The Mollar Pomegranate of Elche Begins a Campaign Marked by Recent Rains, Aiming for 40,000 Tonnes

The Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) for the Mollar Pomegranate of Elche has launched its 2025/26 campaign with the traditional symbolic cutting, this time held at the Innovation Labo estate in the Santa Ana district. The event was attended by the Executive Director of the EUIPO, João Negrão, who performed the cutting.

Thus begins a campaign marked by the recent October rains, which may affect initial forecasts. The DOP predicts around 40,000 tonnes, with a 20% reduction in fresh production due to skin blemishes caused by the summer sun. This figure could decrease due to heavy downpours.

The president of the DOP, Francisco Oliva, explained that the recent rains "did not come at the best time, as this episode delays the ongoing harvest, potentially aging the pomegranate skin and causing some fruits to split due to excess water." Oliva insists that "it is still too early to know how these rains might affect us, but hopefully, the damage will be minimal, and we will have a good campaign as expected."

Initial forecasts for the campaign are positive, with "hope, caution, and optimism," noted the president, who assures that "we were pleased because we effectively combated the thrips plague that caused us so many problems last year, but the weather has tested us once again." Additionally, the September rains "allowed us to have larger and high-quality pomegranates," although the DOP is now assessing the damage from the latest rains.

During the event, the EUIPO director highlighted the role of the DOP, which "identifies a product as authentic, shaped by its origin, its people, and its history." Negrão emphasized the EUIPO's role in protecting these brands and expressed being "honoured" to sponsor the Mollar Pomegranate campaign in Elche "in its commitment to excellence and authenticity."

The event also showcased the work of Innovation Labo, a spin-off company from the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche, linked to the Institute of Research, Development, and Innovation in Health Biotechnology of Elche (IDIBE). The firm is engaged in the development and production of high-value food and cosmetic ingredients through organic farming and intelligent management of native microbial species.

The Vice-Rector for Internationalization and Cooperation at UMH, Vicente Micol, noted that of the 16 hectares of cultivation at the estate where the campaign was inaugurated, six are dedicated to pomegranates. Among them, the Mollar of Elche stands out due to its excellent health properties, its status as a local, organic crop, and the potential to advance a circular economy model with local products.

In this regard, Micol specified that the company is currently developing a pomegranate extract obtained through exclusive fermentation, extraction, and encapsulation techniques.

The Mollar Pomegranate of Elche is the main base of these projects, where the fruit is fully utilized: juice, skin, seeds, and pulp; to produce dietary supplements (nutraceutical products) and cosmetics derived from the pomegranate aimed at the European and Japanese markets.