{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Beetle threatens date palm plantations' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d474d8eafeecae1f2bc3' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d474d8eafeecae1f2bc3' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nBeetle threatens date palm plantations\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eLEADIN: Dates are central to the traditions observed during the holy month of Ramadan, when many Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until dusk. Most Muslims break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eLEADIN: Dates are central to the traditions observed during the holy month of Ramadan, when many Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until dusk. Most Muslims break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. But a hungry red beetle that has migrated across the Middle East may decimate Tunisia's famed date palm plantations, making the prized fruit a rare treat. STORYLINE: Dates are a major export product for Tunisia, in 2016 the country exported 100 thousand tons of the fruit, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, amounting to a value of 450 million dinars (185 million US dollars). But a beetle that has spread from Asia across the Middle East now threatens Tunisian date palm trees. The creature bores holes in the tree trunks, lays its eggs in the tissues of the plant. The larvae then burrows deep into the trunk and soon the leaves turn brown. A recent United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report identified the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) (latin name : Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) as a one of the world's worst invasive pests, which feeds on around forty palm species across the world. The beetle which is indigenous to South East Asian countries, has been moving west and was first noted in the Gulf region in the 1980s, according to the FAO. Maher Sghairoun, an agriculture researcher in the state of Tataouine regularly monitors the palm forests. \"The \"Red Palm Weevil\" lesion appeared on the macaw-fat (oil palm) in Asia and then spread to the Gulf countries. It is a dangerous lesion that caused the death of millions of palm trees. This insect is very fertile; it can lay about 300 eggs. It can move about 15 kilometres daily,\" he says. Date farmers in Tunisia are now bracing themselves for an infestation. The Red Palm Weevil increases its range by hitching a lift on infected plant material or even vehicles. The FAO report says that effective quarantine restrictions or laws can help halt the spread, but they need to be implemented and that Tunisia has not been effective in stopping the spread. Date palm forests in Tunisia extend to about 40.5 thousand hectares in the south, mostly in the states of Tataouine and Kebili, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.In Tunis, infected trees have been pruned to stem the infestation. The FAO recommends that plants can be treated by pruning the infested tissues if the trunk is not too deeply damaged by the larvae. To remove larvae, cocoons and adults, the waste tissues then need to effectively disposed of, usually by burning. Insecticide is also used as a way to treat infestation but the FAO says there is a concern about the environmental implications of using chemicals and a risk that residues of insecticide may be found in the fruit. According to the Grand Tunis Municipality, about 428 palm trees out of a total of 36,237 have been infected with this disease, and the authorities and the agriculture department have treated some of them and burned others.Tarek Chiboub works in the department of Quality Control of Agricultural Products at the Ministry of Agriculture says the government is implementing a nationwide plan to prevent the pest spreading. \"At first, the lesion was a new to us. We dealt with it well. The area of infection expanded. As we know it is a serious scourge, a national plan has been put in place to eradicate this scourge and prevent it from entering production areas in the south.\"Date palm farmer Faouzi Souf urges the authorities to act quickly before his next harvest is ruined. \"The state should not loose Kebili and Tozer's oasis because of this simple insect and they should listen to the specialists' advice before it reaches us. \"The Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken some preventive measures against this scourge, especially in the metropolitan area of Grand Tunis, where this insect has infected thousands of palm trees. Fathia Helali is the Director of Health Control of Agricultural Products at the Ministry of Agriculture.\" A special budget was approved in September 2016, an amount of 6.1 million dinars, will be ready in January 2018 for the regional plan of the south which is based on the health survey of oases, the geographical definition of date producing palms in the south of Tunisia, in addition to the definition of green areas in the cities, houses, forests and tourist cities because this insect attacks decorative palm trees before date palms,\" she says. As the holy month of Ramadan gets underway, Tunisia's dates are packed before being shipped to markets around the world where they are prized by shoppers preparing for iftar (the breaking of the Ramadan fast in the evening).Kebeli, Tunisia  - October 19, 20161. Various date harvesting2. Man shows crate of dates 3. Close up dates Kebeli, Tunisia  - May 22, 2017 4. Wide of palm tree with limp, brown leaves 5. Mid of trunk of palm tree showing damaged leaves from below 6. Tools which team use to treat the tree, syringe etc 7. Various Maher Sghairoun injects solution into bag for palm tree treatment 8. Close of plastic pipe in damaged tree 9. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Maher Sghairoun, Kebeli Regional Director of the Institute of Arid Regions \"The \"Red Palm Weevil\" lesion appeared on the macaw-fat (oil palm) in Asia and then spread to the Gulf countries. It is a dangerous lesion that caused the death of millions of palm trees. This insect is very fertile; it can lay about 300 eggs. It can move about 15 kilometres daily\" Carthage, Tunisia  - May 21, 2017 10. Various man pokes Red Palm Weevil out of bark  11. Various close up Red Palm Weevil 12. Wide of street scene with healthy palm trees13. Various of damaged palm trees with leaves pruned 14. Close of damaged tree bark with holesASSOCIATED PRESSTunis, Tunisia - May 23, 201715. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Tarek Chiboub, General Manager of Quality Control of Agricultural Products at the Ministry of Agriculture \"At first, the lesion was a new to us. We dealt with it well. The area of infection expanded. As we know it is a serious scourge, a national plan has been put in place to eradicate this scourge and prevent it from entering production areas in the south.\"Kebeli, Tunisia  - May 22, 2017 16. Various of date palms 17. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Faouzi Souf, Date farmer\"The state should not loose Kebili and Tozer's oasis because of this simple insect and they should listen to the specialists' advice before it reaches us. \"Tunis, Tunisia - May 23, 201718. Various set ups of Fathia Helali at work19. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Fathia Helali, Director of Health Control of Agricultural Products at the Ministry of Agriculture \" A special budget was approved in September 2016, an amount of 6.1 million dinars, will be ready in January 2018 for the regional plan of the south which is based on the health survey of oases, the geographical definition of date producing palms in the south of Tunisia, in addition to the definition of green areas in the cities, houses, forests and tourist cities because this insect attacks decorative palm trees before date palms.\"Kebeli, Tunisia  - October 19, 201620. Various of dates being packed  Rabat, Morocco - 23 May 201721. Various of dried fruits and spices shop22. Mounds of spices and dried fruits23. 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