The Spanish table grape season has started again for Moyca, the largest Spanish table grape producer, which is specialized in the cultivation of seedless white, red and black grapes. This includes specialties with hints of candy floss, strawberry and tropical flavors, offering no fewer than 60 different varieties. FreshPlaza paid a visit to the company in Murcia, where the grapes are packed in five different packaging facilities totaling 50,000 m2, and one of them exclusively devoted to the organic production.
During the last three years, Moyca has had an aggressive business plan, named 30 MM. Now it's time for a new plan, which has been approved. It's a promising plan that should bring progress when it comes to varieties, their packhouse, the packaging, organic produce, import, access to new territories and grapes from overseas. Last year, just before the start of the season, one of the five packing stations went up in flames, but the company is now 100% ready for the new season. "We have built it in 6 months, it´s ready."
Sales manager Josefina Mena
"With the new plantations, the acreage of 2,200 hectares will be increased significantly; Moyca expects a great season in terms of quality and volume after great weather conditions during the spring. Moreover, apart from some Egyptian production, the grape market is fairly empty, so we expect to be able to make a good start," says sales manager Josefina Mena.
For the time being, Moyca supplies exclusively Spanish grapes, but according to Josefina, the company is considering the possibility of offering imported grapes. "We have many customers who ask whether we can offer them the same quality grapes in the winter. Fortunately, our grapes do meet a demand. This also applies to organic grapes. In 2015, we had the first successful production of organic grapes and since then we have invested heavily in production, packaging and marketing. We are extending our range with more varieties on red, white and black and the exclusive Cotton Candy-variety. We now have a fairly large volume at our disposal."
Within Europe, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavian countries and France are among the largest markets. According to her, there are still many opportunities for growth within Europe. "Many countries are still used to the grapes with seeds and have yet to discover the seedless ones." She is also not worried about the possible consequences of Brexit. "Nobody knows what is going to happen. What we do know is that the British are crazy about grapes and that they will continue to eat them. Furthermore, grapes are a commodity, not a luxury product."
Moyca is also selling more and more grapes on the local, Spanish market. "In Spain, traditionally, grape consumption isn’t very high in the summer, perhaps due to the pressure from the large supply of summer fruit. With our specials lines, we are certainly seeing a turning point and we are making the best of that," says Josefine. Although the retail sector increasingly demands a reduction in the use of plastic, most grapes are still delivered in punnets. Moyca is studing new opportunities, one of them is compostable cardboard packaging , with compostable film as well as an alternative for its customers.
Outside Europe, Moyca's grapes have been shipped for years to destinations such as South Africa, Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Canada and the US. Last winter, the long-awaited access to the Chinese and Vietnam market was achieved. "We’ll have to wait and see. The protocol is not a simple one, and Chinese customers want the best quality. We therefore don’t see the Chinese market as a golden egg, but of course, the size of the market offers opportunities. The high tax on US grapes could work to our advantage, but our fruit reaches that market at the same time as local, Chinese productions," says Josefine.
Another advantage for Moyca is that about 10 years ago, the company decided to bet on the so-called specialties, which means that it now grows some 10 varieties on an exclusive basis, such as Ralli, K3, Strawberry, Krissy, Muscat Beaty, Cotton (Spain)....new hybrids. "We see many kinds of customers, with our range varieties we can cater for the most sophisticated palate."
"Eight years ago, we introduced our Candy-line, which has been very successful. New hybrids are coming to the market and we'll announce the first ones in a short while. Grape breeders like to work with us because we have great growers who try to improve their varieties. That's why we think it's great that four major grape breeders have announced that they will fight the increasing violation of intellectual property and growers' rights," says Josefine.
The bulk of Moyca's grapes find their way to supermarkets, either directly or through service providers. "Almost all large supermarkets are customers of ours, and we manage that carefully. As soon as they want to sell more grapes, we try to grow with them. But we give every customer the same treatment, regardless of whether they order two pallets a week or five trucks a day," says Josefine.
For more information:
Josefina Mena
Moyca
Pol. Ind. El Saladar Fase IV
C/ Arquímedes, 30850 Totana (Murcia) España
Tel: +34 968 49 08 48
fina@moyca.org
www.moyca.org