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Región de : the fruit and vegetable garden of Europe GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables

142 www.frutas-hortalizas.com ting for25%and12%respectivelyofthenationalaggregate. a gastronomicpleasurebutalsoanexcellentwaytolookafterone’s health. terranean diet,knownforitswealthofvitamins,fibre,antioxidantsandlowfat. Medi- healthy the to meaning give and decades for exported been have crops These celery. and marrow tomato, cabbage, artichoke, broccoli, peppers, lettuce, include products Major circles. agricultural in Europe’ of garden crop ‘the name the it earned and thePDOUvasdeEspuña(grapes)areinprocessofbeingregistered. melons and pears (under the PDO Pera de Jumilla). The PGI Melón de Torre Pacheco water grapes, table and plum, and apricot nectarine, peach, like fruits stone pefruit, gra- and lemon like fruits citrus include region’scrops The key techniques. growing friendly environmentally and safety origin, crop guarantee to certification using by ty to itsscarcity–isusedwiththeutmostefficiency. cultivated in a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Water – the most valuable asset owing Murcia exports 70% of its vegetable output and 34% of its fruit output, accoun- only not is recipes traditional its and Murcia of vegetables Tastingand fruit the have Murcia of Region the in grown vegetables and fruit the of quality high The The ’s agricultural policy focuses on promoting product quali- are Crops growing. vegetable and fruit for paradise a is Murcia of Region The - 143 www.frutas-hortalizas.com GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia www.frutas-hortalizas.com 144 GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia agricultural circles. earned it the name vegetables grown ‘the crop garden The high quality of the fruit and of Murcia have in the Region of Europe’ in varieties grown in Murcia are Marcona – generally – Marcona are Murcia in grown varieties range of almonds and almond by-products. The main wide a offer companies many and region, growing research, experimentationandtechnology. of terms in regions other over edge an gain to as so equipment and techniques advanced very apply and acquire they means This products. their of tion specialised in the cultivation, handling and distribu- being thestandoutcrops. fruit citrus and lettuce with vegetables, and fruit chemical and other methods – grow a wide range of of agriculture that uses carefully selected biological, Altiplano, thenorthwestandVega delSegura Mula, Río in importance key of also are fruit citrus and trees fruit Organic Guadalentín. de Valle and Cartagena de Campo Segura, del Vega of districts the in chiefly grown are vegetables and fruit nic tes the most environment-friendly agriculture. Orga- is one of the Autonomous Communities that opera- it today steadily,and increased has output organic in growing its fruit, vegetables and rice. The region’s dition in organic farming, which it pioneered in healthy products. for demand increasing consumers’ to response in quality guarantee to way a are techniques tion produc- integrated and farming Organic vironment. en- natural the preserve and desertification prevent help parameters, safety and quality food assure quality, foodsafetyandfreshness. freshly picked products that are fully guaranteed for natural, – Murcia in grown fruit attractive the out seek consumers demanding Increasingly markets. all in recognised are Murcia of Region the from Murcia is Spain’s fourth-largest almond- fourth-largest Spain’s is Murcia highly are Murcia of Region the in Producers Farms using integrated production – a standard tra- longstanding a has Murcia of Region The region the in used techniques growing The fruit of variety and ripening early quality, The that makesallthispossibleiseveryone’s responsibility. healthy and nutritious cuisine full of variety and nuances. Preserving the environment international markets. terprises in promising this prospects, sector owing have to very their positioning in en- Murcia systems. these by products their market that companies of range whole a has now and processing, minimal pioneered Murcia sector. vegetable and fruit capers. and gherkins particularly pickles, of range wide a and sauces tomato juices, fruit industry – like tinned peaches and pears, artichokes in brine, jams and marmalades, andpatisserieproducts. skin on,oreatenrawinbakery the with roast then and shelled is which Largueta, and – fried and peeled shelled, Murcia fruit and vegetables are exceptionally good ingredients for a balanced, a for ingredients good exceptionally are vegetables and fruit Murcia Murcia the of objectives main the of one is gamma’) (‘IV processing Minimal preserves and canning the in used and processed Murcia’sare of crops Many 145 www.frutas-hortalizas.com GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia www.frutas-hortalizas.com 146 GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia Jumilla have a juicy white pulp which is is which pulp white sugary, has a light light a has sugary, excellent flavour. the PDO Pera de de Pera PDO the The pears under under pears The very sweet andvery aroma and an pears gainthehighestpricesonmarket. starts on 24 process the – early picked are They average. than sunlight. These features are due to the many hours of intense regions. other in grown varieties the from distinct a green background, reddish on the sunlit side, and on yellow flavour. are excellent They an and aroma light a has sugary, and sweet very is which pulp eligible forprotection. 420 and 80 encompasses now origin year.a within doubled of designation protected The has hectares and producers registered of number The market. the in compete pears Jumilla helps that value-added and quality of mark a is Jumilla Pera deJumilla The pears are higher in sugar, firmer and larger white juicy a have PDO this under pears The de Pera origin of designation protected The hectares, though over 800 over though hectares, June on some properties, and these early registered producers registered hectares are hectares keeps well. that fruit high-quality a produce to them enable which farmers, local the of practices growing traditional the of and basin, Segura the to Tagusriver the from transferred water with combination in content salt high a with groundwater using of the outcome are features These average. than heavier and larger them makes and flavour, the result of the physical setting, which gives them a deeper sweetness, juiciness and outside theEU. will be sold domestically, 66% will go to other EU countries and 3% will be exported This area produces 75,000 vation in the Region of Murcia and 64% of the arable land in the district under the PGI. grown on a surface area of 2,131 it covers,allthroughouttheCampodeCartagenadistrict. Pacheco melon is of great economic and social importance for the towns and villages Torremark. quality Community-approved European this under produce their market Their totalhandlingcapacityisestimatedtobeabove123,000 tonnesayear. Protected GeographicalIndicationMelóndeTorre Pacheco The PGI covers 99 is PGI proposed the in grown varieties melon four these of reputation great The The varieties covered by the PGI are Piel de Sapo, Amarillo, Galia and Cantaloupe, to growers enables now Pacheco Torre de Melón PGI granted recently The producers and 12 tonnes of melon a year. Of the melons under the PGI, 31% hectares, 34% of the area dedicated to melon culti- distributors, six of which are partnerships. 147 www.frutas-hortalizas.com GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia M urcia

