Palm trees in Egypt could soon be a thing of the past. Yet, writes Nader Fergani*, nothing is being done to combat the pest that is destroying them The red palm weevil -- rhynchophorus ferrugineus -- is such a dangerous pest that, if not eradicated or controlled, it could destroy all of Egypt's date palms within a matter of years. Imagine the Egyptian landscape denuded of those tall, graceful trees with their verdant crowns. It would be a catastrophe. One would think that this spectre would galvanise the concerned authorities into mobilising all the resources at their disposal. Yet nothing has been done. The red palm weevil lays its eggs at the base of the trunk. These hatch into grubs which bore their way into the trunk, form cocoons and emerge as large reddish-brown weevils that feed on the heart of the trunk. It takes very little time for these pests to excavate large cavities inside the tree, leaving a hollow, dead shell. When the tree crumbles the weevils move on to infest others. What better metaphor could there be for the spread of corruption in society? It is rumoured that the pest arrived in Egypt in an infested palm tree presented as a gift to some wealthy big shot who then used his influence to have the tree cleared through customs without passing through quarantine. This may or may not be true. What cannot be contested is that the infestation spread like wildfire. It has already killed almost all of Ismailiya's palm trees, and from there moved steadily west and south. Now there is hardly a governorate that has not been infested and some agronomists predict it will be only a few years until the last palm tree in Egypt topples. When an infested palm tree dies the only way to protect surrounding trees is to uproot the dead tree and bury it deep beneath the ground after spraying it with powerful insecticides. Unfortunately, ignorance and negligence has allowed the pest to spread. Infested trees were either left standing, or lying where they had fallen, or they were burned. And burning the trees is perhaps the worst solution. The adult weevils simply flee the fire and search for new prey. While insecticides are vital, more important in the long term is the need for continual surveys and inspections to identify and treat new infestations. This control and eradication process must be carried out throughout the entire country. A single untreated infestation is sufficient to endanger the palm trees over an entire agricultural area. Poor administration is responsible for the lack of awareness that has helped aggravate the problem. Farmers tend to operate on the basis of information and techniques that have been handed-down. They are far from prepared to deal with a new and previously unfamiliar pest. Sadly, though, they are unlikely to find much needed guidance in a press that appears solely preoccupied with enumerating the many virtues and accomplishments of our rulers. Nor do they receive much aid from the relevant government agencies. These have yet to mount an effective assault against this agricultural plague. Instead of mobilising available national resources, including the young unemployed, towards averting a national catastrophe, and in spite of the knowledge that the farmers themselves would readily volunteer their help in this campaign, the Ministry of Agriculture and the ruling party, which boasts of its grassroots base, have chosen to look the other way. As a result individuals are left to their own devices. There are many concerned people among them but they do not know where to turn to obtain the necessary information and the appropriate pesticides. Agricultural authorities, it appears, are deaf to the pleas of farmers desperate to forestall an impending disaster. I have called the relevant deputy minister of agriculture several times to ask for help. The response was always promises of immediate help. Those promises have yet to translate into action. * The writer is the director of Almishkat Research Centre, and the lead author of the Arab Human Development Report .
