Antonio Galindo, who served as president of the Alcachofa de España association for a decade, was in charge of inaugurating the new artichoke season in Vega Baja del Segura with the symbolic first cut.
The president of the Vega Baja del Segura artichoke label, Antonio Ángel Hurtado, stated that the new campaign begins with good prospects in terms of quality, demand and crop growth.
He noted that around 200 additional hectares have been planted this season, representing a 10% increase compared with the previous campaign.
In just ten years, “around 1,000 hectares have been incorporated: we have gone from the 1,562 registered in Vega Baja del Segura in 2015 to the 2,500 hectares of the 2025/2026 campaign,” Hurtado explained.
Antonio Galindo, honorary ambassador
Hurtado also acknowledged the contribution made by Antonio Galindo during his years at the helm of Alcachofa de España and the affection and dedication he has always shown towards Vega Baja — one of the associations that helped promote the creation of Alcachofa de España.
“It is especially meaningful and a source of pride for us that the first artichoke of the season comes from his hands, because few people understand better than he does all the work behind each artichoke and all the effort still ahead to promote it and reach consumers,” Hurtado concluded.
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For his part, Galindo expressed his gratitude to the Vega Baja Association for its work and dedication in bringing the artichoke to the attention of Europe, adding: “The growers of Vega Baja have taught us how to cultivate the Jewel of the Garden, turning it into a benchmark of quality at national and European level.”
Vega Baja: a key production area and economic engine
The Vega Baja del Segura region is consolidating its position as the main production area of the Valencian Community and the second-largest in Spain, only behind Murcia. It is also the country’s leading exporter, with nearly 50% of Spanish artichokes destined for international markets.
The main destinations are France, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom and Central Europe, in addition to worldwide presence through the canning industry.
The campaign generates around 5,000 direct jobs in Vega Baja, plus an additional 1,000 positions in the canning industry and between 1,000 and 1,500 indirect jobs — reinforcing the strategic role of this crop in the region’s socio-economic fabric.
