In the weeks leading up to the Christmas and New Year celebrations, a rising demand is observed for exotic fruits such as Spanish cherimoya, whose supply is becoming more limited at this time of year, leading it to fetch fairly high prices. The Spanish mango season has ended with a larger than expected production, and the Hass avocado harvest is now starting with the prospect of good market opportunities between January and March.
In Spain, cherimoya reaches its natural production peak from mid-September to the beginning of November. "At this time, there's a scarcer cherimoya supply and the demand is increasing, as is usually the case in the run-up to Christmas. For this reason, prices are high at the moment," says Alberto Casanova, Sales Director of the company Frutas Manzano from Granada.
"We have been very happy with the cherimoya season since it started because the harvest has been very staggered and at no point has there been any saturation in the supply, so prices have remained at good levels. I wish all cherimoya seasons were like this one," says Alberto Casanova.
Frutas Manzano's cherimoyas are mainly intended for the domestic market, but some are also exported to Portugal, Italy and, to a lesser extent, to France and Germany, among other countries, during the nine months that the season lasts, taking the crop's two flowering periods into account.
"We are doing very well with our cherimoyas every year. You might initially assume that the diversification of the production to new exotic crops, both in the field and on the shelves, would lead to greater competition for cherimoyas, but the truth is that the fruit is actually benefiting from the growing trend in the consumption of these products," says Casanova.
"The demand for it is increasing and it is also becoming more and more widespread. In Spain, it has gone from being more of a local product in the south to expanding all over the Iberian Peninsula. In the past, it was more of a greengrocer's product and now it is present on the shelves of many supermarket chains," says the Sales Director of Frutas Manzano.
The Spanish Hass avocado harvest is beginning in a market saturated with fruit from different origins
The Hass avocado harvest has recently started in Spain.
"There is now starting to be some supply of Spanish avocados, but the truth is that there is still fruit from many sources in the European markets, especially from Colombia, Chile or Israel, as well as Morocco, whose supply has notably increased this year. As long as there is so much avocado available, it will be difficult for European chains to switch to the Spanish production, which I believe will have the best marketing opportunities between January and March, which is also when it is at its best in terms of quality. That is why, for the time being, we are in no hurry to sell," says Casanova.
As far as smooth-skinned varieties are concerned, the season has already ended for the Bacon, and now the Fuerte and Pinkerton are starting with good demand and prices. "These are varieties with lower volumes and less consumption, but which are finding their place in the market and are fetching the right prices this year."
Longer than expected mango season
The Spanish mango season has already come to an end for this Granada-based company. "In the end, there has been more production than initially estimated and we have obtained higher prices compared to the previous season, with a rather limited but continuous supply," says Casanova.
For more information:
Alberto Casanova
Frutas Rafael Manzano e Hijos S.L.
Tel.: +34958612597
[email protected]
www.frutasmanzano.com