Asian bedbug damage will be repaired.

The State-Regions Conference of last November 5 ratified the agreement on the proposal for a regional allotment of the amount of 110 million euros intended to finance the compensatory interventions in favor of producers who last year suffered damage to crops caused by the bedbug Asian (Halyomorpha halys).

The grants were intended for Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The amount allocated is 70 million for 2020 and 20 million for each of the two years 2021 and 2022. The allocation was made on the basis of the damages recognized by the regional investigations.

Piedmont reported 12.122 million euros in damages , but unfortunately the resources allocated will not be sufficient to cover 80% of the damage as required by the relevant legislation. Piedmont will receive 6.797 million euros , of which 4.325 million in 2020 and 1.236 million for each of the years 2021 and 2022. The Region, according to the provisions to be defined by the Ministry, will have to activate the procedures for the refreshment of businesses: Confagricoltura asks that proceed immediately, anticipating resources at the regional level, to a complete settlement of the damages.

" The whole story of the Asian bug emergency - declared Enrico Allasia, president of Confagricoltura Piemonte - highlighted the criticalities of the current compensation system: Confagricoltura believes that the revision of the regulatory framework on the subject is now undelayable and urgent and for this reason we ask the Region and the Government to intervene to identify a mechanism that allows a complete recovery of the damage suffered by agricultural enterprises ".

Confagricoltura Piemonte recalls that the National Biological Fight Program 2020 for the control of the Asian bedbug has foreseen the launch of batches of the antagonist insect of the parasite, the "Trissolcus japonicus" (samurai wasp). " Last summer, launches were carried out in some sample sites of the Piedmontese territory - explains Ercole Zuccaro, director of Confagricoltura Piemonte - and the first effects on crops will be observed next year, when the insect has reproduced in such a way as to be able to contain the bedbug population. Biological control can contribute, albeit not quickly, to the effective solution of the problem and for this reason we invite farmers to support these defense practices, in the interest of the quality of production and the protection of environment ".