The Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras has confirmed that the acreage devoted to garlic production for the 2013/2014 campaign owned by companies and growers under the PGI stands at 3,600 hectares; 7% more than last season.
Currently 582 properties and 1,185 plantations constitute the base and productive potential for Las Pedroñeras' purple garlic. The average acreage per cultivated plantation is of 3.03 hectares and the average per plantation devoted to purple garlic cultivation stands at 6.18 hectares.
Even though garlic is sold all year round, the harvest period will begin in June, if all goes as expected and the weather does not prevent it. At the moment, rains are needed, as not a drop has fallen since the planting. "If it doesn't rain, we will have to irrigate the plantations," he points out.
Las Pedroñeras' Purple Garlic requires genetic improvement
In the past 20 years, great advances have been made in the planting and harvest of garlic, "going from manual labour to an almost fully-mechanised process," he explains. Regarding the produces preservation, "storage capacity has been expanded with cold chambers and improvements have been introduced in the processing, and we believe that investments will continue to be made for the modernisation of the current infrastructures."
Nevertheless, the most necessary investments, according to Pacheco, are the ones to be made in the improvement of Las Pedroñeras' own Purple garlic variety, which stands out for its excellent organoleptic qualities. "Its yield per hectare is relatively low compared to other varieties, and we thus deem it necessary to devote greater resources to research and development for the improvement of this variety's genetic material."
Exports reach markets as distant as Australia or South Africa
Last season, Spain exported a total of 70,000 tonnes of garlic to all destinations, at an average of 1.60 Euro/kilo.
As stated by the president of the PGI Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras, José María Pacheco, "in the unlikely case that the entire production harvested from the declared acreage was marketed under the certification's label, the PGI could reach a total of 28,000 tonnes; a record-breaking figure." However, "it would be more realistic to expect something around the 10,000 tonnes, which would represent reaching 35% of the PGI's productive potential.
Las Pedroñeras' purple garlic is sold in both traditional shops and supermarkets and is exported to countries in the European Union, northern Africa and Central America, having also recently entered new markets as distant as Australia and South Africa.
For more information:
Geographical Indication Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras
Plaza Arrabal del Coso s/n, 16660
Las Pedroñeras Cuenca, Spain
T: +34 967 139 333
[email protected]
www.igpajomorado.es
For more information:
Geographical Indication Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras
Plaza Arrabal del Coso s/n, 16660
Las Pedroñeras Cuenca, Spain
T: +34 967 139 333
[email protected]
www.igpajomorado.es
