Asaja Murcia considers the situation "very serious" and blames the relocation and replacement of the product with more profitable ones.
The agricultural professional organization Asaja Murcia has expressed great concern about the gradual reduction of production and the acreage of Murcia's tomato. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Water provided by Asaja, the acreage has dropped from 4,163 hectares in 2005 to 2,780 hectares in the 2011, which represents a reduction of 33%.
"In six years, the area has decreased by 1,383 hectares and this is a very serious setback," said Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca, Secretary General of Asaja Murcia.
Meanwhile, production has increased from 328,853 tons in 2005 to the 311,065 tons in 2011.
According to the head of this organization, "this fall in area and production is mainly due to the relocation of cultivation, abandonment of farms due to lack of profitability and, especially, to the replacement of this crop by more profitable ones like table grapes. Unfortunately, the tomato that has been a historical crop in our agricultural sector has been gradually disappearing in areas like Águilas and Mazarron."
The head of this organization stated that "it is essential to promote Murcia´s tomato sector, through communication and promotion campaigns, because it has been one of the traditional sectors of our agriculture, we must not let disappear."
Asaja Murcia recalled: "We can not afford to lose Murcia´s tomato crop, it would be a huge mistake that would greatly impair our agrarian economy and the export potential that our region has."
Source: Murciaeconomia.com