Lethal insect wreaks havoc in tomato harvest in Mostaganem

Emergency measures have been enforced by Agriculture regional services in several northern regions of Algeria to check the awesome spread of an insect – borne disease which has already destroyed a sizable Tomato harvest in the north – western province of Mostaganem.

• The Agriculture Director of the province of Mostaganem Fahd Ben Hamidate told “Echorouk Al Yaoumi” that 300 hectares of Tomato plantations had been wrecked so far by this mysterious and lethal insect called by specialists in agronomy “Touta Abouslouta”.
• He said that this insect, which has appeared for the first time in Algeria, had already ruined entire harvests in Spain and several Latin American countries.
• Agricultural experts suggest, in this connection, that this insect – borne disease could jeopardize millions of hectares of Tomato plantations in Algeria if remedial measures were not taken without further delay by the relevant authorities as part of a large-scale awareness-raising campaign involving all peasants and agricultural workers.