La Palma banana sector studies sustainable pest control in Tenerife

Representatives from the La Palma banana sector visited agricultural sites in southern Tenerife to study sustainable biological pest control techniques. The initiative aims to evaluate the efficacy, production impact, and cost-benefit ratio of these methods compared to conventional chemical treatments.

Participants, including approximately twenty managers and technicians from La Palma banana cooperatives and the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Animal Welfare, and Food Sovereignty, Alberto Paz, inspected farms linked to the Punta Blanca Cooperative, part of the Canary Islands Banana Producers Organization (COPLACA).

The visited farms utilize integrated combat strategies based on natural enemies to reduce phytosanitary product use. One eight-hectare farm, Hermanos Hernández González, has applied these techniques for two years, successfully reducing chemical treatments without affecting crop quality or yield. Another 20-hectare farm, La Jaquita, has implemented these practices for approximately eight years.