Cherry producers and marketers from the Calatayud and Aranda regions are making progress in creating an association to obtain a Protected Geographical Identification (PGI), backed by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of Aragon.
At a recent meeting at the Comarca Comunidad de Calatayud, producers and marketers took the first steps to formalize the association. The group currently brings together about 120 people who manage more than 1,600 hectares of cherry crops. At the meeting, the group agreed to extend the deadline for registering members to April 15. After this date, new members may continue to join the group but under other conditions. They also established that the partners would contribute 20 euros per hectare to finance the group's actions. The inclusion of producers with land outside the comarcas of Calatayud and Aranda, but in neighboring areas such as Atea and Acered was also considered.
The group also chose a company to manage the necessary procedures. The process to obtain PGI recognition will begin by compiling the paperwork required to apply to the Government of Aragon, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the European Union.
Cherry cultivation in Aragon accounts for 24% of the region's sweet fruit production, with more than 13,000 hectares in total. The main producing regions are Calatayud, Aranda, Valdejalón, Ribera Baja del Ebro, Bajo Cinca, Caspe, and the fields of Cariñena and Daroca. The harvest season begins in spring and runs through summer, peaking between May and June. The earliest cherries come from the Bajo Aragón-Caspe region, followed by the season in Fraga and other regions.
The Association for the Promotion of Cherries from the Calatayud and Aranda Regions is leading the initiative to obtain PGI certification. This label could facilitate access to national and international markets, benefiting a crop with more than 3,000 hectares in the region.
Source: calatayudnoticias.com