Spanish avocados continue to gain ground in the European markets, where consumers are increasingly demanding more "local" tropical fruits that will generate a lower carbon footprint than those from other origins. Therefore, managing to extend the Spanish season is one of the most ambitious goals pursued by the sector, and varietal diversification in the rough skin segment offers great prospects.
Reyes Gutiérrez family
In fact, this has been the focus of the Malaga-based company Reyes Gutiérrez. "We have been testing the Lamb Hass and Maluma varieties, with which we could get Spain to be in the market regularly for 8 months, from week 40 to week 25/30," says Juan Antonio Reyes, manager of the company.
"The Lamb Hass is a variety with great advantages: its upright growth allows it to be planted in intensive orchards; it offers high productivity and its fruit has a good size," says Juan Antonio. "It is a very good complement to strengthen the Spanish season and extend it by up to two months after the Hass avocado campaign." The first fruits of this rough-skinned variety, one of the most produced in regions such as Valencia, have already started to be harvested in Spain. "At Reyes Gutiérrez, we want to encourage producers to plant this variety."
"Regarding the Maluma, it is a variety with a high productive value and a totally opposite production calendar to that of the Lamb Hass. In Spain, we could start with the Maluma in week 40/41," says the manager of Reyes Gutierrez. "However, we are still a little behind with it, compared to the Lamb Hass, because we have encountered certain difficulties in its management in our experimental farms due to its sensitivity to fungi."
In addition to Hass avocados, the season could kick off in November with the Maluma and end in June with the Lamb Hass, and although the rough-skinned varieties are the most demanded in the European market, they are not the only ones produced in Spain, as pointed out by Juan Antonio Reyes. "Spain also grows green-skinned varieties such as the Bacon or Fuerte, which are in great demand in Eastern countries such as Hungary, Poland, Ukraine or Romania. In fact, it has been a very good year for green-skinned avocados and prices have been very high."
The demand for avocados, which is higher than the supply, has recorded unstoppable growth over the last few years, which no peak in sight, and despite the market fluctuations caused by the irruption of the products from other origins, the fruit continues to reach very attractive prices.
For this reason, the Velez-Malaga-based group, specialized in the production and marketing of tropical fruit, has embarked on an ambitious expansion project. "Our idea is to continue boosting the growth of the Spanish production. We currently have 450 hectares spread between Portugal, Cadiz and Malaga, and the goal is to expand the acreage to 1,000 hectares by 2025," says Juan Antonio Reyes. "Also, we have set up a 600 m² facility in Valencia, in the Puig market, which is serving as operational and logistical hub for the distribution of our products and for the purchase of Valencian produce."
