Agroaldea
Gustavo Rodriguez Santana.
Spokesman of the Platform for the Defense of Tomato, Fruits and Vegetables Canary Islands.
All researchers seem to agree dated to 1885, as the start of the activity of tomato cultivation export Canary.
The origin was related to the excellent climate of the Canary Islands, what motivated Mr. Blisse, an employee of the firm. Swanston working on the first phase of the Puerto de la Luz, undertake this crop in the Valley of Nine, in Telde.
From now on, not without many vicissitudes, British installed on the islands decided to go for the tomato to the success of your marketing. Possessed transport and distribution network in markets.
[quote]At the beginning of the twentieth century, activity growing tomato, next to the banana, begins to determine the economy, the geography, demographics and society of the archipelago.[/quote]
The British company Elder and Fyffes Cº had a monopoly, so that small farmers depended on their "whims" to having control of transport and the price of the tomate.Con in order to achieve greater productivity, the British introduced significant improvements, from tomato variety to cultivation techniques, subscriber and distribution of water.
After the effect of the First World War, the sector is recovered, reaching a surface 3.800 He has. and 121.000 tonnes exported. This led to the canaries producers decide to become independent from the English monopoly, partnering in Agricultural Unions and Associations of Exporters and Cosecheros.
However, the British were not willing to lose the positive benefits will transport, who still maintained a monopoly. The requirement that all exporters were registered in the Chamber of Commerce, and the creation of the SOIVRE (Official Inspection Service, Verification and Regulation of Exports) canaries benefited exporters.
parallel, the working class was organized with the establishment of unions and demanded their wage improvements, they were not well received by employers then. The Civil War produced one of the first blows to the deleted, during the years of conflict, taxation Freeport, instrument compensated condition insular.
World War II not only affects the business, it will be the trigger, next to the beginning of the dictatorship, the final march of the English. After the cessation of hostilities and the market recovery, reactivates, and starts pergeñarse, what it was later called "the boom of tomato".
It was then, after isolation to which he was subjected to Spain, when the canary tomato becomes the main protagonist. Maintaining trade with UK creates currency, essential for the Spanish State could access international trade and acquire oil and capital goods, among others.
This caused the Ministry of Commerce took control of the activity-applying the kind of random change and restricting the free currency market- through the Spanish Institute of Foreign Currency. A centralizing sales in one account, State he is liquidating the exporters without fluctuation of foreign currency and without recourse.
However, tomato cultivation continues its ascent, It is the largest area and employs more hand work, and which he drew the geography of the areas south-southeast of the islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura.
This also resulted in a major hand auxiliary work related to transportation; He maintained the activity at the port in years of recession, mobilizing machinery, auxiliary industries and promoted the brand in Europe Canarias.
The Spanish Levante and Morocco begin their plantations in the fifties, maintaining the advantages of lower cost of transportation and labor, respectively, to the present.
Given this, canaries producers aim to improve farming techniques and marketing. It introduces the greenhouse system, drip irrigation and experimenting with new varieties. Despite improvements, exporters can not cope with the increasing marketing costs exorbitantly: transport, stowage, sheet, desestiba, customs, commissions and financial expenses in general.
[quote]Today, culture remains the most used hand work and invested in making technical improvements in the agricultural sector benchmark.[/quote]
a 'unequal and unfair competition "is produced with the producers of the peninsula whose transport costs represent a small part. This line was continued in the last decades of the twentieth century.
It is at the beginning of the XXI, with the arrival of new pests and viral diseases, coupled with the increase in production of competitors, when a well-aimed blow is struck to the sector. Since then, the decline has been sharply.
However, Today, culture remains the most used hand work and invested in technical improvements in the agricultural sector making reference. With everything, and despite the Strategic Plan to prevent its disappearance, The result has been the abandonment by administrations (Canaria and State) to place it at the verge of disappearance.
Obligations as the increase-equalization compensation transport, a study of the economic impact of agreements with third countries, compliance with additional POSEI in a timely manner, and even, eternal territorial qualifications that hinder the development of the activity, They have been elements of this conspiracy.
As it has been reflected, Transport has been the Achilles heel of this sector, but also any other need transportation for their production. And that, in the Canary Islands, assumes the primary condition.
This year marks 130 years of a brand, Prestige, that he has left its mark in the UK and the famous district of Canary Wharf in London's financial district. A brand with broad market demand in its first, Central Europe and the Scandinavian countries. A brand that could open doors to other productions of the islands, if managed with intelligence.
During this time, our administrations, instead of acting like other countries with great tradition and protect commercial production, They have been limited to bleed the sector and activity, which it says a lot about our strategy and competitiveness.
After 130 years, losing this sector, not only is turning his back on which allowed the development of the Canary Islands and Spain in difficult times, It is to end a mark of prestige and consolidated in Europe; end an important part of the export of Canarias; destroy thousands of jobs and lose innovative production model.
You bet your future is not a matter of words and promises more. I is prove with facts which do not involve high costs compared to other initiatives, (as the PIVE Plan), and solve two essential conditions: transportation compensation and additional payments.
It is a historical debt and a matter of social justice. Oblivion has brought humanity to repeat unforgivable mistakes that others have to pay.
Without a doubt, This is the true picture of who the accomplices and executioners of the extinction of the sector of the Canary tomatoes are postulated as advocates or who will. And in the case of the latter, I would like to know what the alternative they have prepared and to improve the current.