The manager of the Regional Technical Agricultural Institute (ITAP), José Antonio Ballesteros and the president of the cooperative COOPAMAN, Julio Bacete, have signed a cooperation agreement within the framework of the activities carried out by ITAP in the areas of agricultural research and technology transfer in Castile-La Mancha.
The agreement includes the development of projects for the improvement of the garlic's qualities, the study of new treatments against diseases and the search for new fertilisers, among other goals.
The cooperative COOPAMAN, founded in 1986, is devoted to the production and sale of garlic. It is formed by six cooperatives based in the province of Cuenca which bring around 370 garlic producers together and owns a storage and packaging plant in the city of Albacete, as well as a lab where garlic plants are produced through in vitro cultivation techniques.
According to the District Council of Albacete, COOPAMAN is one of the most successful Castilian-Manchegan companies, with almost 2,000 hectares cultivated and a production of more than 17,000 tonnes of garlic per year.
The cooperative's main product is purple garlic, awarded with the Protected Geographical Indication "Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras". This garlic is the most demanded both nationally and internationally, with 70% of the production being exported. Other popular varieties, like white and spring garlic, as well as bulbs for planting, are also produced.
Source: clm24.es