The citrus producing company Viveros Alcanar, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia, and with support from IRTA, is setting up an experimental plantation for the production of mandarins. The tests are intended to assess new varieties and patterns so that the production of this citrus fruit can be extended by between two and six months.
At the moment, the most common variety in Spain is the Clementine from Nules, which is harvested from November to January. The new varieties to be tested, owned by the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (IVIA) and the Citrus Breeders Association (AVASA), will make it possible for mandarins to be produced from October to May.
The initiative aims to enforce a varietal restructuring within the sector in order to make it less dependent on a single variety and allow it to become stronger and more competitive, both in the domestic and the export market. The test, which started last June, is expected to deliver continued results over the next 10 years.
