The quality stamp was approved by the European Commission this year “as a mark of quality that is going to underpin important support for farmers,” according to the words of the Regional Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Julián Martínez Lizán.
With this presentation, the Autonomous Government wants “to continue supporting a high-quality product,” working alongside the Asociación de Productores de Cebolla de Castilla-La Mancha (PROCECAM) on the promotion.
The Regional Minister explains that, “in Castilla-La Mancha, the crops covers around 9,000 to 10,000 hectares, and this is the surface area that can be harvested under the PGI Cebolla de La Mancha stamp of quality.”
To do this, producers and transformers or companies already have the period open for subscription to the certificate programmes that are going to grant them the chance of offering products with the PGI stamp.
The Minister underscored the region’s leadership throughout Spain, which is shown not only by the crop surface area, but also by a production of around 600,000 tonnes, almost 52 percent of the total Spanish production. He also emphasised the “very important work that is carried out by farmers from the region linked to this crop,” since 90% of the exports sent outside Spanish borders come from Castilla-La Mancha, “unequivocal proof that it is an incredibly high-quality product and that, due to its conditions, also allows it to reach the four corners of the world.”
IOM 2023, the 3rd International Onion Meeting
Julián Martínez Lizán also valued the holding of the International Onion Meeting, which is now in its third edition and that has become “a meeting point for the entire sector,” with the participation of 800 people from 15 countries.
The meeting tackled different aspects of the crops, such as new varieties, quality protocols, plant protection advances in pest and disease control, and the latest information about harvests and the situation of the world markets.
