The planting of apple trees in Altos de Yara, Valverde de Ágreda, is going apace, and the 40 employees working on the 50 hectares of land have already planted 60,000 trees, half of the total expected for this first campaign.
This was confirmed by the company owner, Raúl Sanz, who decided to use this location because of the high quality of the soil. "We chose this location because of the similarity with Igea (municipality in La Rioja where the company runs the farm Señorío de Rioja). Valverde de Ágreda is somewhat higher and that should allow us to produce even better quality apples," he said. What this horticultural producer was looking for was a location with temperature contrasts. "We needed hot days and cool nights, but without going to extremes, so that frost does not affect the apples," he stated.
Currently, a total of 60,000 of the 120,000 trees planned for this first campaign, which is expected to yield the first fruits in late August, have already been planted. "We estimate we'll be ready with the planting by the end of this month," explained Sanz.
Three apple varieties are being planted: Royal Gala, Rose and Fuji. "In late August, we will start harvesting some Royal Gala, and we will continue until November, when the Fuji will be harvested," he pointed out.
The land's 2016 harvest will already be found in "gourmet spaces", and Sanz hopes "production to peak in three to four years."
For his part, the Mayor of Ágreda, Jesús Manuel Alonso, has praised the company's commitment to work in the municipality. "The firm is conducting intensive apple plantings and they are equipped with the latest technology," he explained, adding that he was pleased about the fact that "it will create many jobs."
Source: HERALDO DE SORIA
