In recent years, the Cordoba countryside has experienced multiple technological tools which allow farmers, breeders and the agri-food industry to improve the productivity of their farms, optimize the use of water or fight against pests. Public entities and private companies have collaborated on many of these research and innovation projects. This is the case of Guadalquivir Valley Citrus Observatoryan initiative officially presented last week and led by the Palma del Rio Town Hall in collaboration with Palma Orange, the Palma Ecológica association, Ifapa and the Rural Development Group (GDR) of Middle Guadalquivir.
The Observatory, whose creation lasted two years, consists of a web platform in which farmers, professionals and businessmen from the orange sector of nine municipalities of Córdoba (Palma del Río, Guadalcázar, Almodóvar del Río, Posadas , Córdoba, Hornachuelos, Fuente Palmera, Fuente Carreteros and La Carlota) and eighteen Sevillians will have access to different types of data related to your daily activity.
“The players in the citrus sector have realized that they have an important role to play information deficit“, a problem that we are solving with this tool and which will allow them to make the best decisions at all times”, underlined on ABC the director of the RDA of Medio Guadalquivir, Jesús Orcaray.
The data that can be obtained via this platform are of type agronomicas climate or recommendations personalized irrigation plans thanks to the information obtained on three plots where the surveys were carried out, located in Palma del Río. It should be remembered that most orange plantations in the region are irrigated and in recent years have suffered significant water restrictions for their crops. In this area it also presents information on diseases that affect the crop.
Sustainable activity
It also offers an interesting analysis of evolution of the area intended for this product and the different varieties in recent years. Thus, the Cordoban region of Vega del Guadalquivir had a total area of 12,419 hectares. There are 509 more than in 2019, which represents a growth from a relative point of view of just over 4%. Three municipalities monopolize the 86% of the entire area planted with citrus in the region. First place goes to Hornachuelos, with 5,695 hectares, followed by Palma del Río, with 3,667, and Posadas, with 1,328.
Likewise, information is provided on price evolution of this woody crop based on data from the Office and the markets of Cordoba and Valencia. Generally speaking, a certain stability is maintained in prices around the euro per kilo, although last spring it was particularly difficult when average values fell to 0.6 euro due to the low production recorded due to drought and massive flooding. entry of Egyptian oranges into European countries. This year, the sector maintains better prospects, because with the increase more than 50% of the harvest expected in this campaign, they hope to have better prices and recover the markets on the old continent that they lost the previous season.
At the end of 2023, the Córdoba region had a total area of 12,419 hectares dedicated to citrus fruits.
Orcaray also explained that detailed figures are proposed for the imports and exportswhich can help manufacturers better select the markets on which to market their products. “In the future we want to introduce more information panels, including one that shows the levels of orange consumption in Spain and around the world,” explained the GDR representative of Medio Guadalquivir.
He also underlined that “the Observatory represents not only a technological advance, but also a profound change towards more sustainable and efficient citrus growing thanks to access to real-time data and the advanced analytical tools it provides and which allow farmers and technicians to optimize resources such as water or phytosanitary treatments. “In this way, its environmental impact will be reduced and its competitiveness will increase,” he added.
