The Plant Health Table, made up of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the main agricultural professional organizations in Andalusia, emphasized this Tuesday that only one active substance, for exceptional use, could stop the thrips parvispinus plague affecting peppers in greenhouses. During the meeting, the availability of plant protection products and exceptional authorizations was again addressed, given that it is "a key issue for the adequate profitability of Andalusian crops."
In this line, the Junta has sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, at the request of producers from the province of Almería, requesting the temporary authorization of the active substance spirotetramat. However, the request has been rejected by the Andalusian Government, despite being authorized in other countries of the European Union.
According to a press release, it has been lamented that there have been "numerous" active substances that have ceased to be available after the review processes and the "lack of interest" from some holders in recent years. Additionally, other points were addressed such as the Omnibus X proposal from the European Commission regarding Plant Health, the review of the new Integrated Production regulation for olive groves, and the latest updates on the Digital Agricultural Exploitation Notebook (CUE).
Regarding the Omnibus X proposal, it has been explained that it seeks to expedite the arrival of solutions for farmers, especially in biocontrol, and to extend the authorization periods for active substances. However, it has been emphasized that "this is not going to be a definitive solution to the lack of availability of plant protection products."
Among other relevant aspects of this initiative is the rapid reduction of the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) of active substances that cease to be approved in the EU and the end of the prohibition on the use of drones for the application of plant protection products as a method of aerial application. Andalusia is making significant progress in this area.
On the other hand, the new specific regulation for integrated production of olive groves has been reviewed, highlighting its main changes. In parallel, the regulatory bases for the aid intended for the Integrated Production Groups of Olive Groves planned for 2027 have been reviewed.
The current regulatory situation of the Digital Exploitation Notebook has also been analyzed, whose implementation will be mandatory as of January 1, 2027, in accordance with the Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 2023/564. It has been communicated to the attendees that the Ministry of Agriculture has sent a letter to the competent Ministry proposing that, by 2027, the use of an Excel document or similar tool be allowed, since the regulation contemplates that a machine-readable format may be used.
In this same direction, the Secretary General has emphasized that "training and information are the best tools to anticipate and learn more about the climate, the evolution of technologies, and the state of the pest"; and has insisted that "all of this is key for consumers to continue trusting Andalusian products." In conclusion, Gómez has highlighted that these are "key issues to continue working for a primary sector that is profitable, competitive, and that adopts the latest technologies to face the challenges that arise."