According to Nicolás Oheix, of Alcoaxarquía Bio, the organic products segment has gone from being a trend to practically becoming the norm. "Today it is more common to sell organic fruits in the market than in the past, and there are more and more countries that are joining the list of consumers. We export to EU markets, mainly France, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, and lately we have been developing in Eastern countries, where there is a growing market for organic products. The future is very promising for these, and thanks to the advances made in logistics, we could consider exporting to more distant destinations outside Europe."
Nicolás
Nicolás mentions that competition in the organic sector is getting tougher. "Organic products are fashionable and many growers are venturing to produce them, some without specific advice, so we are also here to accompany them in the adventure and grow along with them."
Producing organic fruit is not easy. Although the company was founded in 2009, its members have more than 40 years' experience in agriculture, which is enough knowledge to be able to undertake organic production and marketing with all the challenges they entail. "At the moment, 80% of our production is organic, but we expect to reach 100% soon," points out Nicolás Oheix,
Over the last 15 years, the profitability of oranges has been falling; for that reason, many Andalusian growers have switched to mangoes and avocados, whose consumption is booming and which still have a huge potential for growth. "That is why we, in addition to being committed to subtropicals, have decided to take advantage of our knowledge in the cultivation of oranges to produce them organically, as the market opportunities for those are much more interesting," he affirms.
Since the company's strategy is to supply its large retail customers all year round, it complements the Spanish production with imports from overseas. To this end, they created a subsidiary in Peru to be able to advise and better control the avocado and mango productions.
"At the moment, the Spanish avocado, sweet potato and orange campaigns are in full swing, with much demand. At the same time, we are working with Peruvian mangoes and preparing the upcoming importation of the remaining products."
Alcoaxarquía Bio is in full expansion mode, thanks to the boom in the consumption of subtropical fruits and the growing popularity of organic products. While in 2015 they invoiced 5 million Euros, 2016 came to a close with 12 million Euros in turnover. "We are setting up a warehouse with a greater capacity and more up-to-date facilities in Vélez-Málaga, at the heart of the mango and avocado production area. At the moment, we handle a volume of approximately 9 million kilos combining all products, but we expect to reach 20 million kilos in 2 years."
For more information:
Nicolás Oheix
Alcoaxarquía Bio
Calle Velázquez numero 23
Polígono industrial la mata. 29700 Vélez-Málaga.