"The demand for medlar is quite high, despite its lack of popularity"

Granada's medlar season, which started in early April, has just passed its peak and will last until the end of May.

"From now on, the volume available will start to drop, so prices will rebound as the supply becomes smaller," explains Alberto Casanova, of the sales department of Frutas Manzano.

"The campaign is moving forward with a somewhat lower production compared to last year, as well as with a very staggered harvest, without overlaps, mostly due to abundant rainfall and relatively mild temperatures. Such conditions have resulted in smooth sales and prices have thus remained stable," he says.

Last year, Frutas Manzano sold around 1.5 million kilos of medlars grown in Granada. According to Alberto Casanova, the acreage devoted to the fruit remains stable, just like the demand.

"The demand for medlar is quite high, despite its lack of popularity. It is not an easy product to work with, because it is delicate and sensitive to bumps and scratches. The selection and sorting is done manually in the field, where it is placed in boxes, without removing the peduncle, which helps extend its shelf life. More and more producers are choosing to use cardboard and plastic boxes, rather than wooden ones. We are avoiding the use of wooden packaging to be able to handle the fruit as little as possible and thus avoid stains and friction," he says. Fortunately, although it is delicate, it is a fruit with a long shelf life which causes no problems in storage," he adds.

The most important market for this company, based in the Costa Tropical of Granada, is Italy, followed by Portugal, Spain and Greece. "We always try to promote medlars in countries of central and northern Europe, and although we usually make some small shipments, the demand never ends up becoming consolidated, since there is no tradition of consumption outside the Mediterranean. In Germany, there is some demand for medlars due to the significant presence of immigrants from Turkey."

According to Alberto Casanova, the Spanish medlar is not a product that faces competition from other countries. "We compete with the medlars of other regions within Spain, mainly Callosa, in Alicante. In my opinion, the medlars of Alicante have a very good presentation and are very attractive to the eye, given that they have a lot of experience and know-how and treat the product very well. However, our medlars generally stand out thanks to their higher Brix levels and a more intense flavour. Our medlars are perhaps not as showy, but they are tastier."

Frutas Manzano is specialised in the marketing of tropical fruits and supplies avocados and mangoes all year round, since the Spanish production is complemented with imports from other origins. Produced in Granada, cherimoyas have a really special place in its product range, with availability from September to May.