The quality brand for Extremadura's plums, the fruit with the highest production and exports in the region, has been launched this campaign. The fruit will be identified with the label Ciruela de Extremadura (CiEx).
This will allow the consumer to know that the product has followed a unique process of control and inspection in order to reach the supermarket shelves in optimal condition. Aspects such as the amount of sugar, level of hardness, calibre or colouring are some of the parameters taken into account.
The CiEx label will immediately serve to give a boost to this flagship fruit for Extremadura and Spain, but whose consumption has lost some appeal, according to sources within the sector. The vast majority of Spanish plums are grown in Extremadura and are sold in half a hundred countries, and Spain is the main producer, not only in Europe, but also in the northern hemisphere, as reported by Miguel Ángel Gómez, manager of Afruex (Association of Fruit Growers of Extremadura).
With a production capacity of 120,000 tonnes, this year the weather will allow for a little over 80,000 tonnes of plums to be harvested in the territory of Extremadura. Currently, out of the 25,000 hectares devoted to fruit production across the region, Extremadura has 7,000 hectares devoted to plums, practically all along the Vegas del Guadiana.
Plums are the second most extensive fruit crop after cherries, which take about 14,000 hectares, although the latter concentrate in the Jerte Valley.
The creation of the CiEx label has been an initiative from Afruex, the professional group which brings together 90% of the region's fruit producers. The members of Afruex are cooperatives, fruit and vegetable producers' organizations, individual producers, agro-processing societies and horticultural plants.
Inspection systems
Fourteen companies of Extremadura's fruit sector have joined forces to launch Ciruela de Extremadura. These are Acopaex, Caver, Explum, Naturcrex, Sol de Badajoz, Landfruit, Tany Nature, Agrícola Castillo, Catafruit, Jarcha, Pecas Nature, Alanfruit, Exveal and Nogalfruit.
"It is a good idea and we expect the best results from it, but for now we will go one step at a time," stated José Aurelio García, manager of the Cooperative Explum, in Valdelcalzada.
"We ignore how many kilos can be certified under CiEx. It is still impossible to know that for now, taking into account that plums are currently being harvested and will continue to be harvested until September," admits Afruex manager. What does seem clear is that most of those premium plums will go to the overseas market.
Legally, Ciruelas de Extremadura is a private quality brand, unlike others in the agro-food sector that are promoted within a public sphere. However, in order to achieve the goal of delivering the best fruit to the market, the evaluation criteria for the product require similar controls to those imposed by a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). "In fact, the goal in the short or medium term is for CiEx to lead to the granting of a PGI," admits Gómez.
Eight different plum varieties are welcome under this quality brand that is taking its first steps in Extremadura. They are the Angeleno, Larry Am, Fortuna, Prime Time, Black Splendor, Crimson Globe, Golden Globe and Owen-T.
The inspection service launched by Afruex will verify that the selected plums comply with a series of "indisputably objective" parameters, says the manager of the association of fruit growers. These parameters, featured in an internal regulation, include the fruit's colour, sugar level and calibre.
"The first thing that is done is a simple visual analysis of the product; if there is any damage, some deficiency, then the fruit is analysed on the inside," explains the manager of Explum.
Striving for sweetness
The inspector who must certify that the plum will bear the quality brand will make use of some basic control equipment, including a refractometer and a penetrometer. The former measures the Brix degrees; that is, the sugar levels of selected pieces. The latter serves to measure the firmness (or hardness) in all types of fruit; that is, the product's optimum point of ripeness. Furthermore, the inspector can taste the fruit in order to confirm the final verdict.
"Right now, the fruit is being harvested when it is still too hard, without the sweetness which the variety is renowned for. This has become a common practice, for various reasons," affirms Miguel Ángel Gómez.
"This is resulting in a loss of market share, because the plums are not as juicy and sweet as they should be. They are actually sour." Many have stopped consuming them because of this. Plums need to be harvested at the right point of ripeness so that they hit the supermarket shelves at the right time to be consumed."
The objective of Ciruela de Extremadura is to try once again to produce a fruit that appeals to the consumer, "just like the one that was popular before the greener fruit model was imposed," emphasises the head of Explum. A plum "that is more pleasurable to eat, better for the market, with more kilos and better calibres," even if this leads to it being more perishable.
"We had to do something to address the issue; we could not continue to lose market share, supplying unripe plums to the consumer. With the initiative we are now implementing with this quality brand, the consumer's demands are our number one priority," concludes Gómez.
