The Nuleta project, a brand that offers a guarantee of origin and a fair price for producers, has become a reality in this citrus campaign. The Nuleta is a clementine of the Clemenules variety which is produced by spontaneous mutation in the place where the variety originally comes from: the region of La Plana, in the Spanish province of Castellon. The brand, which seeks to give new life to a citrus industry that has not been going through the best of times, especially for producers, has already started to be marketed both nationally and internationally.
Since the Clemenules variety was discovered in the 1950's in the town of Nules, in the region of La Plana, it became the most cultivated clementine in Spain and the most exported in the world due to its excellent organoleptic qualities and productivity. The Clemenules has long been a symbol for the region, helping to boost citrus farming and turning the activity into an important source of revenue for many families.
"When the Clemenules first appeared, the producers of the time saw that it was a very good variety which quickly became the 'Queen of the Clementines', one of the most popular, and growers knew they had to bet on it, and they did. The Clemenules has always been a free variety, so everyone is allowed to cultivate it. Its cultivation quickly spread throughout Spain and many other citrus growing areas in the world. Over the years, its production increased so much that there were oversupply issues and, consequently, falling prices and a more limited profitability for its growers," says Juanvi Moros, Nuleta's top representative.
"The unfortunate appearance of new pests from third countries, such as the South African cotonet, due to the lack of control at the borders of the European Union, as well as the virulent attacks of other pests already established in our fields due to the few means available for their control, together with the low profitability obtained from the crops, have resulted in the abandonment of many citrus plantations across the Region of Valencia. The region of La Plana, which is the main producing area of the Clemenules in Spain, has naturally also been affected by all this. Producers are not the only ones suffering the consequences of this crisis, but also cooperatives and export businesses, many of which have been forced to close their doors in recent times," says Moros.
It is in this context that the Nuleta brand has been launched, promoted by the newly created Association for the Valorisation of the Quality of the Clemenules of the Region of La Plana, made up of 28 entities and institutions and chaired by Juanvi Moros. The brand aims to promote the quality of a Clemenules with excellent characteristics, guaranteeing its origin and a fair price for the producers who cultivate it. It is arriving on the market hand in hand with the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Cítricos Valencianos.
"It should be noted that this is a social project," says its representative, "and this means that more people are working every day to ensure that solutions are found for the families affected. The Nuleta can be sold as a unique brand or as a complement to other brands. In addition to certifying and identifying its origin in the region of La Plana, we guarantee that producers cover their costs and have profitability."
For the current campaign, the association has set a minimum price of 0.42 Euro per kilo for the purchase of the Clemenules that will be marketed as Nuleta. "This campaign has so far been marked by a low production and a significant impact of hailstorms in many areas when the fruit was already at an advanced stage of development," he says.
According to Juanvi Moros, it has been scientifically proven by Dr. Manuel Agustí, agronomist engineer and emeritus professor of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, that the Clemenules from La Plana is different from the rest. Its unique qualities are a result of various factors; the same factors that allowed the variety's appearance. "Indeed, it stands out from the rest and, without a doubt, our Clemenules, the Nuleta, the one from La Plana, is the original," he says.
"We want the citrus heritage of our region to remain in the hands of our producers. It has long been thought that small-scale farming cannot be viable, but if we can get the Nuleta to be appreciated by consumers thanks to its guarantees of origin and fair prices for the growers, we'll manage to preserve the agricultural model that has been part of this region's identity for hundreds of years. Cooperatives and agricultural service companies are also playing their part here, as they provide the necessary support and advice to small growers, allowing them to comply with the many and demanding current regulations."
"In the same way that people associate kakis with the Ribera del Xúquer, or grapes with the Valle del Vinalopó, or artichokes with Benicarló, we want people to associate the Clemenules with La Plana," says Juanvi Moros.
For more information:
Juanvi Moros
Nuleta
info@nuleta.com
www.nuleta.com/