In just two months 511 consultations have been conducted on plots through the Orri App application, the first mobile application that identifies authorized holdings of a protected citrus, specifically the ORRI variety of mandarin. Of these consultations, 113 correspond to allegedly illegal plots, which are currently being audited by auditors of the Association of Orri mandarin producers, the Orri Running Committee (ORC).
The Association of Orri variety producers (ORC) have expressed their satisfaction with the excellent reception of this novel application among its members, and the high degree of implementation during its short period of existence.
The Orri App mobile application is based on the GPS geolocation and identifies plots of the Orri variety on the ground sublicensed for production. Since the exploitation of the Orri variety of mandarin is limited, Orri App is a powerful tool available to ORC partners, where they can identify potentially irregular plots, i.e. those that do not have The Enforcement Organization, S.L. operating license, and therefore violate their rights.
To do this, the user only has to be close to the plot they want to identify and the application geolocates its position. An aerial view of the user's position will appear in their smartphone, where they must indicate the plot they want to identify on the screen of their mobile device. At that moment, the app will tell you if the plot in question is authorized via a TEO sublicense (The Enforcement Organization, S.L., licensee Master of Orri variety for Spain and Portugal).
App results obtained by provinces
As for the geographical distribution of detected plots through the use of the app significant differences are observed, since most of the activity is concentrated in Valencia, with 96% of the identified plots (Castellón 37%, 53% and Alicante Valencia 3%). However, 2% has been detected in the Murcia region, 3% in Andalusia and 2% in Tarragona.
Distribution according to surface area, is 30% in Castellón, 55% in Valencia and 7% in Alicante, while a 2% has been registered in the Murcia Region, 5% in Andalusia and 2% in Tarragona, representing a total of 149 hectares.
In view of the results obtained, the ORC it is promoting the use of the application in the regions of Murcia and Andalusia through telephone information campaigns. At the same time field detection of irregular holdings of Orri variety is being strengthened in these areas.
Legal Actions
These demand the cessation of all activity, the destruction of material, a compensation commensurate with the nature and characteristics of the farm which does not have the necessary authorization or license TEO, a press release of the seizure, as well as the adoption of additional measures that would prevent further infringement.
The ORC recalls that the period for voluntary regularization of this variety, which ended in April 2016, was ample and sufficient. Moreover, as it was widely reported in the media, there no longer is the possibility of regularization of irregular plantations.
The Asociación de Productores de Mandarino Orri, comprising more than 400 producers of this variety, in its monitoring, promotion and funding of legal proceedings in the legal defense of the Orri variety, and trade promotion of this tangerine, aims to ensure that the Orri mandarin remains one of the most sought-after in the market, continuing its great prestige and extoling its delicious taste.