The price of the Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras Protected Geographical Identification (PGI) decreased by .30 to .40 euro per kilo in 2017 due to the competition with the garlic from China.
The technical director of the PGI, Juan Martinez, said the decline in prices has been felt in the domestic market, which represents 75 percent of sales of purple garlic, and in the international markets.
As a result and to remain in the market, Martinez said, they had opted to explain to the consumers how the purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras had a higher quality than the Chinese garlic.
The purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras has a more powerful flavor and is better preserved than other varieties, he said. "Unfortunately, it's not so productive," he acknowledged, but gastronomically speaking it's much better, he added.
The PGI Purple Garlic from Las Pedroñeras makes its biggest promotion efforts at the points of sale instead of in agricultural food fairs. "It's our workhorse right now, last year we made almost 120 promotions at points of sale and, at the rate we're going this year, we'll surpass that amount," Martinez said.
International market
Although the international markets account for 25 percent of the PGI's sales, its technical director said they exported to almost all of the countries of the European Union, where their main foreign customers are. The main markets, he said, are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal.
However, he said, other non-European countries also demand purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras. This variety is very appreciated in North Africa, specifically in countries such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, he said.
The PGI exports its purple garlic to other countries, such as Haiti, Taiwan, and South Africa where their product "is not as widespread as the Chinese garlic, but there is access as these markets are beginning to value the quality of this garlic and are increasing their demand." Similarly, it's regaining strength in Brazil, a market that had been lost due to the Chinese competition.
Next harvest
Regarding the next harvest, Juan Martinez said it was soon to speculate about its quality and production volume. However, he said, the plants developmental process has been good so far and the rainfall of recent weeks has been good for the crops. The technical director of the PGI also said that there had been an increase in the area under cultivation.
Martinez also said that the mountain rabbit hadn't damaged garlic crops as much as it had affected cereal crops, although these animals also like to eat garlic.
The technical director also said that the Protected Geographical Identification is authorized to cultivate in 227 localities of the provinces of Toledo, Albacete, Cuenca and Ciudad Real, since garlic crops requires a lot of land rotation.
"That doesn't mean that we cultivate it in all the villages," he clarified, detailing that the producer nucleus revolves around Cuenca towns such as Las Pedroñeras, Mota del Cuervo, El Provencio, El Pedernoso, as well as in the Ciudad Real of Socuellamos, Argamasilla de Alba and Tomelloso; in Albacete populations such as Minaya, the capital Albacete, and in Toledo towns, such as El Toboso, and Corral de Almaguer.
Source: Europa Press