The Minister of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Antonio Luengo, stated during the presentation of the II Pepper Gastronomic Day, an act in which he was accompanied by the mayor of the town, José Miguel Luengo, that
the Region of Murcia had exported 58% of the 197,436 tons of peppers it produced last year, which accounts for 12.5% of the national total that is destined for international markets. The main destination markets were Germany (31.1%), France (20.3%), and Italy (14.1%), he added.
Thus, Pepper exports were the province's second most important agricultural export in volume and value, which amounted to 185,832,737 euro.
"The sector makes a constant effort to carry out a sustainable and innovative production by incorporating the latest technologies regarding high precision irrigation, biological control, and intelligent fertilization, among other aspects," the Minister of Agriculture stressed.
"This effort translates into a guarantee for consumers, from the point of view of nutritional value, as well as for the market's supply, as the production takes place from March to October," he added.
"We expect to produce 181,500 tons of peppers in this campaign, which is slightly lower than the 197,450 tons produced in 2022," Luengo said.
The Region of Murcia has 1,745 hectares devoted to the production of pepper, 1,428 hectares of which are in greenhouses and 317 are open-air productions. Of that total, one-third corresponds to organic farming, i.e. some 475 hectares.
Source: carm.es