It is a crop with great projection in the Spanish countryside and a whole agricultural benchmark in an autonomous community of enormous extension. Because the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha positions this region as the leader of national production, while the need to find solutions to the lack of water. One of them can perfectly fall on this woody that grows in conditions of dry land and that in the last twelve years has been gaining ground. Thus, the municipalities of La Mancha pamper their 'green gold' high price in the market but also high properties for the benefit of the consumer. Here we tell you a little more about this booming product.
Meteoric increase in hectares of La Mancha
Without much ingrained tradition, the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha began to gain a foothold in both the regional and national agricultural panorama from the year 2005, approximately. The result of an experimental trial in the farm La Entresierra of Ciudad Real - dependent on the Agrarian Center The Chaparrillo- He started his massive plantation. Specifically, of the variety known as Cornicabra. The results of that study were so positive that a very interesting door was opened for the future. Thus, the lands of La Mancha became ideal to host the trees of this dried fruit. In the next point we will explain why.
Before that, it is worth analyzing the meteoric increase in land that this woody crop has been gaining since about twelve years ago the extension was situated at about 500 hectares and, currently, around 22.000. Thus for the entire Castilian community, especially in the provinces of Ciudad Real, Toledo and Albacete, areas that host the largest productions. They are both irrigated and dry, although the latter leads by a great difference over the other. But what reasons are there for the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha is such a reality?
Favorable factors for this crop
In the three provinces mentioned there are perfect conditions for the successful development of the tree of the pistacho that, as we have already pointed out, has not done more than add hectares. Only Guadalajara It is considered an unsuitable area for this culture, while in Cuenca it always depends on how certain factors occur. Therefore, except for these two exceptions, the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha benefits from:
- El dry mediterranean climate. It prevents diseases that the tree may suffer, while the low rainfall keeps its flower alive. Too much water is not good for this plantation.
- La Average annual temperature about 16 degrees. It is positive in the growth phase and flowering, which occurs in the months of March and April. Then, the high summer heat is natural fertilizer for the fruit to ripen.
- La low humidity that are in the three provinces help to prevent fungi from growing.
- The thousand hours of cold a year, because during the winter it needs a low temperature while it is in the resting phase until in spring it begins its productive cycle again.
The advantage of the dry land
Of the total of La Mancha fields that host this crop, 17.000 hectares are rainfed, that is, almost the 80% of agricultural land where it hardly rains. This demonstrates the ability of farmers in the region to take advantage of this shortage. Although a small part is from irrigation also, this must be drip and very controlled because too much hydration damages the tree. On the other hand, the trend towards organic continues to grow as well.
This is how the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha is harvested
After maturation of the fruit, day laborers work piecework at the beginning of September at the beginning of the harvesting campaign. This is manual or with machines that move each tree and from that vibration the pistachios Then they go from the field to the processing plant, where they must pass several phases: peeling, drying and winnowing (discarding those that are empty inside). But their classified does not end there, since those who are very closed or stained they pass to the breaker. Thus they are opened to separate the grain in the next stage, before storage and preservation. They come to this last part, but through another channel, the open pistachios For nature. Pass the calibrated, they are salted and even roasted. That roast gives it a great differential flavor.
Once on the market, the main buyer of these listed nuts Manchego is Europe, with Germany and France to the head. Here in our country, consumption is minimal while betting more on foreign pistachios. So the pistachio from Castilla-La Mancha is somewhat unknown. U.S is proud of its 250.000 hectares e Iran their 140.000. They are the two main producing countries of a woody tree that, from the Castilian-La Mancha lands, wants to compete under the Spanish seal. In addition, being an interesting alternative to land that is increasingly scarce of water.
