This year's Spanish walnut campaign, which started in October in the early areas, such as Andalusia and Extremadura, and which continues this month in the rest of the producing regions, is developing with good quality, with the prospect of an increase in the production compared to the previous campaign, according to the president of the Walnut and Pecan Committee of FEPEX, Francisco Caballero, also spokesperson for the brand “Nueces de España”.
This year's production has benefited from the good weather conditions in periods of great importance for the development of the campaign, such as the setting and flowering. Estimates point to an increase in the volumes compared to 2018. Last season wasn't good in terms of marketing due to the tariff rates imposed by China to the United States, which led to its exports being redirected to Europe, especially to Spain, causing the price of Spanish walnuts to fall, according to Francisco Caballero.
The Spanish sector is seeking to differentiate itself from imports in terms of quality; therefore, the Nueces de España brand has signed an agreement with Kiwa Spain to certify its productions. Through this agreement, signed in the framework of the latest edition of Fruit Attraction, the Nueces de España brand will be given a specific certification, allowing consumers to identify the product as a quality one with all the guarantees.
The initiative was based on an agreement between FEPEX, owner of the brand, with the collaboration of Asociafruit (an association integrated in the Federation which represents the walnut producers of Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Castile-Leon and Madrid) and the certification company Kiwa Spain, leader in the domestic agro-food sector and highly reputable internationally.
The acreage devoted to walnut production in Spain stands at 13,565 hectares, according to 2017 data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Andalusia are the autonomous regions with the largest areas, according to MAPA data, with 3,611 hectares in the case of Castile-La Mancha, 1,578 hectares in Catalonia and 1,438 hectares in Andalusia. They are followed by Castile-Leon, with 1,419 hectares, the Region of Valencia, with 1,081 hectares, and Extremadura, with 1,052 hectares. Looking at the varieties, the fastest growing one has been the pecan walnut in the autonomous region of Andalusia. Its consumption has also grown.
For more information: www.fepex.es