Citrus, artichokes, almonds, and broccoli lead planted area in the Vega Baja del Segura
The Consortium for the Economic Development of the Vega Baja del Segura (Convega) marked World Agriculture Day on 9 September by highlighting the importance of the region’s fruit and vegetable production and the people behind it.
Vega Baja, a region located south of Alicante, Spain, leads the way in the province of Alicante in terms of cultivated land area, with more than 40,000ha dedicated to agriculture, according to the latest Valencian Agricultural Sector Report (2024). Overall, nearly 30 per cent of the cultivated land area in the entire province of Alicante is concentrated in the Vega Baja del Segura, known as the garden of Europe.
Among the main crops in the Vega Baja del Segura are citrus, with more than 25,000ha. Lemons account for 14,609ha, oranges for 6,240ha, and mandarins for 3,741ha.
More than 50 per cent of Alicante’s vegetables are also grown in the Vega Baja del Segura, with artichoke and broccoli leading the field with a combined acreage of over 3,000ha.
Almonds, potatoes, lettuce and melons are among the other crops grown in the area, which is also home to the well-known Granada Mollar de Elche PDO pomegranate.
According to Carlos Pastor, president of Convega and provincial deputy for economic development, “the orchards of the Vega Baja del Segura, along with the area’s traditional irrigation system, are a hallmark of the region”.
Pastor highlighted the importance of the agri-food sector in the region’s economic activity, emphasising that “agriculture is much more than a fundamental economic driver for this land, as it can perform various functions, in addition to producing high-quality products, generating wealth and jobs, and contributing to the maintenance and conservation of the characteristic landscape of the Vega Baja del Segura and preventing the depopulation of rural areas”.
Pastor continued: “This has been forged over centuries thanks to the efforts of farmers, so it is necessary to recognise the important work they do every day, and even more so on a day as important as today, World Agriculture Day”.
Convega also emphasized the quality of the products grown in the Vega Baja del Segura, many of which enjoy national and international recognition. Examples include the Vega Baja del Segura artichoke, the Albatera Breva, the Guardamar del Segura pepper, and the Mollar de Elche PDO pomegranate.
