The sixth edition of the Mogán Summer Mango and Avocado Fair repeats success in sales and attendance
This Sunday, September 3, the Plaza de Las Gañanías in Playa de Mogán was the meeting point for some ten thousand people eager to taste and take home the star products of Mogan's crops. More than 6.500 kilos of mangoes and another 3.000 kilos of avocados were exhibited at the fair that bears their name. It is the sixth year that this event organized by the Mogán City Council with the collaboration of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Cajasiete has taken place. In it, the public also found other fruits from the municipality's orchards, processed products, crafts and a restaurant area available. All this, enlivened by the Parranda El Mejunje.
A total of 21 stalls of farmers from the municipality met under the large tent installed in the square of the fishing neighborhood of Playa de Mogán. Between 9:00 a.m. and after 14:00 p.m., 10.000 people passed through it in search of the precious mangoes, on sale from 1,5 euros per kilo, with the predominant varieties being opten, lippen, Valencia Pride and gomera. The other main protagonist, the avocado, was the most disputed, since due to the intense heat waves in recent weeks, production has been reduced, which is why its price is also somewhat higher than in other editions of the Fair. Going on sale from 7 euros, specimens from the country and the Antilles predominated, although there were also the prized wart avocados, Mogán being the only territory in the Canary Islands where they are grown.
In its incessant transfer, attendees were also able to purchase other products grown in the municipality that also stand out for their great flavor and quality. Among these, tropical pineapple, pitayas, prickly pears, figs, lemons, pomegranates, bananas, red bananas, soursop and sapodilla. Even fruit trees.
The mayor of Mogán, Onalia Bueno, stressed that the objective of the two annual agricultural fairs promoted by the City Council is to value the work of farmers. “Agriculture is one of the banners of the municipality along with tourism,” she said, emphasizing that it continues to be “one of the commitments decided by the Government group.” “Our next project is to start up an oil mill in Veneguera,” she said, informing that the tender for the rehabilitation of the property where it will be installed is already being put out to tender. Bueno toured the different positions with councilors from the Local Government. Among these was the Councilor for Agriculture, Neftalí Sabina, who later presented a plaque for her participation to the farmers. Sabina described the Fair as a unique opportunity to directly connect them with the citizens, and in this way publicize their work and the magnificent specimens that the Mogan lands produce. "The successive heat waves have affected production, especially avocado production, which is very sensitive to high temperatures, but we have managed to gather a large number of very good quality specimens here," she said.
Sabina and other councilors also presented plaques to those in charge of the stalls selling processed products such as honey, oil, bread, sweets, wine, cheese, fruit ferments, ice cream and natural fruit soft drinks from Mogán, as well as to those selling crafts and of the gastronomic area, where it was possible to taste preparations in which mango and avocado were undoubtedly the main protagonists. Several restaurateurs from the municipality and the Sala Professionals Training Program in Alternation with Employment (PFAE), financed by the State Public Employment Service, the Canarian Employment Service and the Mogán City Council, participated in it.
The mayor and the councilor for Agriculture thanked the Gran Canaria Council for their collaboration as well as the Cajasiete banking entity, represented at the event by Federico Hernández, director of the Arguineguín office.
II Ecotourism Fair
In parallel to the VI Mogán Summer Mango and Avocado Fair, the second and last day of the II Mogán Ecotourism Fair was held, an event that seeks to create synergies and strengthen ties in its objective of promoting ecological tourism in the municipality. “It is another of our great bets along with agriculture,” said the mayor, stating that “this other Fair is held precisely to work on the diversification of the tourist offer in Mogán.” In that sense, she reported that works are being put out to tender for the creation of two shelters, one in Veneguera and the other in Barranquillo Andrés. These actions will be added to the more than 30 kilometers of trails already rehabilitated and those that will continue to be rehabilitated, as well as the aforementioned oil mill and other complementary activities that are being worked on. “What we want is for tourism to not only get to know our coasts but also the interior, which is quite valuable,” she said.
On its first day, held yesterday, Saturday, September 2, the Ecotourism Fair started with various activities – a guided hiking route through Veneguera, whale watching, a visit to the Arguineguín Brotherhood and a puppet show for the little ones. This Sunday the Fair focused on the Plaza de Las Gañanías with an exhibition space where professionals from the different and varied sectors of ecotourism have been able to bring and show their activity and services to the public.
The II Ecotourism Fair is framed in the action plan of the Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destination of Mogán “Sea, Mountain and Sky”, financed by funds from the European Recovery Instrument 'Next Generation EU', Recovery and Resilience Mechanism Affected by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and Recovery Aid for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe.
