The Vice-Rector for Innovation and Business at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Alejandro Pérez Pastor, has submitted the study on the differences between the varieties (Baby Gold 6 and Romea) grown in Cieza and another comparative area to the Mayor of Cieza, Pascual Lucas Díaz.
The meeting was also attended by Encarna Aguayo Giménez, a professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering; the study's co-director, Francisco Artés Calero; and, representing the Cieza City Council, councilors Antonio Ignacio Martínez-Real and Antonio Moya, of Finance and Agriculture, respectively.
The comparative study commissioned by the Department of Agriculture from the UPCT, valued at around 22,000 euros, reflects an academic commitment to promoting the value of the Ciezano peach. The study will now be presented to various institutions and administrations with the aim of achieving Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), which would enhance the product's value.
"In general, we can conclude that our peaches have better sensory quality; they appear more yellow, and chemical indices confirm that they have a better flavor. Consequently, these peaches have higher values than those of these same varieties on the market from other geographical locations," say sources from the mayor's office.
The Department of Agriculture states that, "If we have the support of higher institutions, achieving PGI status will mean competing on quality rather than time. This will reduce the temperature risks for early varieties."
The mayor's office is convinced that "we have extraordinary fruits that we must continue to enhance; after the flowering comes the fruits. These are the areas we must continue working on."