The organic Bacon avocado campaign has started earlier for the Granada-based cooperative Procam Bio due to the favourable weather conditions.
"We have just started marketing Bacon avocados, with lively sales and very high prices. They are selling like hot cakes," states Fernando Martín, manager of Procam. From mid-November, we will start harvesting Hass avocados.
According to the manager of the cooperative, the trend in the sector is to convert the plantations of smooth and green skinned avocado varieties to Hass.
"Although it may seem early for Spanish avocados to be already available, we have managed to hit the market soon with adequate fat content and large calibres thanks to the good weather conditions this year. For us, it is important to have Bacon avocados available at this time, as prices are very interesting, given how this variety is losing ground to the Hass. In fact, the sooner we hit the market, the better, since later, when the market has enough Hass, the Bacon prices will drop significantly. The Fuerte variety, which is also green-skinned, is more affected by the Hass, since it arrives on similar dates," explains Fernando Martín. "I expect the green-skinned avocado market to be very good until mid-October."
Fernando Martín believes that although consumer trends continue to favour Hass, "there will always be a niche market for green and smooth skinned avocados, even though prices will fall."
As for organic mangoes, Procam Bio usually starts with the first Kent mangoes in mid-October, but this year it expects to already have large volumes in the first week of October. Later on it will continue with Keitt mangoes.
"There is too much production of organic vegetables in Spain"
Procam Bio has a sufficient volume of cucumbers, which are supplied all year round. In late October, it will already have on the vine and Marmande tomatoes, and in a week also courgettes and butternut squash.
"The organic cucumber market is good at the moment, with acceptable prices, although it will probably get worse in the coming weeks, as production is growing in Spain. The supply is greater than the demand, as there is no organisation regulating the crop's expansion and the certification of farms. The profitability will be gradually reduced in the coming years compared to previous campaigns."
For more information:
Fernando Martín Callejón. Manager.
PROCAM BIO.
Ctra Almería km. 1,6- Motril, Granada. Spain
T: +34 958600306
direccion@procamsca.com
www.procamsca.com