional associations have expressed full availability for free consulting and assistance in pre-filling the forms.
Regulations and Applications for Removal and Replanting
Regarding vineyard surfaces, the provincial Department of Agriculture has reiterated that vineyard tenants affected by golden flavescence can submit applications for removal and replanting, or only for removal, throughout the year with no restrictions, using the appropriate forms available at the department, which remains accessible to all vineyard owners for inquiries and clarifications on the matter.
The application must be accompanied by the required documentation. For removal requests, tenants can apply for individual plants affected by flavescence, indicating the number of plants removed in proportion to those in the vineyard.
If, after submitting an application, additional cases of flavescence occur in the vineyard, the farmer may submit another request. Pending regulatory definitions establishing the procedures for disbursing the contributions, removal entitles replanting only for the surfaces from which the plants are uprooted.
It is reaffirmed that the fight against flavescence and its vector, scaphoideus titanus, is mandatory by decree of the Ministry of Agricultural and Forest Policies.
Veronica Zampedrini