The acreage devoted to a genetic variation of the Israeli pomegranate has tripled in Murcia. The crop’s cultivation, which is based on drip irrigation, has expanded considerably from 100 hectares in 2009 to more than 300 in 2017. The annual production amounts to around 4,500 tonnes.
On 20 August, the Councillor of Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Miguel Ángel del Amor, visited a farm in El Jimenado (Torre Pacheco) where pomegranates of the Kingdom variety (a product of Israelite selection programs) are grown. These are large-calibre fruits, weighting between 500 and 600 grams, with an intense red colour and a semi-sour flavour, which is what the market demands, and whose harvesting takes place at the end of October.
In Murcia, new highly productive varieties are cultivated, selected by geneticists from California and Israel. These crops are adapted to the characteristics of the area, preventing issues such as fungal diseases, sunburn and cracking.
There are currently various research and variety selection teams worldwide which are developing varieties with characteristics that make them suitable for export, namely a red colour or a sub-acid flavour. The progress made in genetic development has made it possible to solve problems related to the cracking of the fruits and the rotting of the arils.
According to Del Amor “the sector’s great transformation in recent years, caused by the incorporation of new varieties, has facilitated the fruit’s industrialization process, as the fruit has become easier to peel, the colour of the arils has become more attractive and there have also been improvements in the harvest yields.”
This fruit is grown mainly in Mediterranean countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Turkey. Spain is the largest European producer and exporter, with an annual production of 50,000 tonnes.
The pomegranate has a long history in the mythology of many cultures and its healthy qualities are renowned.
The fruit is rich in vitamins (E, C, A) and folic acid while recent research work indicates that the pomegranate is a potential asset in preventing heart attacks and cancer.
Pomegranate juice contains an anti-oxidant that is particularly strong and is more effective in preventing heart attacks than red wine, green tea or tomatoes.
Currently, two research groups are working in Israel on the development of health treatments and products based on pomegranates.
Apart from simply eating the fresh pomegranates this pleasant and tasty fruit has many other uses, culinary and aesthetic (as an addition to salads, in cooking, as juice, for decorations, in health products, as raw material for industrial products such as cosmetics and dyes).
The fruit can be well preserved.
Pomegranate is a fruit with very low caloric value and is a very important source of bio-active compounds, such as polyphenols and minerals, mainly potassium, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium. It is used as a dessert, in salads, juices and even drugs.
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