The Junta of Andalucía has communicated this Monday, July 20, the signing in Almería of a "stable" collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development and the Interprofessional Organization of Fruits and Vegetables of Andalucía (Hortyfruta), with which it reinforces its "commitment to the Andalusian horticultural sector".
According to the Andalusian Executive in a note, the agreement, signed by the counselor Ramón Fernández-Pacheco and the president of the Interprofessional, Juan Tomás Cano, will make it possible to launch the project 'Dynamic Management of the Extension of Norm', included in the Strategic Plan for Greenhouse Fruits and Vegetables Horizon 2030 "which will generate more information that will allow anticipating imbalances".
During his speech, Fernández-Pacheco emphasized that "not only is a convention signed; but an alliance with a sector that is essential for the Andalusian economy is reinforced and compliance with an announced commitment is fulfilled" and stressed that the text represents a "new advance in the roadmap designed together with the sector itself to continue boosting its competitiveness, sustainability, and leadership".
The counselor has insisted that the agreement is the result of more than a year of work and that it will allow "consolidating a stable collaboration between the Junta of Andalucía and Hortyfruta". In his opinion, "that effort translates into a stable agreement that strengthens the collaboration between the Junta and the main representative organization of the Andalusian horticultural sector".
Fernández-Pacheco has highlighted the role of Hortyfruta as the "only officially recognized interprofessional organization" of the Andalusian horticultural sector, which groups 83 percent of the production and marketing of greenhouse fruits and vegetables in the community. This productive fabric exceeds 2.7 billion euros in value, accounts for 21 percent of Andalusian agricultural production, and allocates more than 60 percent of its volume to export.
The Agriculture official has emphasized that "behind these figures are thousands of farmers, cooperatives, marketing companies, and workers who, with their daily effort, have made Andalusian agriculture an international benchmark for its quality, innovation, and commitment to sustainability".
Better information to reinforce competitiveness
The agreement includes an exceptional subsidy of 66,308.82 euros and will initially last for one year, with the option to extend it for up to four additional years. Through this instrument, Hortyfruta will promote actions aimed at "improving market knowledge, monitoring price evolution and marketing, preparing technical reports, and strengthening the management of the Quality Standard Extension".
In this regard, Fernández-Pacheco has indicated that the purpose is "to have more information to anticipate possible imbalances, facilitate better decision-making, and continue strengthening the competitiveness of fruits and vegetables".
The Minister of Agriculture has also claimed public-private collaboration as one of the "hallmarks" of the regional Administration, arguing that "the best agricultural policies are those built by listening to the sector, dialoguing with it, and working side by side to respond to each need". "This agreement is a good example of that way of doing things," he added.
At the end of his speech, the counselor acknowledged the work of Juan Tomás Cano, from the Board of Directors of Hortyfruta, and all the entities that are part of the Interprofessional, emphasizing that "the Board will continue to be an ally of the Andalusian horticultural sector because supporting agriculture is supporting employment, the economy, innovation, and the future of Andalusia".
On the other hand, the president of Hortyfruta, Juan Tomás Cano, highlighted that the signing of this agreement represents "a new institutional backing" for the Andalusian horticultural sector and one of the "most important strategic tools for its stability and competitiveness", the Quality Standard Extension.
Cano pointed out that "the agreement will allow the Interprofessional to develop a project aimed at improving market knowledge, ensuring the correct application of the Quality Standard Extension, and strengthening the sector's response capacity to the challenges of an increasingly complex and demanding commercial environment".
In conclusion, the president of Hortyfruta has highlighted that "the Extension of Quality Standard reflects the high level of quality of greenhouse horticultural productions, among others, from Almería and Granada, which also evidences the commitment of farmers, marketers, and operators to the quality standards demanded by consumers and the main European markets, where Andalusian fruits and vegetables continue to be recognized for their quality, food safety, and professionalism".