Fire blight affects apple trees, quinces, and pear trees, as well as some ornamental species.
A decree published today in the Diário da República states that the Government has ordered the “immediate uprooting and destruction, by burning or burying, of any orchard with more than 50% of plants showing visible symptoms and with at least one-third of the crown affected, including the trunks.”
Furthermore, the equipment used in sanitary pruning must be disinfected after each operation.
Sanitary pruning involves removing parts of plants that are diseased or damaged by pests or diseases to prevent their spread.
Transporting host plants or parts outside the contaminated zone is prohibited unless expressly authorized.
However, the planting or replanting of new orchards is permitted. In neighboring areas, non-host plants or crops resistant to the ‘Erwinia amylovora’ bacterium, which causes fire blight, must be planted.
This requirement is waived “in cases where the orchards are not bordered by host plant orchards,” noted the decree.
Planting host plants in landscaped public areas and on road separators in contaminated zones is also prohibited.
This decree, signed by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, João Moura, takes effect in December 2025 and comes into force this Friday.
