Areal orchard. The wealth coming from the crops of Almería and Murcia cannot be defined in any other way. This cornucopia consists in non-stop vegetable products (fruits and vegetables) that have won a place in the hearts, and palates, of the European continent. Its peerless flavour is the best letter of presentation. As the poet said … Those who have tasted it know it.
Statistics do not lie; at least this one does not. Almeria is the place in Europe with the most hours of sunshine per year. When the sun god blesses a land with its predilection, as is clearly the case here, all kinds of vegetables can be harvested in a natural way, while the rest of the continent can only achieve this with costly, convoluted systems. Thus, in addition to reducing costs and increasing productivity, agriculture is more sustainable and respectful of the environment. It is the revenge of the south.
This is no minor issue, of course. Almería, which oscillates between the desert, Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean, has 50% of its territory under protection. Therefore, it is a remarkable merit that this prosperous agriculture coexists in perfect harmony with this privileged environment.
The concern for quality and the constant development of ecological production techniques bring this province to the top positions of the most demanding markets.
This endeavour is shown by the fact that Almeria has more horticultural experimentation farms than any other area in Spain, for flooding the markets with new varieties of the highest quality, adapted to the tastes of consumers. It is ultimately a matter of squaring the circle … and succeeding.
The sense of taste does not lie and when we talk about tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, watermelons, lettuce or courgettes (to mention some of the fruits from these latitudes) it will not be necessary to reveal their origin. If they are good, it means they come from Almeria. For sure.
QUANTITY AND QUALITY
The same happens in the neighbouring province of Murcia. A great many goods, unsurpassable in quality, are exported by Murcia to national and international markets. Murcia sells 70% of its vegetables and 34% of the fruits it produces abroad. A pretty high share!
Its orchards are prodigal in the production of vegetables such as peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, celery… Among fruits, what dominates are lemons, peaches, nectarines, apricots, watermelons.
The fruits and vegetables in these regions follow a strict production pro-cess whose logical final result is its freshness, safety and characteristic taste.
Thanks to the mildness of the Mediterranean climate, they can be grown throughout the year. Or almost. It enjoys a semi-arid environment, with a reduced rainfall rate that, paradoxically, allows manages to make the most of the land.