The grape keeps Protected Designation of Origin Uvas de its physical features Espuña A protected designation of origin is in the pro- and taste properties cess of being approved for the name Uvas de Espuña up to late December (now under consideration in Brussels, and enjoying when hanging provisional national protection) for grapes of the on the vine. Dominga variety – also known as Gloria, Murciana Blanca and Uva Verde de Alhama – a seeded, late- harvest white grape. The proposed protected designation of origin is supported by 278 producers on a combined surface area 453 ha, who make an estimated average output of 15,860 tonnes, and five distributors with a total handling capacity of 7,400 tonnes. Each bunch of Dominga grapes usually grows

GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables from the first three buds of the vine. Bunches are large to very large (ranging from 0.5 to 3 kg, and often as much as 5 kg), and semi-scattered or com- pact, cylindrical-conical in shape, asymmetric and frequently long. The berries themselves are very thick (6 to 8 g), uniform, ovoid or ellipsoidal in shape, and either greenish yellow or reddish yellow. The pulp is of moderate consistency and sweet- ness, crisp and fresh. The degrees Brix of the mature grape range from 13 to 17, while total acidity (g per 148 l assuming all acid is tartaric) is 5.47. Each berry contains 2 to 3, and sometimes 4, very hard seeds. The grape keeps its physical features and taste properties up to late December when hanging on the vine and is highly resistant to handling, transport and refrigeration.

www.frutas-hortalizas.com 149 www.frutas-hortalizas.com GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia www.frutas-hortalizas.com 150 GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia “CA O.P.F. Brand: Tel.: 968780368 30520 Jumilla(Murcia) Avda. Levante,s/n ENCEF Brand: Tel.: 968783371;Fax: 756954 C/ Fueros,3;30520Jumilla(Murcia) O.P.F.H. nº822 F Brands: Web: http://www.tufruta.com Email: [email protected] Fax: 961450390;040 Tel.: 902100572 46130 Massamagrell-Valencia (España) Avda. Serra,39 S Castillo Don Porrón, La Cingla Brands: Tel.: 968780114;Fax.:162 Web :www.camposdejumilla.com E-mail: [email protected] 30.520 JUMILLA Ctra. delCastilloS/N COOPE the Pera de Jumilla Protected Protected Jumilla de Pera the R .A. Designation of Origin (PDO) Marketing companies under under companies Marketing U M T T A . PO H R S R T Encefruit Frutas del Altiplano 707 DE UI UF A Tufruta, Sibarita Jumilla, de Campos S T DE JU T IVA R , L U A S T .C. LT A Nº 9.937 H O IP M L RT . I L LL ANO, OF A” R U S S T C .C. R ICO L . L L ; L . A Brands: E-mail: [email protected] Tel. yFax:968784184 Apdo. 362-30520Jumilla(Murcia) Pol. CerrodelCastillo,s/n. JUAN GA Brand: Web: www.sopalmo.com [email protected] E-mail: Fax: 968782450 Tel.: 968783465-619212777 30520 Jumilla(Murcia) Plaza JoseMªAbreu,4-Bajo J. Tomás Fdez,S.L. F Brand: Tel.: 676495343;Fax:968781587 30520 Jumilla(Murcia) C/ MarquesdelosCastillejos,14 M Brand: Tel.: 961340496;Fax: 340232 46980 Paterna(Valencia) Avda. PrimerodeMayo,2 F R R ICÓ VIVE U U T T A A S S Sopalmo Micó Frutas Campana

