Aragon was already the province with the largest cherry production in Spain, but now it can also boast of having become the epicentre of the country's organic production of this fruit. This has been possible thanks to HaciendasBio, a company of Extremaduran origin with more than 40 farms in five autonomous regions, including Aragon. The latter was the one chosen three years ago to start its own production of organic cherries. To this end, the company, which has 15 years of experience in the sector, set up a 120 hectare farm, called Valleluz, in the town of Ricla, in Zaragoza. 34 hectares there were planted with cherry trees of 16 different varieties, from which they have harvested their first 145 tonnes of organic cherries.
"We always look for the best places to grow our products, and we had discovered that the area where the Valleluz farm is located has the best weather conditions and orography for the cultivation of this fruit," said Paco Casallo, co-founder and director of the company, which last year marketed 15,000 tonnes of fresh organic fruits and vegetables.
Casallo said that "we are very satisfied with the harvest, with the farm, with the people and with the product's sales and reputation," although he acknowledged that the year was "a very atypical one" due to the climatic conditions, mainly the cold and the intense spring rains, which took a toll on the crop.
As with the rest of its productions, HaciendasBio grows its cherries with specific techniques, on top of the ones required by the BIO label, in order to ensure that its fruits have the best properties. The cooling is carried out with cold water; a practice known as hydrocooling. The company stresses that this is considered the best system, one that helps extend the fruit's shelf life. Moreover, the selection and handling of the cherries is done manually.
These first organic cherries produced by the Extremaduran firm in Aragon are intended for export, especially to nearby markets with greater consumption habits in organic food, such as Switzerland, Germany, France and the Scandinavian countries.
Kiwis or seedless grapes
Besides organic cherries, HaciendasBio also grows apricots at Valleluz, "although the production is still very small," said Casallo. Also, the managers don't rule out trying other species, such as kiwis, half-season apples or seedless table grapes.
Source: heraldo.es
