Up to 700,000 lemon and orange trees in Alicante province could be uprooted as part of efforts to eradicate yellow vein chlorosis virus, which has now spread from lemon trees to oranges.

The first positive cases in orange trees have been confirmed in Albatera, where a plantation of 3,000 navel oranges has been removed as a precaution, despite showing no visible symptoms. According to Asaja Alicante, the virus can remain asymptomatic in orange trees but still pose a risk to nearby lemon groves.

The outbreak is believed to be linked to nursery stock supplied for farms established in 2024 and 2025. Around 500 plots, mainly in Camp d’Elx and the Vega Baja area, are being sampled to assess the scale of the problem. Trees have already been destroyed in Camp d’Elx and in the Vega Baja municipalities of Torremendo, La Murada and Algorfa.

Initial estimates suggested around half a million trees could be affected, but that figure has now risen to as many as 700,000. Farmers are currently bearing the cost of removing trees, although the regional Agriculture Department is expected to announce compensation. Asaja has also called on nurseries to provide certified virus-free replacement plants at no cost to affected growers.