RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Sunday that no cases of watermelon virus had been found in agricultural fields in Palestine.
Mahmoud Fatafta, the ministry’s spokesman, said plant diseases do not transmit to people regardless of their type, and therefore pose no threat to public health or consumers and urged citizens to remain calm.
His remarks came after Israeli media reported in recent days that watermelon crops in several areas in Israel had been affected by a virus, prompting the Israeli Agriculture Ministry, in cooperation with relevant teams and insurance companies, to destroy about 1,000 dunums of affected crops.
Fatafta said that the virus had spread in Israel this year by five to six times due to the spread of whiteflies and aphids, which contribute to higher infection rates, as well as heavy rainfall and temperature fluctuations.
He said watermelon imports into Palestinian markets are not carried out regularly, but only when needed to cover shortages in local production and are subject to specific monitoring regulations and conditions imposed by the ministry before the product is allowed to enter the market.
