1. EL REBOST DE LA CIUTAT. CANVIS ALS CONREUS DE L'HORTA DE VALÈNCIA, 1850-1930.
- Author
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CALATAYUD, SALVADOR
- Subjects
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TRADITIONAL farming , *AGRICULTURAL productivity , *AGRICULTURE , *MULBERRY , *TREE crops , *DIVERSIFICATION in industry , *CROP rotation , *ONIONS , *POTATOES , *ORCHARDS - Abstract
The article studies the changes in the agricultural production of the Valencian huerta, one of the largest and most productive orchards in the Mediterranean at the time. Throughout the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th, the crops and rotations that had prevailed for some time were replaced by a new production model. The main change consisted of the relatively rapid disappearance of crops such as mulberry trees and hemp, central to traditional agriculture of the huerta. These textile fibres were displaced by the boom in the production of vegetables, potatoes and onions, while maintaining high-yield wheat cultivation. The change responded to the transformations in the demand for food and the demographic growth of the city of Valencia, which constituted an expanding local market. However, unlike other irrigated areas that supply urban markets, such as the Baix Llobregat and the city of Barcelona, the Valencian orchard also developed export-oriented production lines. Onions, potatoes and tomatoes, above all, found a significant demand in the markets of the United States and Great Britain, where they reached very high export figures. Meanwhile, most of the vegetables were sold in the next city. The new agricultural model was characterized by the diversification of products, the complexity of crops rotations, and the product differentiation based of different internal and external demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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