When the members of the Community of Irrigators from Carrizales hold one of their melons, they are aware they are holding a gourmet product. The problem is that they don't have enough water resources to plant more melons. According to their president, Fernando Anton, farmers are generating links with other areas of the Camp d'Elx, Baix Vinalopo, and Vega Baja to plant quality melons, like the ones they produce every year, using a very specialized method that is very respectful of the wildlife that lurks beneath the reeds and avoids using pesticides or chemicals.
The members of the cooperative, who are dependent on this community, have 20 hectares and produce some 300,000 kilos of melon every season. A production that is virtually sold. "Our demand would cover twice what we generate, hence we seek to expand the production of this type of fruit, which is mainly distributed in the province," said Anton.
Anton spoke at the traditional start of the melon campaign in Carrizales, which was attended by the mayors of Elche, Dolores, Rafal, San Isidro, and Elda (who is also the president of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces), and the territorial director of Environment, Carmen Catala. The ceremony had the support of the Union of Farmers, an association to which the Community of Irrigators from Carrizales are integrated. In the ceremony, the mayor of Elche, Carlos Gonzalez, was in charge of harvesting the first melon.
The president of the Executive Committee of the Union, Juan Miguel Montaner, said that "although these areas have special characteristics, melons can be produced in them, just like in the south of the province, if producers know how to manage water."
According to Anton and Montaner, this product is affected by the lands salinity and the ecological treatment they receive: as producers don't use chemical fertilizers or pesticides and only apply organic fertilizers to develop the culture's microbial flora. Besides, the soil in the area has a good level of calcium carbonate. As a result of all this, producers obtain a sweet tasting fruit that has a crisp and hard texture.
Achieving this very specific formula, forces producers to make a previous testing phase before cultivating in other territories. "That's why we will first assess how the fruits we planted in Dolores are. Then, if we find more partners, we will produce between 15% and 20% melons. If all goes well, we estimate we could double our production in two years," stated Carrizales.
Source: diarioinformacion.com