The previous apple season in Portugal was marked by hot weather, leading to lower production, says Manuel Reis, senior manager of Portuguese apple grower and exporter Campotec: "We mainly produce Alcobaça apples (Maçã de Alcobaça IGP) and organic apples, in our own orchards and in the orchards of our associates. Last season, the apple production was affected by extreme hot temperatures in July and August, impacting the Gala variety mainly, which is the most popular variety of Alcobaça apples. The total production decreased by about 10 per cent, after a drop of approximately 30 per cent in the previous season."
According to Reis, people are going for more healthy lifestyles, which in turn leads to good demand for healthy products as apples. "The demand for apples was rather stable in the local market during the last season. The overall fruit sector is being pushed up thanks to healthy food trends, and apples rank among the most popular fruits for consumers. However, apples face increasing competition from other fruits, such as exotic fruits, as globalization is growing. The apples from Alcobaça IGP are recognized for its quality and excellence by the consumers, and our focus on innovation represents a considerable part of our efforts to differentiate our apples."
For the Portuguese apple exporter, the market in Brazil is both familiar and important for their exports, Reis explains: "Campotec holds production sites in the Brazilian southern region of Santa Catarina, where we produce apples, pears and plums. The local presence and the knowledge of the local market and local players, facilitates all the process of exporting, and makes Brazil the core market for our exports."
There were multiple challenges to overcome for Campotec last year, but this hasn't stopped them from investing further in a more sustainable strategy, Reis states. "The major challenge is always to provide a differentiated apple at a competitive price and be committed to quality, since this is the way to preserve value in the long run. The main challenges were at a technical level. Climate change, increasing restrictions and increasing costs impact the overall yield of the orchards. Campotec is currently investing in the concept of Eco-Orchard, promoting sustainability as the way to achieve biodiversity and equilibrate the orchards in the long run. This has been a driver of our investment strategy."
Looking at the new apple season, production should be higher than it was last year: "We foresee the harvesting to start in early August for Galas, which is our major variety. The blooming period was exceptionally long this year, with several flowering cycles. We expect production to revert last year's trend, and an increase in the production is expected, but still short from the last decade's average. Nevertheless, we still face climate challenges for the next month, hot temperatures can still jeopardize the estimated production level. Regarding demand, we foresee an increase in the external demand, particularly in Brazil, where the production has fallen around 50% this last season," Reis concludes.
For more information:
Manuel Reis
Campotec
Tel: +351 968517222
Email: [email protected]
www.campotec.pt