Coinciding with the beginning of the almond blossoming season, this Sunday Santa Agnès is holding the traditional Festa de l’Ametlla, organised by the Corona Neighbourhood Association with the collaboration of the Consell de Ibiza, which aims to show the central importance of the almond tree in the life of Pla de Corona, and as a basic element of the Mediterranean diet.
The activities will take place around the tent located in the parking lot and will show the culinary possibilities of the almond, a fundamental nut in the Mediterranean diet with excellent nutritional and healthy properties and is a basic ingredient of our cuisine.
Program:
10 a.m. to 2 p.m: Almond Fair with exhibitors and display of almond products. With children’s activities by APIMA. 12 to 14 hoursculinary workshops with almonds as protagonist and tasting. Erika Tangari will show the preparation of almond-based yogurt and Cristina Franco, healthy almond-based sweets. 2 p.m: Popular Paella for the benefit of APIMA of Corona.
“It is about an opportunity to enjoy the almond and its gastronomy accompanied by a walk through the Pla de Corona, always respectful of the environment and private farms, taking care to park in the parking lot of the village and keep dogs tied to avoid disturbing the sheep, and remembering that it is important not to leave the marked paths and avoid pulling up the almond blossoms,” they say from the Consell.
The Pla de Corona is an area dominated by dry almond plantations, once a source of wealth, which combined with the planting of cereals and herds of sheep. The lack of profitability due to the dependence on rainfall has led to a progressive abandonment of agricultural activity and with it the almond trees have gradually aged without renewal.
Crop reduction
The almond tree has gone from being one of the main wealth-generating crops in Ibiza, with almond exports reaching 2,000 tons in the 1960s, to being an economically marginal crop due to the aging and death of the trees, with a commercialized harvest that is progressively reduced and that in the campaign 2023 is down to 3.5 tons. The almond is one of the most appreciated fruits of our countryside, present in recipes such as Christmas sauce, and an essential ingredient of the Mediterranean diet for its healthy properties.
The Pla de Corona is the only agricultural landscape of Ibiza included in the Atlas of Agrarian Landscapes of Spain edited by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013, and constitutes an emblematic space for Ibizans and a tourist attraction during the winter.
In 2018, with the advice of the Consell de Ibiza, the first plantings were carried out in Corona in 40 years. With these new plantations, modern fruit growing practices are being evaluated to improve the commercial viability of almond cultivation, including irrigation. The ultimate goal is to promote the conservation and sustainability of living rural landscapes through viable rural activity with the production of traditional products appreciated by the population and with high added value, giving priority to agroecological practices.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.