The councillor of Agriculture and Rural Development of the town of Mazarrón, Magdalena Méndez, visited a Valencian farm devoted to kiwi growing last Tuesday accompanied by several of the town and region's technicians, as well as growers and technicians of the Mazarron-based firm, Coexma. The farm is located in the Valencian town of Lliria, where the attendants could check how this tropical species can also be grown with a Mediterranean climate.
This visit is part of the town's objective to seek alternatives to tomato growing and has support from local growers and the Region's government. Magdalena Méndez and those accompanying her could see first-hand how a kiwi plantation works and the infrastructure needed to implement it. They were also informed about the advantages and disadvantages of the crop.
The councillor highlighted that "the institution that I lead is very interested in alternative crops to tomatoes to make agriculture an important part of our town once again, to generate employment and wealth and help us tackle the current financial crisis. Kiwis could be one of those crops."
Méndez also visited Cajamar's Experimental Station of Tropical Crops, located in a farm in the town of Las Palmerillas, in Almeria, to become acquainted with the way various sub-tropical varieties are grown, such as avocados, mangoes or cherimoyas. The councillor said that "the kind of crops we are informing ourselves about may come as a surprise, but we believe this can help us boost the local economy."
Source: Murcia.com