CA Vargas, Belén, Fontestad S R OPA C R M Í A VA O PANA, S LM

Y O F R

GA R S U S . T L A . S , C.B. Tel.: 968716267;Fax:278 C/ América,1-Bajo;Apdo.350 D.O. PERA DE JUMILLA www.peradejumilla.com 30520 Jumilla(Murcia) C.I.F. G-73345126

Murcia www.frutas-hortalizas.com 152 GUIDE of the Best Fruits and Vegetables Murcia by BioSuisse. Eurepgap, auditedbyCMIandaccredited Mancha, Castile-La in Sohiscert Ecocert farming, organic of committee Misión, iscertifiedbytheAndalusian Kernel’s productionoutfit,Agrícolala CMI. Murcia andBRC-Eurepgap,auditedby of Region the of committee farming processor approvedbytheorganic Kernel isanorganicproducerand melons. spinach, parsely, tendershootsand celery, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, including products, organic of range wide a covers Kernelbio farming. organic its over300 hectaresoflandunder trademark togiveadistinctiveidentity In 2008,KernelacquiredtheKernelbio province. Caudete, in temperatures cooler 60-hectare propertyathigheraltitudeand and earlyautumncropscomefroma organic farming.Thecompany’s summer 724 The park. natural Gata-Níjar de Cabo property, inavalleyattheheartof Fraile del Cortijo its from comes output late autumn,winterandspringcrops,its organic farmingpropertyin1997.Forits first its acquired S.L. Export, Kernel K e r

hectares of the estate are ideal for for ideal are estate the of hectares ne l Ex po rt, S . L . respective devolvedregion. unit andtheorganicfarmingboardof European Commission’s OrganicFarming All producersarecertifiedbythe year. half standard contentthatrotatesevery organic food:thebasicbabyboxoffersa feed theirbabiesandyoungchildrenwith designed aboxforparentswishingto fruit andvegetables.We havealso of spectrum wide a covers range product single organicproduct.Ourmono- You can alsoorderawholeboxof home, directfromthefarm. at vegetables and fruit organic enjoy you lets that content dynamic a with - boxes mixed and fruit, products, garden market range oforganicboxes-vegetables, a among choose can you portal our On and farming. awareness oftheworldorganicfood consumer’severy homeandraise objective istobringorganicproducts deliveries allacrossmainlandSpain.Our and vegetablesalesportalmaking fruit organic online an is Cajanature.com CAJA NA CAJANA www.cajanature.com T U T R U E R ...... E 252 Torrepacheco duct addedvalueandprofitability. pro- the lends and parameters quality its assures which Pacheco, Torre de protected Melón (PGI), indication a geographical awarded been recently has IT longer. for keep to it enables that pulp firmer a and flavour, tanding deeper outs- an and juiciness a and sweetness has standard, than larger this productionarea. with associated are features special whose melon a produced have ques, techni- modern by updated practices traditional saline with together groundwater, with combined transfer gura Tagus-Se- the from irrigation hwater fres- of use and soil, climate, The ves. themsel- farmers the supply to plots small on century twentieth early the in main area’s crop, themelonofTorre Pacheco. the grows plains, Here, arid on windmills province. and watermills among Murcia in Menor Mar the of district natural the in cated h mln f or Pceo is Pacheco Torre of melon The up set were plantations first The lo- is TorrePacheco of town The melon I.G.P. m dor fortheMurciaregion. Torreambassa- de veritable a Pacheco has set itself the goal of making Melón the MelóndeOroawardceremony. with culminates festival The harvest. melon the of Torretime the at Pacheco in July every celebrated festival, lón importance local 1969 in rise gave Its crops. typical del Puerto,andValladolises ySucina. Truyols,y Martínez Gea Los Lobosillo, Corvera, Mendigo, y Baños Avileses, as such divisions administrative cent adja- and Cartagena of district the to to 3% other destinations. remaining the and countries Union European to exported is 66% domestically. sold is output protected of PGI- the of 31% 21% Only output. national and area melon region’s the of 54% comprises which zone, PGI the Gallia, in Sapo, varieties Cantaloupe de and Amarillo Piel the of vation The inspection body of the PGI PGI the of body inspection The most area’s the of one is Melon extends area production PGI The culti- covers presently label The e l ón

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