Organic grower Felipe Gonzalez from Plantate SL, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Global Gap and organic certificates, has been producing papaya and passion fruit (maracuja) for 7 years now. Currently Felipe is growing papaya and maracuja on 4 hectares but he is adding 3 hectares. In total he will have 5 hectares of papaya and 2 hectares of maracuja.
We have been growing these products with great pleasure. Our produce is tree ripened and has a short way to travel to Spain and our logistical hub in Perpignan. The brix of our papaya is 15 at harvest and of the maracuja its 13.
Starting next year April 2021 we will have close to 400T of papaya to sell and 30T of maracuja. There is great demand for all sizes, but the consumers in the north of Europe prefer sizes 6 – 12 per 4,5kg net weight boxes. That is why we have added extra hectares of small sized papayas, comments Felipe.
"The two varieties that we grow, the Formosa and Exotica are grown year round in the Canary Islands. The fruit ripens longer on the tree because the transport to the European market is shorter. The fruit therefore has more natural sugar, which benefits the taste of the product, "says Juan A. Muñoz from Mara Fruits.
We are ready to start delivering larger volumes through the European retail channel. We are now discussing the possibilities to substitute the conventional papayas for our organic papayas. Production and volumes are there, and the final consumer is also willing and able to play its part in consuming a tasty and organically grown papaya with a much smaller environmental impact compared to conventional produce that is shipped by air, adds Johan Troost, sales manager for Mara Fruits based in Holland.
The papaya is available all year round and the maracuja is available from Aug/Sept till February. Sizes in the maracuja yellow are size 8 – 14 pieces per 2kg box, and in red 10-18 pcs. 230 boxes per pallet. Papaya sizes are size 3-12 in 4.5kg. 150 per pallet.
For more information:
Johan Troost
Mara Fruits
Mob: +31 (0) 626 949 712
Email: sales@marafruits.com