Sweet potato cultivation in Sanlúcar de Barrameda has experienced rapid growth over the past decade. This southern Spanish coastal municipality in the province of Cadiz is currently the largest sweet potato-producing area in Europe. However, local farmers have reduced the acreage this year. They fear their profits will decrease because of the competition from other countries, as in previous campaigns. In fact, the Virgen del Rocío cooperative estimates it will produce nearly 5.5 million kilos of sweet potatoes, i.e. half the volume achieved last year, stated Juan Manuel Jimenez, the head of the entity.
Currently, half of the production is sold fresh. The other half goes to the processing industry, where it is mainly used for preparing baby food. Due to the high demand and the increase in cultivation, the cooperatives of Sanlúcar de Barrameda were also able to sell part of the harvest to companies that make crisps, dried and roasted sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes, among other things. This diversification of the product range is helping consumption increase by 5-7% every year.
The cooperatives from Sanlúcar de Barrameda have an annual turnover of around €80 million. Most of the production is destined for export. Germany, England, the Netherlands, France, and Romania are the main destination markets. Sweet potato average consumption in Spain stands at 400 grams per person a year, which is much lower than in other countries, such as Portugal, where per capita consumption stands at 2 kg a year, or in Latin American countries or the US, where consumption rises to 4 kilos per year. "The potential in these markets is huge, so we have to work with a quality product," stated Juan Manuel Rodriguez, manager of Frusana, a producer association that has harvested about 25,000 tons of this tuber so far.
The cultivation of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and carrots is the main economic activity in the Sanlúcar region. In recent years, the area has become one of the main fruit and vegetable exporters of the province of Cadiz and Andalusia.
Source: andaluciainformacion.es