By Amadora Gahona*, Seville, Spain.
It is important to know that a part of the citrus sector is in crisis in Europe, specially in producer countries like Spain and Italy. Why? Due to SouthAfrican citrus, specially oranges, can be sold in our countries and in other we export anytime with a preferential treatment by the EU rules.
In this scenario oranges from Valencia (Spain) and other places are still in the tree. Millions of economic losses! Problems for many people, cause of unemployment too.
Some days ago I was explaining to one of our visitors, my friend the English best-seller author Rosanna Ley, why Gospa Citrus Farm has more and more orders any time.
Here you have the reasons
1) THE ‘ALCORES’. The place we grow sweet and seville oranges is called ‘Alcores’, what means ‘rolling hills’, a great place to concentrate moments of heat and cold due to the shape of the hills.
Carmona and its Luxury Parador Hotel, near Mairena del Alcor. Carmona is the eldest city in Europe.
2) THE SOIL. Our soil is very rich in minerals specially iron and phosphorus. This last gives a special sweetness to the oranges.
A soil rich in minerals, specially phosphorus and iron (Gospa Citrus Farm, Seville).
3) THE WATER. Our water is abundant. Our town is called ‘Mairena’ that comes from the old Arab ‘Maharana’, what means ‘water from the fountain’, i.e. ‘a place full of water’, a land known by the Romans and then from the Arabs dated from 1247. A place with human presence since 50.000 years due to its wonderful nature and well known by the British because they sold this water to Seville for more than 100 years. Dolmens, a castle, many archaeological remains attest to this…
A Roman well in The Alcores (Seville).
Castillo de Luna (Mairena del Alcor). Luna Castle, Mairena del Alcor, Seville, XIV century AD.
Bonsor-Bencarrón-Ivory plate VII century BC.
4) THE CLIMATE. It is Mediterranean, the most extraordinary for oranges, with colder nights for giving beautiful orange color to the fruit.
Sevilles Oranges from Gospa Citrus.
5) THE ORGANIC CULTIVATION. Gospa Citrus is a certified company in organic cultivation in Mairena del Alcor (Seville, Spain). This organic cultivation is respectful for the environment and guarantees the best quality of oranges without pesticides or other toxic chemicals.
Gospa Seville Orange blossom. It is called ‘Azahar’ that means simply flower in Arab language.
6) THE PASSION AND LOVE we put since the XIX century in our 3rd and 4th generation growing oranges in this farm.
Amadora Gahona.
The first photo above all contains our Star Ruby Grapefruits, Navelina Oranges, Nova Mandarins, Gospa Seville Oranges, bicolor rare navelina, rare Seville Oranges and Clemenule Mandarins.
Amadora Gahona is the person who inspires Gospa Citrus. She is the third generation growing oranges. Her son José is also involved being the 4th generation in the sector.
