PGI Certification of Graciosa Garlic to create more value for production, says João Ponte
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated that the certification of Graciosa Garlic as a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product will contribute to the dissemination of this agricultural product of excellent quality, create more value and boost producers' income.
“The certification of Graciosa Garlic by one of the European Union's quality schemes, in this case the PGI, will be very relevant for this specific production. It is expected to bring added value to farmers and local agriculture, namely in terms of value creation for this product, improvement of producers' income and the opening of new markets,” said João Ponte. He spoke Thursday during a visit to a garlic production farm in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa.
The Graciosa garlic is currently included in the list of national products protected with the Geographical Indication (IG) certification, while the European Commission is analysing the application for certification as PGI.
"All the conditions are met for the European Commission to approve the Azorean application, considering the homogeneity, characteristics and proper identity of Graciosa garlic," stressed João Ponte. In this regard, he considered that the existing quality schemes in the European Union are, per se, a very important guarantee in terms of product quality and genuineness.
For João Ponte, the island of Graciosa "has excellent natural conditions for the production of garlic as well as modern infrastructures - the Graciosa Winery and Cooperative - capable of responding to the growth of garlic production and its marketing." This is another opportunity that Graciosa producers should harness to promote the growth of this production.
On the island of Graciosa, with about ten producers, there is an approximate area of seven hectares dedicated to garlic production, with an average production of around 25 tonnes per year.