The Cabildo of Gran Canaria will supply producers with about 15,000 fruit trees at lower prices than those set by the market and with the maximum phytosanitary guarantees, as announced by the insular councillor of the Primary Sector, Miguel Hidalgo, in a statement.
The insular body has managed the purchase the trees at "very competitive" prices for the sector (thanks to the volume), and has covered 25% of their cost (65,000 Euro), in addition to providing the necessary advice, reveals the note.
The goal of this measure is to provide solutions that can cover the needs of the growers, supplying them with disease-free fruit trees, pointed out Hidalgo, who reported that after the deadline to submit applications, the trees will be delivered in late January or early February.
The efforts made by the Council of the Primary Sector, together with the subsidy of 25% of the cost, will allow growers to purchase citrus fruit trees at 3.50 Euro and stone and pome fruit trees at 2.97 Euro, compared to the more than 10 Euro that they cost on average in the market.
In 2016, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria will supply 9,200 trees for the production of stone and pome fruits, mainly olives, apricots and apples, and 5,500 for the production of citrus fruits, mostly oranges and lemons.
The choice of species responds to the agroclimatic conditions of the island, especially in the case of stone and pome fruits, which have minimum cold requirements. Thus, the Cabildo has opted for the varieties that are most suitable for temperate climates.
Each producer making a request can receive between 25 and 200 fruit trees of each species, although they will usually order around 40 trees on average. In any case, some growers have also requested several hundred trees for larger plantations.
Those receiving the trees must be committed to planting and caring for them, and the Council will perform regular random checks to make sure this is the case.
Source: eldiario.es
