TIRANA, June 9 /ATA/ Albania possesses the largest massif of chestnut trees in the Balkans, of which over 2,400 ha are located in the Northern region of Tropoja.
To protect this natural and economic asset, Albania’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is implementing a biological control program in cooperation with FAO.
The program has in its essence the use of Torymus sinensis, another wasp that parasitizes the chestnut gall wasp. This means the Torymus sinensis wasp lays its eggs inside the larvae of the chestnut gall wasp, ultimately killing them and reducing the population. The useful insect is grown in Tropoja laboratory and it is spread further in Tropoja and Malësi e Madhe.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Arian Jaupllari together with representatives from FAO and local entities involved in the collection and marketing of chestnuts, visited the laboratory and participated in the release of the next batch of beneficial insects in the chestnut massif of Tropoja.
The biological control program aims to help farmers in this region maintain their livelihoods and protect the region’s chestnut ecosystem.
This initiative also aims to maintain chestnut production and strengthen the rural economy through sustainable solutions./p.s./
