A group of journalists from more than ten European countries arrived last Wednesday in Almeria to find out more about the region's vegetable production and marketing model; a model which is considered an example for information professionals specialised in agriculture or working and writing for publications in Europe and Latin America as correspondents.
The visit, organised by the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) and the Business Association for the Protection of Plants (AEPLA) started on Thursday 15 October at the Las Palmerillas Experimental Station, where they were received by the president of Aepla, Carlos Palomar. Afterwards, the head of ECPA, Charles Bocquet, presented the Residues Management Project.
Journalists interested in Almeria's production and marketing model visited the greenhouses run by Alhóndiga The Union in Las Chozas, where products such as Dutch cucumbers and tomatoes are grown. Representatives of the company explained the policies and protocols on food safety, which was another of the visit's goals.
Jesús Barranco, manager of La Unión, was in charge of explaining the process and the so-called Almeria marketing and production model, which is prestigious worldwide and considered exportable. "The Almeria model is the result of the work and experience of producers-turned-entrepreneurs. It is an efficient model that is delivering increasingly better results with lower costs, with higher quality and food safety, all without aid or subsidies," explains Jesús Barranco.
The journalists arrived from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic, among other countries; they showed their interest in integrated protection crops and were surprised with the auction sale system. "It is surprising to see companies helping growers from the start of the production process until the end. The link between firm and producer makes this system unique and difficult to extrapolate," affirms Jesús Barranco.
José Antonio Aliaga, Head of the Delegation for Agriculture of the Government of Andalusia, offered visitors the figures achieved with this process and outlined role of the Andalusian government in research, experimentation and producer support.
After visiting Alhóndiga La Unión, professionals took a break for lunch before visiting a PITA laboratory. The day came to an end with a round table attended by representatives of ECPA, AEPLA, Las Palmerillas and La Unión.
Source: almeria360.com