Pomegranate crop, Agroexpo “star”

The XXVII edition of Agroexpo International Fair hosts a full program of technical seminars from January 27 that aims to answer many of the questions posed by the agricultural sector in the region and meet the information demands of professionals in the field.

One of the crops at the trade fair of Extremadura-FEVAL give special importance is the pomegranate. Within the section “Cultivation Agroexpo”, to be held on January 28, producers, technicians, researchers and marketers of Valencia, Andalusia and Portugal discussed in depth the possibilities of cultivation of this tree in large areas in Extremadura, From his own experience.

This is a relatively minor crop in the world, but the disclosure of its health benefits in scientific studies has contributed to its expansion in recent years. In Spain it is considered an emerging crop since 2008, but has been in the past two years when there has been tremendous growth in acreage. According to the latest Statistical Yearbook of the Ministry of Agriculture, at present there are about 3,000 hectares of pomegranate in Spain, and around 36,000 tons are produced.

The pomegranate is a crop that adapts to any type of soil, “so therefore ground conditions and climate is well suited for implementation in Extremadura as an alternative to other traditional crops that are now less profitable,” he says Bartual Julian, director of the Agricultural Experiment Station of Elche Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (IVIA) and one of the speakers at this conference.

Bartual ensures that what has most changed over the years about this fruit is the market, since consumption “has been triggered by the functional components that have, as reflected in European markets.” For this reason, one of the points to be discussed in the framework of the day in Agroexpo be the need to find cultivars that are adapted to the new demands of consumers, the productive capacity of the tree, crop management, and marketing channels fruit, among others.

In addition, the day Juan Fernánoles intervene, president of the General Association of Lepe (AGELEPE) and Antonio Parreira, president of the Portuguese Association of Beneficiaries of Roxo (ABROXO).

Further information on technical events

Source: Agroexpo