Avocado will be the star product at the 16th edition of the Fruit Attraction fair organized by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, which will be held from October 8 to 10 at the Madrid venue.
The day before the start of the fair, on Monday, October 7, the World Avocado Organization, Asociafruit (the Association of Producing and Exporting Companies of Fruits and Vegetables, Nuts, Flowers and Plants of Andalusia), Aecam (the Association of Avocado and Mango Marketing Companies), and Cooperativas Agro Alimentarias will hold the Global Avocado Congress to continue to position the avocado internationally.
In addition, the Avocado and Mango Inter-branch Organization will be presented on the first day of the Fruit Attraction fair. The avocado will also have great prominence in different activities organized by Asociafruit, Aecam, and Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias.
In recent years, according to MAPA's 2022 Yearbook, avocado cultivation in Spain has experienced remarkable success, moving from the traditional growing areas (the Canary Islands, Costa Tropical de Málaga, and Axarquía de Málaga) to other areas of the country in the provinces of Cádiz, Huelva, Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón. In addition, producers are carrying out crop trials in regions such as Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria.
The region of Andalusia concentrates about 75% of Spain's avocado production. Malaga and Granada are the provinces where the crop has traditionally been grown. However, production is expanding to other provinces such as Cádiz, Huelva, and Seville.
Spanish avocado exports are mainly destined for the EU. In 2023, Spain sold 122,784 tons of avocados to EU countries, including France and the Netherlands, which absorb more than 50% of these exports. The value of the total exported production stands at around 400 million euros.
Mexico is the world's largest producer and consumer of avocados, accounting for around 30% of the world's production, according to FAOSTAT. A large part of this is destined for the US market. Countries such as Peru and Chile also export a large part of their production. The European markets, in general, and Spain in particular, are important destinations for their exports.
According to the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency, Peru is Spain's main avocado supplier. In 2023, Spain purchased 133,011 tons of Peruvian avocado. This means that more than 50% of the 242,060 tons of avocado that Spain imported came from Peru.
For more information: www.fepex.es