The Councillor of Water, Agriculture and Environment of Murcia, Adela Martínez-Cachá, said in the municipality of Águilas that "the region is the second most important Spanish province in terms of watermelon production." As for exports, she also recalled that Spain exported a total of 650,000 tonnes last year, of which 165,000 tonnes came from the region. Based on this data, Martínez-Cachá stated that "Murcia's new watermelon campaign should exceed last year's figures, which will allow the region to remain the second most important Spanish province when it comes to watermelon production, which entails more jobs and wealth."
The Councillor visited the fruit and vegetable company Pozo Sur, of Águilas, whose main products are black and striped seedless watermelons. The company also has other products, such as aubergines, pumpkins, courgettes, lettuce, Italian peppers and cucumbers, as reported by sources of the regional government in a statement.
Pozo Sur, together with the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, is involved in research projects for the improvement of horticultural crops, which focus on optimising the production and quality of watermelons, lettuce, pumpkins, courgettes, aubergines, cucumbers and peppers, and improving the shelf life of pumpkins. To this end, they conduct research on various types of grafted and commercial varieties, on pesticide reduction and on conservation.
Moreover, the firm is also involved in another project, in partnership with the IMIDA, for the establishment of more sustainable pest management. It is a study intended to find out what plant and auxiliary species have an impact on pests in order to reduce pesticide treatments.
Source: cadenaser.com