Polo de Bernabe was born and introduced tangerines to Valencia and Catalonia

On this day in 1812, 201 years ago, in Cuartel (Camp de Mourvedre, Valencian Department), he was born. Josep Polo de Bernabé and Boraswhich will be in a few years The introduction of tangerine cultivation and the first marketer of tangerines In the Iberian Peninsula, more specifically in the Valencian region and Catalonia. Polo de Bernabé was the owner of large tracts of agricultural land in the Valencian districts of Plana Baixa (in the municipalities of Vila Real and Burriana) and Alt Maestrat (in the municipalities of Vistabella and Atzeneta), which he inherited from his father, Josep Maria Polo de Bernabé i Mundina, who added up to 3000 magazines of arable land (about 1600 hectares).

Polo de Bernabé was passionate about technological innovations applied to crops to improve the productivity of agricultural production. He uprooted the traditional crops from his property in the low plain (vineyards and olive trees) and replaced them with tangerines (1856). Polo de Bernabe introduced this cultivation with Grafts and trees from tangerine farms in Provence (Nice, Toulon), from Liguria (Genoa, San Remo) and from Sicily (Palermo, Trapani). This initiative would be crowned with success and after a few years (1860s – 1870s), the production of Valencia tangerines of the Polo de Bernabé company would reach the main international markets (Paris, London, Geneva, Hamburg) with its patented brand, the first of its kind in almost Iberian island.

Cultivation, production and marketing of tangerines to which it is added Expanding the production and marketing of orangesrepresents before and after l Economy of the State of Valencia. The export of tangerines along with oranges led to the accumulation of capital that would move Valencia’s economy toward modernity (expansion of ports, creation of local and regional agricultural banks, stimulation of various economic sectors related to export activity). It will be Polo de Bernabe himself, who exports a large part of his production through the port of Vinaros, who will introduce the cultivation of tangerines in the Catalan regions of Montsia and Baix-Ebre.