Paraná remains in a phytosanitary emergency to combat greening

Paraná remains in a phytosanitary emergency to combat Greening, the main pest that affects citrus trees in the world. Decree 4502, with this content, was published at the end of December 2023 and remains valid for 180 days, and actions must be implemented and executed within this period. The objective is to bring greater agility and effectiveness to control the disease and its vector, the psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, even enabling the adoption of exceptional administrative measures.

“Farmers carry out activities in the open air and are subject to various natural interferences, which can be climate-related or diseases and pests”, said the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Supply, Norberto Ortigara. “The phytosanitary emergency decree is a drastic instrument, but it gives us the possibility of taking the necessary measures more effectively in an attempt to control the problem, as citrus farming is a very important activity for the State”.

The eradication of diseased plants, treatment of the stump to prevent sprouts, followed by planting healthy seedlings from registered nurseries and efficient insect control with biological and chemical products are some of the good practices. Since the detection of an abnormal increase in the disease, the State has joined forces to prevent and control greening, also known as HLB (Huanglongbing) or yellowing.

No cure 

There is still no known cure for greening disease. The eradication of contaminated plants and good psyllid control practices are the most effective measures to control the disease. In several municipalities in the affected regions, city halls and the productive sector entered the process with determination and organized task forces to eradicate contaminated host plants in rural and urban properties, as the insect vector that multiplies in these locations can fly for several kilometers and recontaminate commercial orchards. At the same time, inspection efforts are carried out to ban the sale of illegal seedlings, the sale of which is prohibited in Paraná.

Gross Production Value of citrus production

The area occupied by citrus farming in Paraná is approximately 29.200 hectares, of which 20.700 ha are oranges, 7.000 ha are tangerines and 1.500 ha are Tahiti lime. The Gross Value of Citrus Production, surveyed by Seab's Department of Rural Economy (Deral), totaled R$2022 million in 826,8 with the production of 842,4 thousand tons of fruit.

The municipalities of Paranavaí, Alto Paraná, Guairaçá, Nova Esperança and Cruzeiro do Oeste stand out, with orange production; Altônia, with the production of acid limes, and the municipalities of Cerro Azul and Doutor Ulisses, with the production of ponkan tangerine.