Evidently, the production and sale of citrus fruits in the Algarve was not affected by the pandemic, as sales increased in 2020, reaching record levels.
According to José Oliveira, president of the Agricultural Cooperative of Citrus Growers of the Algarve (Cacial), ‘in the first year (2020) there was a very large demand, which pushed prices up and all operators in the industry benefited. In this campaign, demand is not as accentuated, but production was higher and we cannot complain’.
Oliveira added: “We had practically an oasis in the economic difficulties that almost all sectors of the economy went through. These have been two years of rest in terms of commercialization.”
In terms of Covid outbreaks among farm workers he said he was “not aware of any serious problems” and said that producers were working with health authorities to “implement vaccination plans that cover foreign workers in the region.”
The classification as a protected geographical indication (PGI), the focus on branding and exporting the Algarve’s oranges is a “recognition of its quality” which translates into “much demand” from abroad, and the fact that “20 percent of production is exported” as an alternative to the internal market.
Source: theportugalnews.com
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