The Espárrago of Huétor Tájar, like referent in Euro Asper 2012

The days 21, 22 and 23 March the I.G.P. Espárrago of Huétor Tájar was protagonist in the 9º Simposium European of the espárrago Euro Asper 2012. The congress, that celebrates bianualmente in different European countries, has consolidated like the main European space that agglutinates to producers, trading companies and researchers tied to the sector of the espárrago configuring as a platform of debate on the production, innovation agronómica, commercialisation, distribution and echo-sustainability of the espárrago.

The European congress gathered in Granada to European professionals of the sector to give to know the zone of greater production of espárrago of Europe, and where finds the espárrago triguero with Geographic Indication Protected (IGP) Huétor-Tájar. They put in common the vicisitudes and strategies of future of the sector, and besides could visit the plantations of the variety triguero, the headquarters of the Regulatory Council and the centres of manipulation. The election of Granada like headquarters of the 9º Simposium European of the Espárrago was not haphazard, but it was due to his links with the sector and to that possesses an I.G.P.

The program of Euro Asper 2012 centred in three big areas. On the one hand, the professionals that to him assisted offered a panoramic of the production of the espárrago in the main countries of the world and of Europe, being Spain –with Granada in command–, Holland, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Greece and Germany the greater producers of espárragos of the European Union. The assistants also incidieron in the crop of the espárrago and his challenges, treating appearances so notable like the last advances, the mechanisation and reduction of costs, the ecological footprint, the crop of the different varieties, etc. Finally, this congress also centred in the commercialisation of the espárrago and his instruments of promotion and differentiation, opportunities of market, distribution, the agriculture of vicinity like provider of the European distribution and his application to the espárrago, etc.

The adviser of Agriculture, Clara Aguilera, went the attendant of clausurar the Euro Asper 2012, act during which stood out the importance of this crop like economic and social engine for the province of Granada. “The social character of this crop it evidence the fact that it develops fundamentally in small familiar exploitations, constituting a source of wealth and creation of employment and, therefore, a vital activity for the economic development and the agricultural income of zones like the Vega of Granada, main producing region”, expressesed. Likewise, the adviser referred to the R&D like the “main challenge of the sector agroalimentario in the next years and the paramount factor of differentiation and competitiveness of our productions in front of the ones of third countries”.