Farmers in Palma Sola are reporting significant crop losses caused by parrots, and on April 1 called for urgent intervention from authorities. Alejandro Portal of the Palma Sola Irrigation Consortium described a critical situation, saying, “This is the situation of the damage we suffer with parrots, there are hectares of corn lost, it is serious.” He estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 ears of corn ready for Easter sale were lost.
The issue affects not only corn but also mandarin oranges and other regional crops. Portal said that more than 2,000 hectares—mainly citrus—are affected each year with losses reaching up to 40% of production. The added costs include hiring people to scare away birds throughout the day: “You have to pay people to do ‘parrot work’ all day to save the harvest,” he said.
The problem extends beyond these crops and impacts squash and various vegetables as well. Producers have filed formal complaints with the provincial Ministry of Environment requesting immediate solutions. Portal noted that current laws prohibit elimination methods: “We cannot use elimination methods because the law does not allow it.” He also mentioned plans for a survey to better quantify damages.
Román Alberto Ruggera, researcher at Inecoa (Conicet and Unju) and professor at Unju’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, explained that these are native species with complex behaviors. He said their movements respond to environmental changes: during winter they move down into lower areas like Palma Sola or even urban zones; in spring they return to higher forests. At least six parrot species can be found locally—including those known as cotorras—and their diet includes both native fruits and introduced crops such as citrus.
Ruggera highlighted that food shortages in native forests during dry seasons drive birds toward cultivated fields: “When food in the forest decreases… if there is a plantation with many fruits available, they will feed there.” The social behavior of these birds means large flocks can cause considerable damage when descending on plantations.
He also discussed previous sustainable management experiences such as a project implemented over two decades ago which allowed controlled commercial use of certain parrot species while benefiting local communities economically without harming populations. “It was called Project ELE… what was good about it is that with money generated by exportation…the project became self-sustaining,” Ruggera recalled.
Ruggera concluded by stressing that any solution must consider productive, social, and environmental dimensions: “In nature conservation we can never ignore social or economic factors.”
Broader implications suggest this conflict between wildlife conservation and agricultural productivity requires integrated approaches involving producers, government agencies, scientists—and consideration for local communities’ livelihoods.
