About fifty olive trees have been found to be infected with Xylella fastidiosa in the territory of Monopoli (Bari).
This was announced by the Apulian forestry agency Arif in una Nita: "The olive trees fall in the buffer zone, along the state road 16 and fall within the Piana degli ulivi monumentali", in the coastal strip "that crosses the free zone from north to south, the buffer zone , the containment area and the infected one. It is the first time that infected plants have been found in the buffer zone and moreover on the northern border, close to the free area. An olive tree would fall right on the edge of the free area ".
The Regional Phytosanitary Observatory is carrying out the latest checks on the samples in order to proceed with the issuance of the eradication acts, but "everything points to a sudden advance of the bacterium", say Arif.
"We are moving with the utmost timeliness so that as soon as we have full official data - underlines the director general of Arif, Francesco Ferraro - we will intervene to eradicate the infected plants, trusting in the collaboration of the owners.
The fact that the plants are located close to a major road artery such as State Road 16 suggests that, once again, the spittoon was transported by some means of transit.
Meanwhile, our monitoring and culling operations continue, based on the documents issued by the Observatory regarding the 77 plants found to be infected in the containment area, in the territories of Ostuni, Fasano and Cisternino ". (ANSA).