Agroaldea
COULD GENERATE 7.000 DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS IN TWO YEARS.
The Canary Islands have the potential to export six million kilos of aloe vera per year, but currently harvests less than 5 percent, a percentage that could be raised if the “goodness” of this product in Europe, Front of “fierce competition” US, china and india.
This was stated by the president of the Canary Islands Biotechnology clusters (Clubican) and Aloe Vera, Biodiversity and Medicinal Plants (Cabiomed), Jose Antonio Marrero, after signing several agreements that aim to promote the development of the aloe vera sector, biodiversity and medicinal plants on the island and biotechnology in the archipelago through the generation of business cooperation projects and initiatives.
Marrero stressed that the Canary Islands “It is the first European region in production of aloe vera”, so he raised this market as “a challenge”. However, currently the islands have a potential to supply 6 million kilos a year and, However, not being harvested “neither him 5 percent of what is being grown”.
A bell “just like the banana”.
In this sense, pointed out that promotion actions abroad “They are a factor that companies cannot assume alone but need the support of other administrations such as councils and the Government of the Canary Islands.”.
In fact, each of the clusters have close to 70.000 euros contributed by all administrations. In particular, the insular corporation allocates 10.000 euros for each of the two signed agreements
“We are talking about a market that we have at our fingertips and we have a very competitive price-quality ratio. We need a little push that can save us 20 years of work”, added the business leader, for whom “a campaign for Europe with 300 million euros is an amount that the regional government, the Cabildo and all of the Canary Islands will receive more than enough jobs and return on investment”.
Not in vain, claimed “a magnificent campaign as it is done with the canary banana”. “We are the leading producers in Europe and we have conditions with which no one can compete in quality”, Marrero reiterated, at the time that he influenced that “Canarian aloe vera is the most studied in the world with overwhelming results”.
On the islands there are around thirty agricultural producers while there are seven industrial producers on the census.
This sector generates around 250 direct jobs and 750 in total between direct and indirect. With a more aggressive sale we can occupy in two years to 2.500 people directly and around 7.000 people between direct and indirect jobs.
Canarian aloe vera is being supplied to German companies who in turn distribute it to chains for Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent y Nivea, among others, “but there's a long way to go”, recognized Marrero, who reiterated that “the consumer wants the organic Canarian product” compared to the elaborate “powdered” by Americans, chinese and indian.
Regarding the Biotechnologies cluster, explained that companies from the islands that work with algae participate in it, polyphenols, aloe vera and medicinal plants.
Today, The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is investigating remedies for mycoses in sheep and goats and also a project against varroa, a plague against bees that, according to the employer, “is more dangerous than climate change and pollination”. “With a canary plant the results are very encouraging to combat this parasite”, he said.