Ecological Crops in Poble Nou de Benitachell
The Town Hall of Poble Nou de Benitatxell is leading a pioneering project consisting of ecological crops of moscatel grapes. This project aims to set differentiate the local product, generate an incentive in the industry and at the same time, promote a socioeconomic alternative the crops that could make of the town a point of reference in the industry. The Technical University of Valencia will provide spscialised technical assistance through the investigation of autochtonal crops and the implatation of zero waste techniques.
Poble Nou de Benitatxell’s Town Hall is leading a “unique, wishful and innovative” ecological agriculture project.
It will include ecological techniques, to grow a product as autochtonal as the moscatel grape, in the frame of a larger town projecut. This will be possible thanks to the cooperation of the Technical University of Valencia (UPV), which will take part by making specific investigations of the land and will set green agricultural techniques with zero waste.
The government parties (BLOC and CCD) have decided to impulse this agricultural project based on the moscatel grape, as it will positively affect a wide scope of socioeconomic aspects such as business, tourism, economy, hospitality and food, nature and health. This means total implication of such Councils in this project.
The mayor, Josep Femenia, presented the project as a “wishful and serious alternative, based on the experience of our country people and supported by the investigations carried out by the specialists and the people at the Technical University of Valencia. New jobs will be created, and an added value will be given to the tourist and business offer of the town.”
The formalisation of the agreement between the Town Hall, the UPV and an specialist, the onsite works started last week. The director of the project from UPV, Rafael Laborda, declared he felt “fortunate” to be part of a project “promoted by a public office which believes in the futuro of it local product and there, unique when it comes to the kind of cooperative relationship between both parties.”
The implication and collaboration of the university departmeot of Agroforestal Ecosystems means having a solid technical aid on this field, with extensive experience in biological. pest control and professional interventions. This department has started working on and specific plan and will follow up onsite, while assessing the Town Hall and training country people and other involved parts of the population.
José Manuel Bisetto, the renowned specialist, will also take part in the project by coordinating it and creating an awareness campaign as week as the implantation of a community orchards plan. The engineer has proven and recognised experience in the ecological crops field in the Region of Valencia and in the rest of the country as well, because of actions of reconversion of unused plots into community ecological orchards and of environmental education programs.