Reyes Gutiérrez is now starting its first avocado harvest in its 500 hectares of farms in Portugal and Cádiz.
Finca Aguacates del Sur, in Cádiz, Spain.
"Like every first harvest, the volume won't be high, but it will be at the level that we expected," says Juan Antonio Reyes, director of the Malaga-based company. "By 2026, we expect to reach full capacity and we'll be able to supply all of Europe with local, fully traceable fruit thanks to the technology in our crops, minimizing water consumption and, with the help of field and quality technicians, monitoring the fruit's maturity and condition so that the product has the ideal quality for the end consumers."
Finca São Joaquim, in Portugal.
"If the rains allow it, we will continue working towards the goal of reaching 1,000 hectares in the Iberian Peninsula. We are devoting a lot of time and effort and making great investments. We also aim to expand our acreage in Morocco with another 1,000 hectares. We have been carrying out the necessary negotiations for that during the past winter months," says Juan Antonio.
While Spain has not had a lot of fruit, thanks to imports from different origins, Reyes Gutiérrez, together with its subsidiaries Avomix, RG France, and RG Valencia, has still managed to market about 30,000 tons in 2023; 24,000 tons of avocados and 6,000 tons of mangoes. The turnover has amounted to around 90 million Euro.
The director of Reyes Gutiérrez trusts in the management capacity of the new generation, led by his children. "With the management of Avomix, Jorge continues to open new commercial routes throughout Europe for the sauces, especially guacamole. María, who is managing Avofruits, is future-proofing the operation with the help of her technicians and engineers, optimizing the use of every drop of water and researching new formulas to make the trees more efficient and with better quality fruit. Lastly, Pablo, the youngest of the brothers, who is managing Reyes Gutiérrez, is fully involved in the reorganization of the company, the management of large accounts and in looking for new international clients and suppliers to supply the markets 365 days a year."
Jorge, María and Pablo Reyes, the new generation of Reyes Gutiérrez.
"We have always remained at the forefront in terms of automation technology and process optimization in our packaging plants, both those from Reyes Gutiérrez and Avomix, providing continuous training so that technicians are always ready to keep them working at full capacity during every campaign," he says.
Juan Antonio has optimistic prospects for 2024 and expects a national avocado campaign with smaller volumes, but better in terms of fruit quality. "The complexity of the current situation will be alleviated with our own productions, spread out across the Iberian Peninsula. Regarding the import campaigns, we are told that it is still too early to make any analyses, but we stay in touch with our partners and associates from around the world to be able to supply avocados to European consumers all year round."
"As for the 2023/2024 mango campaign, despite the low volume, we met our commitments by delivering the best product available at all times. It is still too early for an estimate for the 2024/2025 campaign; however, we expect to to be able to meet the needs of all our major retail customers, despite the difficult situation regarding water."
As for imports, Juan Antonio points to the deficits recorded in some countries compared to their previous campaigns, "although alternatives are emerging in other origins where the quality has pleasantly surprised us. That's why we continue to trust our suppliers and team members."
The goal of Reyes Gutiérrez in 2024 is to increase the productive quota in the Spanish Levant with the incorporation of new partners, and the development in Morocco of new avocado cultivation fields.
For more information:
Juan Antonio Reyes
Reyes Gutiérrez
Tel.: +34 952 50 56 06
jarg@reyesgutiérrez.com
www.reyesgutierrez.com