In Vallelado, garlic is planted at the start of autumn and is harvested in early summer, from the first days of July. The harvest is thus less than a month away, and although the plants' growth is delayed compared to previous campaigns, sources from the Association for the Promotion of Garlic from Vallelado predict "a good season," although according to its president, Óscar Cuéllar, "this will be so as long as the rains do not cause damage at the time when the garlic is ready to be harvested."
In financial terms, Cuéllar expects prices to continue the upward trend of last year, which encouraged many growers to invest in the crop. So, in 2016, the production area has increased compared to 2015, reaching 500 hectares.
The president of the Association for the Promotion of Garlic from Vallelado reported that, to date, the entity brings together 16 producers based in the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Zamora. "It is only a pity that not everyone who is devoted to this crop is a member of the association," he laments.
When taking stock of the development of his company, he mentions, first, the project they embarked on to improve the health of garlic seeds, which should yield imminent results, as from next season, the members may already be able to sow seeds free of viruses.
As the readers may recall, the garlic from Vallelado has been registered since 2014 as a Quality Brand. The production area covers 32 municipalities, of which 17 belong to the province of Valladolid and 15 to Segovia.
In 2015, the association's members joined Alimentos de Segovia (Foods from Segovia); a brand created by the Provincial Council of Segovia and which welcomed this quality product, whose beneficial properties have been confirmed by the Agricultural Technological Institute of Castile-Leon (ITACYL) and by a number of great chefs.
Source: eladelantado.com