Vila Franca do Campo, Portugal, Jan. 21, 2025 (Lusa) - An Azores-based cooperative said on Monday that it is working on securing a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for bananas from the archipelega, which is an autonomous region of Portugal, to foster the sustainable growth of the sector and "guarantee the quality of the product" for consumers.
The Azores Food and Agricultural Markets Institute on Monday published in the Jornal da Região, the region's official gazette, the announcement of the opening of the "national opposition procedure" relating to the application to register the "Azores Banana PGI" label submitted by producer group Cooperativa Agrícola Açoreana de Hortofloricultores, or Frutaçor, which is based in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, on São Miguel, the largest island.
The president of Frutaçor, Carlos Araújo, told the Lusa news agency on Monday that the cooperative is proposing "to register the Azorean banana as a PGI in order to promote the sustainable growth of the crop and guarantee the quality of the product, creating a strategy for winning over and retaining the loyalty of customers who identify it as a PGI banana," to make it better known.
The deadline for objecting to the classification of the Azorean banana is 30 days from the date of publication of this notice and, according to the text, "any natural or legal person resident or based in Portugal may submit statements of objection, provided they demonstrate a legitimate interest."
Regarding the advantages of the PGI designation for producers and for the region, the text argues that it will "increase the visibility and appreciation of the Azores banana, highlighting its distinctive characteristics and superior quality," and publicise it "both to consumers and to other players in the agricultural sector, highlighting the benefits of the products and their local origin.
"Establishing and strengthening partnerships with distributors, retailers and other commercial agents, with the aim of expanding the commercialisation channels for the Azores PGI banana and ensuring its presence on the national and international markets," as well as “working together with producers and commercial partners to guarantee a stable and fair pricing policy that ensures the economic sustainability of the crop” are other benefits cited.
The PGI designation, it is pointed out, will also encourage sustainable handling practices and organic production, and enable economic growth for producers and increase the value of this fruit as a distinctive and authentic product.
Bananas from the Azores are of the Musa acuminata Colla and Dwarf Cavendish species, and are produced in delimited geographical areas in the open air, mostly under rainfed conditions.
According to the president of Frutaçor, they have different characteristics to others produced around the world because they are "smaller, sweeter, with a soft texture and an intense and pleasant aroma" when ripe.
The cooperative currently has around 60 members involved in banana production.
In 2024, it sold on 1,500 tonnes of this product, with around 10% going to the international market, 40% to mainland Portugal and 50% to the Azores.
Madeira, Portugal's other autonomous region, also produces bananas for export from the main island.
ASR/ARO // ARO.
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