LIBRO-CONGRESO-CITRUS

S22P04
The experience of the Entre Ríos Citrus Board, and its contribution to the citrus industry.
Vera L.M.V.
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (I.N.T.A.), Experimental Concordia. Concordia City, Entre Ríos, Province, Argentina.
luismariavera@gmail.com
Concordia, in Entre Ríos province, became in ’60’ decade, the National Capital of Citrus in Argentina. That
is because the important growth of citrus area and production in the north east of the province since 1945
to this time, and became the principal citrus region of the country. The production was oriented to supply
fresh fruit to the local market. But citrus industries for making juice, needed to regulate the quality and
commerce of fresh fruit. In 1962 a juice factory was build, called Las Tejas in 1962. It was mixed (public –
private) company thought for the small and medium growers. In 1965 and 1967, the hardest frosts, until then,
took place. Las Tejas preserved the incomes of the small growers, but the sustainability of the system was not
insured. That’s why, in 1967, the Entre Ríos Citrus Board (ECB) was created to complete the system. The board
had two principal objectives, one was to improve all regional citrus industry, and the other to regulate and
improve the commerce and the industrialization. The contributions in both directions were very important.
But ECB was dissolved by the State in 1982, basically because of the implementation of a neoliberal vision.
Similar process occurred in other citrus region. Now in 2012, the other hardest frozen has taken place, and
other similar troubles are also associated, and organizations like ECB seem to be necessary. This work rescues
the experience of ECB, in this sense.
S22P05
Overview of organic citrus production in the Algarve (Portugal)
Reis D. 1 , Fernandes M.M. 2 , Marreiros A. 2 , Mourão I. 3 , and Duarte A. 4
1 Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo (IPVC), Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Portugal; 2 Direcção Regional de Agricultura
e Pescas do Algarve (DRAPALG), Portugal; 3 Centro de Investigação de Montanha/Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo (CIMO/
IPVC), Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Portugal; and 4 Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences -
University of Algarve (ICAAM/UAlg), Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Portugal. dhcreis@gmail.com
The citrus industry in the Algarve holds a leading position in the overall national fruit production. However, only
a few citrus producers certify their production as organic farming, which should be increased if we consider the
advantages of organic production compared to the conventional systems. From a technical point of view, the
regulations of organic citrus fruit production can be applied straightforwardly. Although the control of some
pests could be difficult, particularly Ceratitis capitata and scale insects, usually they do not cause major problems
when organic pest control methods are used. Moreover, yield can be close to that obtained in conventional
agriculture. Nowadays, only few farms produce organic citrus fruits in the Algarve and the mean area of citrus
orchards is very small (2.3 ha per farm). In addition, some organic farmers have neglected crop management
in their citrus orchards. The basis of their low incentive is the relative low prices paid to citrus fruits, as well
as the payment schedule, since payments often are performed six months after crop trade, namely through
supermarket chains. This has led to a replacement of the citrus production in favour of other crops or to other
more rewarding farm activities. If prices go up and / or payment terms become more favourable, Portuguese
organic citrus production could increase significantly in a short period of time.
S22P06
Citrus and pomegranate cultivation: concurrence vs competition in eastern Spain
Melian Navarro A. 1 , de Miguel Gomez M.D. 2 , and Fernandez-Zamudio M.A. 3
1 Universidad Miguel Hernandez (UMH), Economia Agroambiental, Spain; 2 Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena (UPCT), Economia de
la Empresa, Spain; and 3 Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Horticultura, Spain. md.miguel@upct.es
Citrus growing, traditionally associated with Spanish Mediterranean agriculture, is particularly sensitive to
water allocation fluctuations. In this area the structural water resource deficits, as well as the gradual decline
in citrus prices received by farmers, have promoted the co-plantation of other crops that are more resistant
to water shortage, such as pomegranates, which have been grown in eastern Spain for decades. At present,
XII INTERNATIONAL CITRUS CONGRESS 2012 - 371
S22