Luis Planas claims a strong citrus interprofessional
Minister Luis Planas has visited the company SAT Guadex, where he has encouraged to strengthen the organizations of citrus producers to take advantage of the community support instruments, at the same time that he has manifested the need to have a powerful Interprofessional for the whole of Spain.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has visited, in Palma del Río (Córdoba), the facilities of the Agrarian Society of Transformation Guadex, dedicated to the commercialization of citrus fruits, among other productions, which constitutes “an example of the things that we do well in Andalusia and Spain, in the generation of wealth and employment “.
The minister, who has announced the celebration in Madrid of a meeting of the monitoring group of citrus products, explained that the current campaign has not been good, due to some circumstantial circumstances (delay of harvest or concurrence of various productions ), but also to structural reasons.
To preserve and even improve the situation of this sector (Spain is a world leader in fresh exports), Planas understands that we must be able to use the instruments offered by the European Union with community funding. To do this, we must strengthen producer organizations and have a powerful Interprofessional for the whole of Spain.
As he has pointed out, in this way, promotional campaigns can be financed, market stability can be achieved through the formula of standard contracts, and, where appropriate, withdrawals of products financed by the European Union; and a whole series of market regulation measures.
Likewise, Planas has underlined the importance of knowing what varieties consumers require, in an increasingly demanding market. “We have to adapt the offer to this increasingly sophisticated demand, especially in the European Union.”
In addition, the minister understands that we have to be more resistant to international competition. For this, “Spain must always be in the high range” and compete by offering greater quality, through the figures of differentiated quality or with organic production. “A good product always has a market, and here we have a good product.”
Finally, Planas reiterated that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is closely monitoring the market situation, together with the European Commission, which has created a Market and Price Observatory. “And, if necessary, we will use the corresponding commercial instruments.”
CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
During his visit to Palma del Río, Luis Planas also visited the Innovation and Technology Center, where he emphasized the clear future of the citrus sector, which requires the involvement of the different administrations, but also of the sector.
In this center, where he met with representatives of the citrus sector, Planas stressed that organization, promotion, innovation or commitment to quality figures and organic production, are elements increasingly demanded in the market.
