The Irta sets up a new centre of investigation in fruticultura

The adviser of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing, Feeding and Half Natural of the Government of Catalonia, Josep M. Pelegrí, accompanied by the mayor of Lleida and president of the PCiTAL, Àngel Ros, of the rector of the University of Lleida, Roberto Fernández and by the general director of the Irta, Josep M. Monfort, inaugurated the Tuesday 24 September the installations of the new centre of investigation of the Irta devoted to the fruticultura, the Fruitcentre. Situated in the Scientific and Technological Park Agroalimentario of Lleida (PCiTAL), occupies a plot of 4.200 m2 and 9.600 m2 built. The works initiated in 2009 and have supposed an investment of 14,3 million euros, with financials of the European Union (through the bottoms Feder) and of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

The production of fruit is the second agricultural sector in importance in Catalonia, with 15,5% of the Agricultural GDP (behind the pork: 27,67%), with near of 13.000 exploitations frutales, 300 companies and an upper volume to the 400.000 tonnes of fruit in frigoconservación. It is, therefore, an important socioeconomic sector that has wide markets inside and out of our borders and with needs of quality and innovation very high that allow to compete in the difficult markets of the fruit. The Fruitcentre, therefore, is cream of a need to have of an infrastructure for the investigation that integrate all the steps of the chain of value of the fruit and with the aim to turn into centre of reference to European level generating and applying technical knowledge and scientist from the crop of the fruit until the consumer, with a conception integradora so much conceptual like physics, of the fruticultura.

The investigations that will realizar in the Fruitcentre will try to give scientific answer to the new social interests that have posed in relation to the production of fruit and derivative products, as well as contribute technological solutions that take into account the group of the chain of value, and no only a part of the same. A more exhaustive knowledge of the fruticultura in general and of these subjects in particular, will increase the confidence of the consumers in the foods that the market will put to his disposal, ensuring the salubridad and the alimentary quality of the same, as well as the trazabilidad of the product in all his phases, and will guarantee the producing sector and trading company a level of innovation that allow them face with competitive advantages the national and international markets.