CULTIVATION ALTERNATIVES WERE KNOWN TO THE OLIVE TREE
Last day 23 In April, a conference was held at the Los Remedios-Picasat facilities in Olvera, organized by the OCA “Sierra de Cádiz” in collaboration with the Cooperativa and IFAPA, with the title "Crop Diversification" in which cultivation alternatives to the olive grove were made known.
For this, the presence of D. Eloy Marín Head of the Aid Service of the Cádiz Delegation of Agriculture, that in his speech he made a tour of the differences between the new CAP aid and those that until 2014 they had been applying, as well as the new agri-environmental aids included in the Rural Development Plan.
In a second intervention, D. Octavio Arquero, IFAPA Technician, taught all the details of the cultivation of pistachio and almond, These crops, due to their characteristics, could be an alternative to olive cultivation in our region.
Currently there are some plantations, although scarce, of almond trees in Setenil, Algodonales and Olvera. On the other hand, incipient pistachio cultivation experiences have begun in some mountain municipalities; Setenil, Alcala del Valle, Olvera and Algodonales.
THE PISTACHIO: This crop "complements very well with other traditional crops such as olive and almond trees., or cereals ". further, adapts "perfectly" to mechanical harvesting, since the same machinery can be used as in the cultivation of the olive grove, although its pruning in the first years is the most specialized work.
Like dried fruit, the pistachio can be stored and marketed at any time of the year, which allows you not to be subject to campaign economic situations.
Finally D. Miguel Borrás, manager of the O.P.F.H Crisol Arboreto gave some insights on the market for nuts and the future prospects of these products, that are currently in deficit at the national level.
The day was remarkably successful both for the large attendance of interested farmers and for the quality of the speakers and the topics discussed.
