Before reaching its first year of life, the Spring Sunshine Running Committee (SRC) Producers Association is already operating at full capacity and, as a consequence, it has launched a series of initiatives in the control, defense, and promotion of the Spring Sunshine mandarin; the three essential areas that constitute its founding principles.
The Spring Sunshine mandarin is a premium club mandarin. Thus, defending it is fundamental as its illegal exploitation by unlicensed producers implies unfair competition for duly licensed producers. In addition, it constitutes a serious breach of current legislation regarding the protection of plant varieties and breeder's rights.
In this sense, The Enforcement Organization, S.L. (TEO), the entity in charge of the fight against varietal piracy and the legal defense of the Spring Sunshine variety, among others, has already launched the first legal actions against people and entities that are allegedly illegally exploiting this variety. These first legal actions have been carried out in the Valencian Community and Andalusia.
In order to reinforce its control activity, SRC will make available to its associates a web page where they will be able to notify, anonymously, the location of unauthorized operations. The associates will also have the possibility of communicating any anomaly in the correct labeling and identification of the variety at the points of sale. With this information, SRC will carry out the pertinent verifications and, in the event of confirming any type of irregularity, will provide all the necessary information to TEO so that it can take the legal actions it deems appropriate.
TEO also has the latest technology in varietal certification through molecular markers, having a set of markers endorsed by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) that allows them to unequivocally identify the Spring Sunshine variety.
Characteristics of the Spring Sunshine mandarin
The Spring Sunshine mandarin was registered in 2016 by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), which granted it protection at the European level until December 31, 2046. In addition, this variety is also protected in other countries outside the European Union, such as the United States, Australia, and Israel.
Spring Sunshine is a mandarin variety that reaches its optimum ripening moment between March and May when this variety has a high juice content and a superior flavor. In addition, the skin of its fruits acquires a reddish-orange hue that makes them really attractive to consumers.