The “Assembly of Apple Harvesters in the Cider District and Surrounding Areas” was born in Villaviciosa.
LA SIDRA.- The independent harvesters took to the streets once again on Sunday to vindicate the purchase of their apples by the cidermakers.
Under the mottos “Sell your cider to the ones you buy the apples” or “The alternating harvests is not the problem, but the Government excuse”, over fifty people gathered in Villaviciosa to create an association which manage the disposal of the 500 tons of apple excedent this year.
Jose Luis Alvarez, the assembly spokesman, claimed the Principality to take measures, as even the apples used for the Certificate of Origin Cider of Asturias are being lost, and demand the support from cider bar managers and traders. And that, the same way the plantations are subsidised, the maintenance of apple orchads should be supported.
They consider that the apple brought from outside Asturias is cheaper, but of a poorer quality, so they insist on creating a bottle labelling which specify the percentage of Asturian cider they contain, something already rejected by the Principality.
The aim of the association is to defend the whole apple sale this year and to discuss proposals to become more competitive.
The independent harvesters announced a new demonstration next Wednesday in front of Villaviciosa Town Hall.
