SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 5 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The President of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands, Alicia Vanoostende, and the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez, presented this Thursday the ‘Agrocanarias’ fair, which introduces changes and merges the traditional sample with a gastronomic festival in urban environments.
After stopping being held in 2008 due to the economic crisis and then Covid-19, ‘Agrocanarias’ is now being taken up again with a new format that allows it to take place, for the first time, in central and accessible spaces on seven islands (Tenerife, La Gomera , El Hierro, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) and not in a single place, as was the case in the past.
The exhibition is organized by the Ministry through its affiliated company, Management of the Rural Environment of the Canary Islands (GMR Canarias), and will take place from Friday to Monday (Canary Islands Day) in the indicated case of the capital of Tenerife.
Apart from bringing the activity of the primary sector closer to the citizenry, the initiative aims to spread local products through gastronomic elaborations, promote local products and producers, and improve knowledge of differentiated quality elaborations at this stage exempt from restrictions by the covid.
The fair has a total budget of 780,000 euros (for the seven islands) and tries to promote this contact between consumers and suppliers to generate new business opportunities in a format that facilitates interaction between operators to spread and sell the Canarian product of more directly, details the Canarian Government in a note.
During the presentation, in which a video was shown with the characteristics of the positions and spaces defined in the sample, Torres stressed the importance of the changes introduced for these two years (2022 and 2023) and assured that it is an “edition special because, although it is still regional, the fair is now insularized so that it reaches seven islands”, in such a way that it applauds “the decision of the Ministry”.
Although cautious due to the war in Ukraine and its effects, as well as due to the Covid pandemic, the president considered it very important that the canaries have begun to enjoy normalcy from responsibility and with leisure appointments such as this sample.
“The situation now looks different. We are seeing the desire to enjoy months like this one, May, with many local, island and regional festivals, and that is why I invite the Canary Islands to consume our products because that is how they we protect and make more exalted, we reinforce our food sovereignty and we support a primary sector that is having a hard time due to the increase in prices”, he commented.
IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSUMPTION OF CLOSE PRODUCTS
The person in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries explained that the new format of the sample tries to continue promoting the primary sector of the islands -which accounts for 5% of the island’s GDP with the local agri-food industry and employs 60,000 people-, the food sovereignty and support for local products, all for the sustainability and quality of work in this field.
As he stressed, the pandemic and, now, the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have shown the importance of promoting local products and self-consumption to the maximum in a region as far away as the Canary Islands, which is why his department has opted for a fair that expand to seven islands, with the exception of La Graciosa due to the smaller population and the logistical problems that taking it to this island would imply.
Vanoostende encouraged all producers to register for the fair using the Ministry’s website and believes it is very important that the first event be held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife during the days prior to ‘Canary Islands Day’ (from May 27 to 30). , in a month with a wide festive offer in this city and in an area such as the Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena.
The mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife delved precisely into the importance of the capital of Tenerife opening this new format, understanding that it is the “ideal setting for exhibiting the local product in the middle of the May Festivities”.
Bermúdez thanked the collaboration with the Government of the Canary Islands and was convinced that the choice of dates will make the attendance “massive” because, in addition, “what is going to be presented is of great interest at a very important moment to know the local agricultural product.
For this promotional action, with seven exhibitions with a regional focus and to be developed on seven islands during 2022 and 2023, the Ministry launched a public tender to which three companies applied to develop these seven events.
The main objective is to bring the promotion and knowledge of the local quality product closer to the final consumer and to make it easier for the agricultural products of the islands to be better known, identified and savored directly, almost always outdoors and in a leisure or festive atmosphere.
Thus, it is intended to be closer to the people, to the potential consumer, especially in urban spaces and with the gastronomy company to get more out of the promotion.
Although it is at the expense of the evolution of the pandemic, the calendar of this year’s fair opens in Santa Cruz de Tenerife from May 27 to 30, for which it has the collaboration of the Capital City Council.
Subsequently, the events will take place in La Gomera and El Hierro during the summer months, while the end of the year will take place in Gran Canaria at the end of 2022, at which time the event will coincide with the award ceremony. Agrocanarias, which is called by the Canarian Institute of Agrifood Quality (ICCA) for excellence in cheeses, wines, sea salts, gofios and olive oils. During the next year, it is expected that the fair will reach La Palma, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
ORGANIZATION OF POSTS IN A VARIED OFFER
During this edition, ‘Agrocanarias’ will have a modern image, with versatile spaces and prioritizing the relationship between stalls and the city to put people at the center of experiences.
In order to encourage public attendance and exhibitor participation, admission will be free and registration fees will be reduced.
The events will have several spaces for the development of their activities and there will be an exhibition area made up of stalls so that business exhibitors can publicize and sell their local livestock, agriculture and fishing products.
There will also be a gastronomic area in which the stalls that will offer food and drinks made in the Canary Islands will be located, apart from bringing together a large part of the leisure. This space will have a terrace with tables and a stage where musical performances and other activities will take place.
