Continente plans to buy 10 tonnes of oranges from the Algarve, bearing the IGP – Protected Geographical Indication stamp.
According to the Sonae group company, until June, in its 274 stores across the country, Continente will only sell oranges from the Algarve with the IGP stamp, a designation regulated by the European Union, in partnership with national producers.
The IGP classification identifies products originating from a certain region, ensuring that only items that have been obtained in a traditional way and that have characteristics and reputation linked to the territory are sold.
In the case of Algarve oranges, the classification is given to all citrus fruit from certified orchards, with a demanding specification that binds producers to various measures to ensure the quality of the product, namely that the fruit is picked by hand and in the optimal maturation point, that is, with the right sugar/acid ratio for the consumer.
The IGP stamp guarantees, in this way, a citrus fruit with a thin skin, intensely colored and bright, with a high juice content, unique in the southernmost region of Portugal.
All oranges for sale in Continente stores are thus produced in 2000 hectares of certified orchards, distributed between Tavira and Silves and belonging to around 100 producers that make up the four partner Producer Organizations of Continente.
Ondina Afonso, president of the Continente Producers Club, emphasizes that in this club, «we value the authenticity of the products. Through short supply chains, we ensure the environmental and economic sustainability of the country, regions and national agriculture. By offering only oranges produced in the Algarve, we are closing yet another link in the chain of union between the mainland and national production».
Continente claims to work «on a daily basis with national producers, identifying and selecting the best products that meet the needs of its customers».
In 2019, a year in which the orange harvest is of great quality, the brand continues to support the best of Portuguese production and guarantees that all oranges for sale in its stores are Algarve, with IGP classification.
The focus on national production represents «one of the main strategic axes of the brand, ensuring that quality products – such as the Algarve IGP orange – reach the table of all Portuguese», concludes the company.
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