The presidents of Caja Rural del Sur and of its foundation, José Luis García-Palacios, and of the Diputación de Huelva, David Toscano, have inaugurated this Thursday in Las Cocheras del Puerto Hecho in Huelva a meeting of the agri-food sector in which they have insisted that the future airport of Huelva "cannot wait any longer" and they have described as "non-postponable" the water infrastructure that the province needs.
As the organization has stated in a press release, García-Palacios has asked to "stop for a moment and demand of the administrations that they carry out all those infrastructures that are absolutely necessary so that the excellent products that are produced in Huelva can conquer all markets."
The president of Caja Rural del Sur has emphasized that "the airport is now more necessary than ever, that there is no connection with Madrid." "If we had an airport, not only could we reach farther, but much faster," he said, adding that "it is also necessary for production capacity to multiply." For this reason, he has called for "the implicit commitment of all the administrations to overcome all obstacles."
For his part, the president of the Diputación de Huelva has stressed that it is "very important that Huelva has an airport, not only for one of the major industries, which is tourism, but also for the agri-food sector." Along these lines, he has argued that "we must work to unlock all those obstacles that are being put in place so that Huelva has an airport, since we cannot depend only on the railway or on roads that, on many occasions, are also not in their best condition."
In relation to the theme of this edition of Hecho en Huelva, focused on the healthy profile of products from Huelva, Toscano has assessed that "it could not have been more accurate," recalling that "daily, the WHO warns about the importance of healthy eating" and emphasizing "the infinite gastronomic heritage" of the province. "We have the complete Mediterranean diet without needing to import anything," he said.
The deputy mayor for Economy of the Huelva City Council, Adela de Mora, has highlighted that "Huelva capital lives with its province the same social and economic reality" and that the city "must become a major generator of opportunities for the agri-food sector."
Likewise, the mayor of Palos de la Frontera, Milagros Romero, has highlighted "the great value of the primary sector", with special mention to the red fruits of her municipal area. The councillor has called for "the implementation of the "necessary" infrastructure so that "the work of a hugely important sector for the province of Huelva, such as the food industry, is not hampered".
From the Junta de Andalucía, the general secretary of Industrias Agroalimentarias, José Carlos Álvarez, has highlighted "the great value contributed by the professionals of the primary sector, which is its true soul", backing "internationalization to increase competitiveness, through technology and hand in hand with the private sector".
A working table focused on health and food
After the institutional opening, a working table titled "Health as the great differential value of the food products of the province of Huelva. Food to prevent" was held, which served to bring together the perspectives of medicine, markets, cooking and the food industry around Huelva-grown foods.
In this forum, Antonio Escribano, a doctor in Medicine, a specialist in Endocrinology and Nutrition and in Sports Medicine and a scientific divulgator, intervened. He conveyed to Huelva producers his analysis of how promoting, with rigor, the healthy values of their foods becomes a sure bet to generate trust and strengthen their appeal to consumers.
Luis Marquínez also took part, a food analyst and author of several books about Huelva cooking, who set out his reading of markets and the weight of health when choosing food, examining the opportunities that this purchasing criterion opens up for the province’s products and their ability to align with consumer expectations.
Chef Daniel del Toro has explained how cooking and divulgation can bring the healthy values of Huelva products closer to the general public, while José Vázquez, managing director of Unión Salazonera Isleña S. A. (USISA), has provided the business perspective on the need for companies to go to the market by placing the health benefits associated with their preparations front and center.
New food and agriculture yearbook and Hecho en Huelva 2026 awards
As in previous years, within the framework of Hecho en Huelva, a new edition of the agri-food sector yearbook for the province has been presented. Emilio Ponce, director of the Fundación Caja Rural del Sur, has said that "this work has become a study of the state of the sector, providing a fundamental issue: continuity, which shows its value over time." After the screening of a video that has detailed the contents of the yearbook, the Agriculture councilor of the Diputación, José Leñero, highlighted "the great value of this work" and called for "the Alcolea dam, an essential project for the sector."
The Hecho en Huelva 2026 event also hosted the awarding of its annual prizes. In the Agriculture category, the recognition went to Fruta de Andalucía for "its consolidation as one of the main agri-food companies in Huelva, specializing in the production and marketing of berries, citrus fruits, and almonds, with close to 2,000 hectares of cultivation."
In Livestock farming, the distinction was awarded to the Ganadería de Isaías Espinosa Guerra, from Alosno, for its diversified extensive livestock farming model that integrates sheep, cattle, and pigs with hunting grounds. The Fishing award went to Ficolumé-Pescatún Isleña, SL, a company from Isla Cristina dedicated to the artisanal preparation of tuna mojama, recognizing "its contribution to the continuity of the traditional Huelva curing tradition and to the differentiation of its products."
The Sustainability award went to Dehesa Maladúa, for an ecological and artisanal production system linked to the conservation of livestock biodiversity. Based in Jabugo, the company stands out for the work of its founder, Eduardo Donato, who since 1989 has focused his career on recovering and preserving the Manchado de Jabugo, a native strain of Iberian pig at risk.
In Agri-food Innovation, the prize went to Bio Freezer Food, a recently created company located in the Port of Huelva that drives a project to transform berries into freeze-dried foods, highlighting "its commitment to transformation at origin, energy efficiency, and the creation of products with higher added value."
Jamones Eíriz has received recognition in the category of Food and Agri-industry for its track record linked to Corteconcepción and to the artisanal production of Iberian charcuterie, highlighting "natural curing, the preservation of that know-how, and the ability to generate value from the rural setting, projecting the quality of the products of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche".
Finally, the honor award has been granted posthumously to Manuel Ángel Millares, who died in October 2025, highlighting his career as a breeder of fighting bulls and his close relationship with the countryside of Huelva.