The Rincón de Soto Pear PDO held an event at Valencia’s wholesale market this week to showcase the label to traders as part of a campaign to boost consumption of the pear and promote healthy eating habits particularly among children.
Under the slogan ‘Esta pera recupera’ (This pear aids recovery), the campaign highlights the restorative properties of the fruit after physical or intellectual exertion
“We organise a range of sporting activities aimed at school children to encourage healthy habits such as cross country running, athletics, basketball, five-a-side football and rugby,” said the PDO’s Sixto Cabezón.
With planted area exceeding 1,000ha for the first time this year and production reaching 23,500 tonnes, the PDO is looking to expand into new markets.
Currently around 92 per cent of the crop is sold in Spain, mostly in the north of the peninsula and Cataluña, with the remainder being exported to France and Italy.
Created in 2002, the Rincón de Soto PDO was the first PDO to achieve official recognition by the European Union. It is applied to a variety of Conference pear produced in certain zones in La Rioja. It is larger than a traditional Conference, with a more elongated shape and greener skin.
