The Government of Aragon has asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for an emergency authorization to use abamectin against red spider mites in corn crops. The regional government says farmers currently lack an approved alternative that is both effective and viable for tackling a pest that is causing significant losses on farms across Aragon.
Technical services estimate that, in affected plots, production losses may range from 20% to 50%. In economic terms, the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Food puts the impact at between €680 and €1,700 per hectare.
Enrique Novales, director general for Food Quality and Safety, outlined the situation on Monday before the Agriculture, Livestock and Food Committee of the Aragon Parliament. During his appearance, he reviewed the measures undertaken by the regional government and its representations to the Ministry.
Red spider mites find particularly favorable conditions for proliferation in high temperatures, worsening their impact on corn. The problem, however, is not new. The Directorate General for Food Quality and Safety and the Plant Health Service have monitored the pest and studied potential methods to combat it for years.
Trials since 2023 have yet to yield an effective alternative
Since 2023, various control options have been tested, ranging from biological techniques to other plant protection products. According to the Government of Aragon, the results obtained so far have failed to identify an alternative that simultaneously meets three conditions: effectiveness against the pest, authorization for use in corn, and technical and economic viability for farms.
This situation prompted the request to the Ministry. Aragon is seeking exceptional permission to use abamectin through the mechanism provided under European regulations for plant health emergencies, when a threat cannot be controlled by other reasonable means.
The Department’s position does not mean abandoning the search for other control methods. The regional government argues that trials should continue in order to develop new tools, but believes that process should not in the meantime leave farms without a response to mounting losses.
The Government of Aragon also maintains that restrictions on active substances should be accompanied by alternatives that farmers can use under real-world growing conditions. In their absence, it calls for recourse to the exceptional measures provided for under the regulations.
Plant health in Aragon is supported by a monitoring system of bulletins, information notices and alerts issued by the Plant Health and Certification Service, covering both developments involving different pests and diseases and the plant protection products authorized for crops.
In the case of red spider mites affecting corn, the decision on the requested emergency authorization rests with the central government. Aragon maintains that a response must come before losses become irreversible, while technical work continues to identify solutions that can be deployed over the medium and long term.
