The grand cactus of the Indian fig, (higo chumbo), a characteristic fruit of the region of Murcia, is under threat of extinction due to a plague which originates in Central America.
Readers will probably have noted the sad sight of these magnificent plants grey and rotting in the gardens below Calasparra Castle. Sadly this sight is repeated in the mountains, alongside the roads and in public gardens all over Calasparra.
The cause is a type of woodlouse, Dactylopius opuntiae, which has effectively wiped out 2,500 hectares of figs in 18 municipal areas of the region over the past four years.
The Department of Agriculture has been attempting to slow down the plague since it was first detected in 2007 and, with the Ministry of the Environment, Countryside and Sea, has invested more than a million euros in an attempt to save the figs to little avail.
The authorities blame the inefficiency of border controls which they claim are putting local agriculture at risk.
The plague affecting the figs is one of many affecting agriculture in the region including the red pecking incest which is killing the palm trees; the “tuta” fly which affects tomatoes; the red louse which affects citrus fruits and a large etcetera.
