Minister of Agriculture: We will protect the vineyards!

(Photo: Pixabay)

István Nagy announced on his social media page that a decisive, rapid and coordinated protection action plan has been prepared against the spreading grape disease. The presence of golden yellows has been confirmed in 13 of the 19 counties, especially affecting Zala and the Balaton area. It is not dangerous to humans, it does not get into the wine, but it causes extraordinary damage to the grapes. There is no known cure for it, and the only way to keep it under control is to take action against the pathogen’s transmitter, the American grape cicada – he emphasized. The Minister explained that as part of the action plan consisting of several measures, a national reconnaissance will begin. The National Council of Mountain Communities (HNT) is organizing plant health inspection teams, which will visit plantations nationwide, and laboratory capacities are being expanded to effectively evaluate samples. The cicada population can also be reduced with post-harvest treatments, so a national pesticide program is being launched, and aerial spraying is being used to protect the most severely affected areas.

A decision was also made to authorize mountain judges to eradicate infected vineyards more quickly

The use of infection-free, domestically produced, certified propagation material is also being encouraged, and the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) is urgently examining applications from potential plant health workers, he said. István Nagy emphasized that the protection of grapes is not only an economic interest, but also a tourist and national interest, so grape growers can count on the government. “Together, vineyards can be protected more effectively than ever before,” he added.

MTI