The Sevillian group Royal SAT, based in the town of San José de la Rinconada, is a leading name in the European fresh fruit market. It is devoted to the production and marketing of stone fruit and berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, of which it has its own varieties thanks to genetic research.
The company's turnover, which exceeds 100 million Euro, used to be sustained 50-50 by stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots, Paraguayo peaches and pluot) and berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries). However, in this last year "berries have already accounted for 70% of the turnover," says the founder and president of the company, José Gandía.
Rising demand
The reason for this is the fact that "the demand for berries hasn't stopped growing, as consumers are increasingly interested in buying products of the highest quality and with beneficial health properties." This is especially the case for raspberries, whose market has remained very dynamic since October. The fruit is usually consumed until the month of June."
Royal is already working with raspberries, of which it produces about 1,000 tons in Huelva, Portugal and Morocco. As of January, the blueberry season will also begin. The company expects to harvest about 10,000 tons of the fruit, which is grown mainly in Morocco.
80% of its business is abroad, with strong penetration in Europe. The raspberry variety Glamor and the Blu Aroma blueberry have been successful in countries such as France, the Netherlands or Norway, with the Nordic countries playing a key role in the company's strategy.
National consumption
Gandía also highlights the growth in berry consumption observed nationwide, which is "mostly due to the boost given by retail chains such as Mercadona," which markets Royal's blueberries. "Mercadona accounts for 36% of the fresh fruit sold in Spain, although in the case of blueberries and raspberries, this percentage rises to 60% and 50%, respectively," says Gandía.
To be able to cope with this growing demand, both nationally and internationally, Royal wants its raspberry and blueberry acreage to double "within the next four years," investing in lands in Huelva and Portugal. Thus, according to the president of the business group, the plan is to "expand from 600 to 1,200 hectares in the case of blueberries, and from 100 to 200 hectares in the case of raspberries."
The group expects to close 2019 with a 10% growth in terms of turnover compared to the previous year, thanks to the 20% growth achieved by berries.
Source: sevilla.abc.es
