EN
C 20/24
Official Journal of the European Union
20.1.2023
This boundary was set according to criteria concerning soil, climate and the areas to which the varieties covered by this PGI are better adapted.
The added value of ‘Melocotón de Cieza’ is based on its specific characteristics which are largely due to the climate, soil and human factors specific to the area covered by the PGI.
Natural factors The climate in the defined geographical area of production is a factor making the Baby Gold 6 and Romea varieties of the ‘Melocotón de Cieza’ a distinctive product.
In winter, cold night-time temperatures range between -2 oC and 5 oC, while the hottest temperatures occur in May (33 oC), June (37 oC) and July (41 oC).
The contrasting temperatures give these peach varieties a distinctive and characteristic size and colour.
The specific qualities of ‘Melocotón de Cieza’, in its Romea and Baby Gold 6 varieties are influenced by the extreme Mediterranean climate of the area, characterised by severe summer drought with the average annual rainfall scarcely reaching 300 mm.
The rainfall is equinoctial, with October being the month with most rain.
Furthermore, the relative proximity to the Mediterranean Sea and the low-lying position of the lands mean that the average annual temperature is the highest in the region of Murcia.
These lands have the driest climate in the basin of the River Segura.
All of these factors together mean that the specific characteristics of these varieties distinguish them from all other peaches of the same varieties produced in other areas.
In addition, the special characteristics of the River Segura, which waters the fields of Cieza, are key in producing these distinctive properties.
Specifically in terms of the organoleptic characteristics of both varieties, their concentration in soluble solids represents greater sweetness and firmness.
According to the report issued by the River Segura Basin Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura) (N/REF: IAMB-0015/2021) on the water quality in the section of the River Segura as it passes through the municipality of Cieza: ‘As it passes through the municipality of Cieza, the River Segura is classified as body of water “ESES0701010111 Río Segura” from the point of confluence with the River Quipar to the Azud de Ojós dam.
In the final assessment and water management plan for the River Segura (Plan Hidrológico del Segura, PHDS), the overall status of this body of water is rated as “good”.
The ecological status is ranked in five categories, from best to worst: very good, good, average, poor and very poor.
The status in this case is “good”.
There are two categories of chemical status: “good” and “good not achieved”.
In this case, the status is “good”.’
Soil A set of common factors in the soil in this production area makes it ideal for cultivating this stone-fruit.
The main characteristics that make the soil unique in conjunction with the climate are: the clay-loam and clay texture, clay levels above 30 %, pH > 8,3, active lime > 20 %, and levels of organic matter between 1 % and 2 %.
These physical and chemical properties, along with many other properties, determine the quality, firmness, shelf life and taste, in short, the unmistakable characteristics of a peach with geographical DNA.
There is no single physical, chemical or soil-related quality that determines the intrinsic characteristics of the ‘Melocotón de Cieza’.
This fruit results from the harmonious blend of a multitude of factors.
Those relating to the soil have a particular specific importance.
Production factor A characteristic of the Cieza area, setting it apart from other areas, is that the thinning method for both blossom and fruit is entirely artisanal, blossom by blossom.
This differs from other areas of Spain in which agricultural workers use thinning machines to remove the excess blossom from each branch.
Using the traditional method results in a better blossom selection, which means better quality fruit.
Historical factors and social reputation With regard to the historical aspects, evidence exists of peaches in Cieza in the third century AD in the rock shelters of La Serreta and, at a later stage, in some of the dry wells of houses in Siyâsa, the fortified Andalusian settlement situated on the slopes of Monte del Castillo, abandoned during the thirteenth century.
The remains of peach seeds have also been found, providing us with evidence of the agricultural practices in the orchards of Cieza at that time.