Spanish fresh produce association La Unió has called for the dissolution of the country’s interprofessional citrus organisation Intercitrus, claiming that the group has proved “incapable” of solving the crisis in Spain’s citrus sector.
La Unió has claimed that Intercitrus, which this week held its annual assembly in Valencia, failed to put in place measures to aid growers during the recent Valencian citrus campaign, which the association described as the “worst in the sector’s history”.
The association argued that Intercitrus had “failed to put in place a single measure” to benefit Valencia’s citrus growers, which La Unió said “made fun” of the organisation’s continuing existence.
As a result, La Unió said it was calling on the regional government of Valencia to withdraw its funding of Intercitrus, which the association estimated at €294,000 for this season.
The resources, the association argued, should instead be directed towards organisations like Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) regulatory body Citricos Valencianos, which La Unió said worked to guarantee the quality and promotion of Valencian citrus.
