Illegal immigrant

When the almond trees blossom in Spring, this valley of Jalon is a carpet of pink and white flowers that attracts many sightseers, much to the irritation of the local peasants discomfited by sharing their road with other cars.
But perhaps no more, for following the British and Dutch expats a new resident has arrived, Xylella fastidiosa. Not a prima donna on the flamenco circuit as one might guess, but a deadly tree plague. Farmers hereabouts are anxiously fighting the EU directive to eliminate all infected trees, including those within 100m of each one.
"Laying waste to all the trees, healthy and infected alike, is no solution," gripes Eladio Aniorte, president of the Asaja Alicante agricultural union. "We are not facing isolated cases because the plague has spread to the Marina Baja, the Marina Alta and El Comtat. There is every likelihood that new focii could soon be found," he explains.
Adolfo Ribes, spokesman for the AXFA growers' association thundered "This is the beginning of the end for our woodlands, towns and way of life."Read more