Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, the Asian citrus psyllid, has been found in Israel and is threatening the country's citrus industry, Channel 12 News reported Tuesday.
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The sap-sucking bug is widely found in southern Asia but it is now also found in parts of the Middle East, South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
It feeds on citrus leaves and stems, and can infect citrus trees with a bacteria that is one of two confirmed vectors of citrus greening disease. Infected trees produce fruits that are green, misshapen and bitter, unsuitable for sale as fresh fruit or for juice.
Citrus greening disease is considered very serious as, while not harmful to humans, the disease kills trees and has no cure. Infestations in various countries have resulted in the destruction of entire orchards.
The pest was first identified in Israel recently in the Hefer Valley, in Israel's coastal plain. The Agriculture Ministry's Plant Protection Services verified the presence of diaphorina citri through morphological and molecular tests and an extensive survey was subsequently conducted in the affected area and in the rest of the country, followed by an eradication campaign where necessary.
According to the report, ministry experts believe that there are other areas in Israel where the bug is already present but has yet to trigger the disease.
The Agriculture Ministry is further planning a wider effort to eradicate the Asian citrus psyllid. The first phase will see some 185 acres of infected orchards treated, with farmers compensated through a special insurance fund for damaged of this type.
A ministry official told Channel 12 News that at this point, they cannot pinpoint when the pest arrived in Israel, but it most likely made its way on an unregulated plant that was most likely smuggled into the country.
Shlomit Zioni, head of Plant Biosecurity at the Agricore Ministry, told the media outlet that while the situation was under control at this time, "unless we can eradicate the infestation at this point, the local citrus industry will face an imminent threat – to the point of extinction, as was the case in other places around the world."
Israel is a major citrus producer and exporter and is home to over 41,750 acres of citrus orchards, growing lemons, limes, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit Oroblanco, Pomelo, and of course – oranges.
The local citrus industry dates back to 1882 and currently comprises about 2,800 growers, located mostly in the coastal area.
In December, the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service Exports projected that citrus exports from Israel in 2021-22 would reach 158,000 metric tons, up 16% from 2020-21.
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