In the beginning of May, Clavibacter was discovered at Looije tomatoes in Burgerveen. "There are strict hygiene measures in place. We currently have full control of the situation," announced the business in a newsletter. The infected plants have been removed and the spread has been contained to one path.
Clavibacter
In previous years, Clavibacter has been detected several times in Dutch nurseries. The government and the sector have asked for efforts to be made to solve the problem. Tightening hygiene protocols and working methods, more sensitive detection methods and discovering possible sources are all relevant. In 2014, the NVWA received 8 reports of Clavibacter in tomatoes, of which 4 came from the same plant grower. Clavibacter has EU quarantine status.
The disease was previously known as 'bacteria cancer' and can cause serious damage in tomato plants. The bacteria can be transferred in sand, young plants, fruits, water and by working in the crop. In addition, the bacteria can also remain in the ground and substrate. Therefore, serious measures are taken if a business is contaminated with Clavibacter.
Severe measures
In the newsletter, Tomasz Pluta, an employee at Looije, writes about the impact on the workforce. The serious measures after discovery of the contamination turn their world upside-down: some of them needed to move, wear extra protective clothing, work longer days and follow even stricter hygiene rules. This means that, for example, turners need to damp their hands with Virkon after each plant and cutters need to continually disinfect their secateurs.
Despite all these extra obstacles and inconveniences, eispite the enormous amount of extra time that was needed to finish all the tasks by the end of the week, our people didn't give up and worked really hard right up to the end to help us come through this difficult period. With such dedicated workers, we can overcome every difficulty. After this experience with Clavibacter, I am convinced that we can deal with any problem," Pluta praised the workforce.