Jerada: Prickly pear resurrected | L’Economiste
It is true that the mealybug has wreaked havoc and almost decimated prickly pear cultivation in the Oriental region. However, a pilot experiment in the province of Jerada has debunked the general rule.
The traditional prickly pear can resist, provided that certain planting techniques, constant monitoring and age-old know-how are respected, while favoring resistant varieties. Simply space the fig cactuses 5×3 meters apart to avoid damaging densities and react in time to neutralize the caterpillar. In fact, some plantations have been spared the spread of the insect pest.
They resisted thanks to rigorous measures to prevent the spread of the mealybug, including phytosanitary treatment programs and the immediate destruction of affected cladodes.
More than 10,000 hectares were destroyed in the Oriental region before the spread of the pest, which caused extensive damage to fields and adversely affected the incomes of small farmers, could be prevented. However, this massive destruction had a devastating impact on productivity. This explains the sharp rise in market prices. “ Is it normal to buy a prickly pear at 5 or 10 dirhams (USD 0.5 to USD 1), when it used to sell on local markets at 10 dirhams (USD 1) per 5-kilogram can?” , wonders Mister Hmida, a retailer selling this prized fruit.
He is not the only one to be surprised, as many families who used to make this fruit their first choice in summer are no longer buying it. “You have to wait for the new plantations to reach maturity before prices come down and you can enjoy this local fruit at an affordable price ”, added Mister Hmida.
As for Abderrahmane Anflouss, Provincial Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, he confided to L’Économiste that the monitoring and daily fight against the first outbreaks of the devastating insect are giving good results. This is the case of a plantation not resistant to mealybug near the town of Guenfouda (Province of Jerada), which is still performing well in terms of productivity. Its owners reacted in time, thanks to training courses they attended with internationally renowned researchers.
“The department doesn’t intend to stop halfway, as it has scheduled the planting of hundreds of additional hectares, this time with mealybug-resistant plants and varieties ” , added Anaflouss.
Demand for new varieties is high, and this has encouraged the Department of Agriculture to use new methods within the framework of solidarity farming, the aim being to create conditions conducive to the success of agricultural programs in vulnerable areas, as part of a sustainable development approach. A fruitful alternative, since it combines economic efficiency with social equity and the preservation of natural resources. It also strengthens the resilience of selected varieties to climate and phytosanitary hazards.
Ali KHARROUBI
