The sales campaign of the pears under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Rincón de Soto is coming to an end. Next season the market can also expect to get these pears with an organic certification, as reported by Rodrigo Mauleón, manager of the Rioja-based cooperative Frutos del Campo.
Left, Rincón de Soto pears packed with organic seal. Right, Cruz Bobadilla Ramírez, partner of Frutos del Campo, with field engineer Raquel Ezquerro Peñalva.
The availability of organic pears will be limited at first, although the volumes will increase each campaign. "If everything develops normally in the field, we hope to have the first 80 tonnes of organic pears in the next campaign, 50 tonnes of which will be PDO-certified."
The company usually produces and sells 2,000 tonnes of conventional pears and has decided to convert 30 hectares to organic production, which will yield a total of 450 tonnes of organic pears. In two years, Frutos del Campo expects to obtain around 500 tonnes of organic pears of the Ercolini, Moretini, Williams, Barlett, Limonera, Nasi and Conference varieties. The goal is to supply pears for 10 to 11 months a year.
"First we want to see how the market behaves and then decide if we can continue to convert more production to organic. However, I believe that the market for organic products will continue to develop and grow in the coming years," explains Rodrigo Mauleón.
According to the producer, "it is not a matter of getting a higher price for the fruit, but of giving it added value, helping us differentiate ourselves in a market where competition will be getting tougher. Many of the conventional farms that our partners run are cultivated using the integrated production method and they resort to organic products to treat diseases or to fertilise the soil. We need to think about the world we are going to leave behind for future generations."
"We are also trying to improve the storage capacity to be able to have pears available for longer, since we believe that Spanish and European consumers will prefer a local product rather than an imported one, such as the Williams pears from Argentina we are getting right now. To achieve this, we have to be able to offer retail chains a steady supply, which is what buying managers look for," says Rodrigo Mauleón.
Frutos del Campo also grows some 20 tonnes of organic cherries, which go mainly to France, as well as 450 tonnes of organic apples per year, 10% of which are exported.
For more information:
Rodrigo Mauleón
Coop. Frutos del Campo
AVDA. GONZALO DE BERCEO, Nº 81
26559 ALDEANUEVA DE EBRO. LA RIOJA. SPAIN
T: +34 941 142 326
direccion@frutosdelcampo.es
www.frutosdelcampo.es