Protecting date palms from a lifecycle of destruction;

A food source for our forefathers and recognised by UNESCO for its unique contribution to our cultural heritage, the date palm tree is also a defining feature of the landscape in the Middle East, southern Europe and North Africa.

Date palms around the world are under severe threat from the spread of a formidable pest, the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus). Over the past forty years they have proliferated, spreading rapidly to decimate plantations and date yields where they take hold. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimates that in Gulf Countries and the Middle East, more than USD 8 million is lost each year in the removal of infested trees.

Specialists agree that red palm weevil cannot be eradicated, so a pre-emptive approach is critical in order to preserve the date palm's heritage, maintain agricultural output and minimise the pest's impact on farmers and local communities.

Working with farmers in local communities, at a national level, and with the scientific resources of a global leader in crop protection, Syngenta TreeCare is a technologically-advanced control solution that protects and preserves date palms, while preventing the spread of red palm weevil and the devastating damage they cause.