The avocado campaign in Granada began in November. “Frutas Fajardo started the campaign in mid-November. So far, sales are good. There is less fruit but we come from a campaign in which there was a surplus in production. The avocado is an alternate bearing tree, so naturally this year they have tended to produce less," stated Jose Antonio Fajardo.
"Calibers are smaller because of the drought, but they are not extremely small," he stressed. "In addition, we've noticed that people tend to consume calibers that range from 18 to 24, so we don't think this year's decrease in sizes is something negative. In general, the smaller fruit has less stone, so it is more usable. It usually has a better flavor as sugars and fat are more concentrated, and it is just the right size to be considered a fruit ration."
"It is true that there are certain retail markets that demand very large calibers, such as calibers 12-14, like in Italy, but this year those calibers practically do not exist, perhaps they could amount to 5% of the production. The main market for the national avocado, the center-north of Europe, is very aware of the calibers we have, just like it happened with the mango."
Water has been a determining factor for the subtropical campaigns of Andalusia this year. The main reservoir in the Axarquia region, La Viñuela, is still at a worrying 9% reserve level after there's been very little rainfall in the last six months in the province. In fact, between September and November, the level of the reservoir fluctuated between 4 and 9% of the reference values for these months, according to data from AEMET. The situation in Granada isn't much better.
"It has been a very warm and dry year, in the last months the temperature has been nearly 3 degrees above the average. Thus, it's ironic that in this situation the province has one of the swamps with the most water in all of Andalusia, and that it's only used for windsurfing. That's why we call the Béznar-Rules dam the most expensive pool in all of Europe."
"The mango campaign was too short because of the lack of water. I think producers ended it earlier due to fear, more than because they achieved smaller calibers because at the end of the campaign we even lacked medium and small sized fruit," Jose Antonio Fajardo stated. "There has been an unnecessary panic, but it has taught us all that we must plan the campaign well and that we shouldn't hurry to market our products, as that can saturate the market and cause prices to fall, ruining the season. We can't forget that our know-how, the way we grow our fruit (which we are able to grow in Europe thanks to our region's climate) gives it added value. We must continue to give it this added value. The Spanish origin makes the difference."
“Granada could double or triple its avocado production”
Granada is inextricably linked to the history of avocados in Andalusia. The first avocado trees that were planted in the community were planted in the province of Granada, specifically between the Rio Verde Valley and Motril. The Costa Tropical was a pioneer in the cultivation of avocado, taking the first step in this industry that still has great potential in the region.
"In recent years, and for various socio-economic and political reasons, avocado production has developed much more in Malaga than in Granada. However, it's worth noting that Malaga only has water to irrigate one out of every 4 trees planted, while Granada could plant 2 or even 3 trees for every tree it has planted. We have a surplus of water and we haven't taken advantage of it yet. Thus, in an ideal future, Granada could double or triple its avocado production without reaching any limits."
For more information:
Frutas Fajardo
Autovía del Mediterráneo A7
Salida 322 Ctra. Lobres-Molvízar Km 2
18611 Molvízar, Granada (España)
Tel.: +34 958 64 40 92
[email protected]
http://www.frutasfajardo.com/