The Protected Geographical Identification Cítricos Valencianos has celebrated for the third consecutive year the harvest of the first Valencian orange to kick off the citrus season. This symbolic event brings together the entire sector and announces that the mandarins and oranges produced in the Valencian Community that are marketed under this seal of quality will soon hit the markets.
The event was held on the San Rafael farm, in the Valencian town of Picanya. The event, which was chaired by Ximo Puig, the President of the Generalitat, and Isaura Navarro, the Minister of Agriculture, was attended by representatives of the entire sector, agricultural organizations, cooperatives, industry, businesses, and suppliers. “It's a sign that the sector is increasingly more united. Citriculture is part of the social and economic fabric of these lands. It's a living legacy and we are committed to it," stated Jose Barres, president of the IGP Cítricos Valencianos.
"Through this initiative, all agents involved in the different stages of the commercial process have joined forces to promote a cohesive organization that benefits the entire sector. It also allows lets consumers know how important Valencian citrus is in economic, health, and environmental terms, compared to the fruit from other origins," the PGI stated.
The distribution sector's interest in this fruit grows
The distribution sector was present at the annual event and showed its interest in Valencian citrus marketed under the PGI Cítricos Valencianos brand. Some of them, such as Consum, Mas y Mas, El Corte Inglés, Lidel, and Eroski, already offer Valencian Community oranges and mandarins under this seal of quality. According to Jose Enrique Sanz, the manager of the IGP Cítricos Valencianos, "this shows that the distribution is increasingly more interested in the Valencian citrus produced here and marketed under the IGP Cítricos Valencianos quality label. It also shows that consumers are starting to demand this fruit more than fruit from other sources. This label lets them know that they are buying quality, flavor, and food safety."
The mandarins from Valencia are already available to the public in shops and supermarkets. The oranges will be available within a few days.
For more information:
IGP Cítricos Valencianos
Guillem de Castro 51, pta. 8
46007 Valencia (España)
Tel.: +34 96 315 40 52
https://citricosvalencianos.com