The Grup d'Acció Local LEADER d'Eivissa i Formentera is collaborating with the Sant Antoni Agricultural Cooperative to improve the carob processing plant. The study began on 24 January with a visit to the facilities of this agricultural cooperative.
The Sant Antoni agricultural cooperative is one of the main buyers of carob in Ibiza and its facilities store and process this fruit to obtain the pulp and seed. The latter part is currently the most highly valued and is known as garroví.
The cooperative's carob processing facilities have reached a point where, at certain times of the season, it is no longer possible to process carob at sufficient speed. For this reason, the study is being carried out and the need to renovate the plant to improve its efficiency and processing speed is being assessed. The study is expected to be completed before the start of the next season.
The collaboration established between the two entities and the study proposal is being carried out through the Grup Leader d'Acció Local's Agricultural Accompaniment Project, subsidised by the European Rural Development Fund through the Balearic Islands Rural Development Programme.
Rising value
In recent years, this seed has risen in value due to trends in the consumption of natural products and the consequent response of the food industry, which has helped to increase the price of carob. As a result, farmers have been encouraged to harvest and sell it, making it the main source of income for some of Ibiza's farms.
Source: periodicodeibiza.es
