THIS WAS STATED BY ALONSO ARROYO AT THE CLOSING OF THE XXIV AGRICULTURAL WEEK.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Alonso Arroyo Hodgson, he spoke in his presentation, on the future of tomato exports from the Canary Islands, about those measures necessary to guarantee the continuity of this sector.

Arroyo referred to the urgent need to stop the decline in Canarian productions that have gone from 350 thousand tons to 150 thousand tons in less than eight years. The multiple causes refer to the new producers, increase in costs and, above all, pests and viruses.

The sector has significant potential to remain competitive in one of the most demanding markets on the planet.. Tomato exports have a history in the Canary Islands of more than 120 years and was the one that paved the way for the rest of fruits and vegetables.

In addition, Tomato cultivation employs around twenty thousand people directly in the Canary Islands and generates a significant volume of business around it.. On the other hand, plays an important role in agriculture and the maintenance of the agricultural landscape.

The vice-counselor listed the corrective measures included in the Strategic Plan for the sector to regain competitiveness. For this to be possible, Alonso reported that, from the EU and through the Posei, Exceptional aid will be injected into the sector, amounting to twenty million euros this year..

Adaptation of structures and professionalism, are the main measures on which the change in the sector must pivot. As for the first, The vice-counselor recognized that it is not about installing structures from other countries or great technology. It is about adapting what works best in the Canary Islands.

He encouraged production to go beyond 8-10 current kilos per m2 at 20-25 kilos per m2. Only in this way will the cultivation be profitable. And for this, professionalization is important..

Another of the measures that will be adopted in this Plan, will be the promotion of tomato as a differentiated product with organoleptic characteristics that make it exceptional.

Finally, Alonso Arroyo referred to the good results of this campaign and its duration., in some municipalities such as La Aldea, will last until the end of June.

The vice-counselor told Agroaldea that the tomato export sector, fulfilling the strategic plan and transportation aid to the peninsula, has a long future ahead.