Spain wants to compete with Russia and China in the pine nut market

Spanish scientists argue that the "royal" pine nut can be obtained only from the territory of the Iberian Peninsula, and not from Russia and China. For the best production of pine nuts in Spain, the pine giant was grafted “The cedar pine (Pinus pinea L.) is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula. - Writing by experts from the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA), Spain, in an article on the MDPI portal. - This autochthonous southern European species shows a narrow genetic diversity due to its residual survival in the Iberian Peninsula after the last glaciation. However, it is endowed with great phenotypic plasticity, which allowed its current distribution in areas well differentiated by climate. Cedar nuts have been highly prized since ancient times and are currently one of the most expensive nuts on the world market with a stable price of 65 € / kg, according to the nut industry. Traditionally, cones are harvested from forest trees. Moreover, in recent years, the ...