The General Director of Agriculture, Carmen Teodora Morales, stated that "the extra-early potato harvest campaign has kicked off in the Spanish region of Murcia, mainly in Campo de Cartagena," adding that "a good harvest is expected."
This tuber is very appreciated, especially for export. The region annually produces around 40,000 tonnes of this variety, of which 18,000 tonnes are exported.
Teodora Carmen Morales visited the company Patatas Rubio, based in Bullas, together with the manager of the company, Rodrigo Fernández Ortega, to get to know its facilities and learn about the quality controls carried out to be able to market different types of potato chips and nuts. The company, which has 40 employees, is specialised in quality products, which it exports to countries like Italy, France, Germany, the UK and Australia.
Patatas Rubio was founded in 1965 in the municipality of El Chaparral Cehegín, and back then it was fully devoted to roasting almonds. Subsequently, it expanded with the production of handmade potato chips and pork rinds. In 2007, the company moved to its current facilities in Bullas and in 2010 received the award for best agro-food SME in the region.
The entry into the region of pests affecting potatoes could jeopardise its export business, and for this reason, Murcia's Council of Water, Agriculture and Environment has called for the collaboration of Murcian producers so that, when any pest or disease is detected, they communicate it immediately to the Plant Health service with the aim of enforcing adequate phytosanitary monitoring. They have also prepared an information leaflet so that producers can learn to identify the symptoms of the pest called "potato flea beetle", which is present in some areas of Andalusia and Galicia, and teach them what needs to be done in case it is detected.
Source: murciaeconomia.com
