THE COAG WILL BE ANALYZING THE LIBERALIZATION OF VINEYARD PLANTATION AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WINE MARKETS

Participation of the Minister of Agriculture of Castilla-La Mancha, José Luis Martínez Guijarro and of the President of the Popular Party for Castilla-La Mancha, María Dolores de Cospedal, is expected at the Agricultural Organization Session, which is to take place on May 12th

This year the COAG-Iniciativa Rural de Castilla-La Mancha (Coordinator of Farmer and Livestock Breeder Organizations-Rural Initiative) organization will be analyzing the factors involved in profitable, professional wine production, as well as the future perspectives on the markets and liberalization of new plantations as of the year 2015, the same at FENAVIN, National Trade Fair on Wine that is to take place from May 10th to the 12th in Ciudad Real. The session will take place on May 12th and participation of the Minister of Agriculture and the Environment for Castilla-La Mancha, José Luis Martínez Guijarro and of the President of the Popular Party for Castilla-La Mancha, María Dolores de Cospedal, is expected.

This will truly be an intense and topical workday that is set to start on May 12th at 10:30 a.m., with opening of the session to be carried out by the Minister of Agriculture, along with the presentation of objectives that will be made by the COAG's Regional Secretary, Alfonso Marín Salcedo. Immediately afterwards the Head of General Affairs of the Institute of the Vine and Wine of Castilla-La Mancha, Félix Yánez, will be introducing those attending in the production techniques and objectives pertaining to cultivation of trellis vineyards.

The main attraction of the session will be the round table that will deal with political and market measures for profitable, professional wine production, with the same to be moderated by Julián Añover, Regional Vice Secretary of the COAG and at which regional members of parliament such as Antonio Salinas and María Luisa Soriano will also be intervening, along with the President of 'Vinos y Bodegas' (Wines and Wineries), Román Cantarero López-Santa Cruz.

In this respect Julián Añover pointed out that the current measures that are foreseen in Europe, such as liberalization of the vineyard plantation, will be debated, with this matter being something that COAG is not in agreement with "because we feel that it has nothing to do with these new times and we find it incompressible that almost 70,000 hectares of vineyard have been wiped out in Castilla-la Mancha, which is deoxigenating the market somewhat, to then plant seventy, eighty or one hundred thousand new hectares in a few years time.

The round table will also analyze the future of wine on the short-term, along with the orientation of the markets, if more grape must is being demanded or more red wines and the new emerging countries, such as the Asian countries, Central European countries, etc.

Advantages of the Trellis Vineyard

In that pertaining to the conference that will take place on cultivation of trellis vineyards, Añover pointed out that Félix Yánez is one of the most highly informed and educated technicians in the region in matters related with the vineyard. During the chat he will orientate the wine makers on adaptability to this type of vineyard, its advantages in comparison with goblet style, transformation, etc. The COAG's Representative considers that this type of vineyard has many benefits, such as mechanized harvesting, less risks of enduring more severe frosts and disease, "apart from the fact that the product is more aerated and the plant receives more sunshine in its upper part," he observed.

This vineyard modality also reduces costs thanks to the possibility of mechanization and it allows being more competitive on the markets, Julián Añover explained. As a trellis vineyard grower, Añover acknowledges that at first the effort is tremendous, as is the case with the investment, "because we are up to our ears in debt", however, the yield obtained is greater than that of the traditional goblet vineyard. One hectare may represent between 9000 and 12,000 Euros. Castilla-La Mancha currently has 150,000 hectares of trellis vineyard as opposed to the total of 500,000 hectares of vineyard that exist.

Closing of the COAG session is to take place at 12:45 p.m., with attendance of the President of the Popular Group for the Castilla-La Mancha Parliament, María Dolores de Cospedal, being expected.