A new Spanish mango campaign is finishing for the company TropicSur, which is once again managed independently by brothers Álvaro and Juan Miguel González, following the separation in June of this year of the Catalan company Cultivar SAU, with which they still maintain a good business relationship.
"The campaign has only just finished, and despite the historically low volume this year, we are highly satisfied, since we have been able to go against the flow. We have grown by around 5% compared to 2022 in terms of field share and established ourselves at around 10% of the total, wrapping up a decent season and thus living true to our slogan: 'Our origin makes us unique,'" said Álvaro González.
"In the beginning, when drawing out the programs with our customers, we predicted a very early end for the season, at around week 38-39 with the later varieties, but we have managed to stretch it until week 40-41, in which the last shipments have been made to the various markets and food chains. In normal conditions, we would have reached at least week 44 with the Keitt, the later variety."
"We feel really proud of our management and how successfully we have defended our roots. We have upheld the value of our mango in a year in which growers have really needed the support from us marketers. Although a few years ago we were largely unknown, since we were a storage warehouse and not a marketer, producers now are turning to TropicSur after seeing chances for profitability, guarantees, maximum compliance and a very personal treatment. Therefore, we can say that our growth is the result of our good work. It has taken us a lot of effort and determination to position ourselves in the sector."
"It is worth noting that TropicSur is a family business that used to focus exclusively on Spanish avocados and mangoes, but for some years, we have been taking our first steps with imported fruit to be able to meet the needs of our whole network of customers, which includes greengrocers, wholesalers and large retailers, which need a 365-day-per-year service," said Juan Miguel Gonzalez.
"10 years ago, we never imagined that we would reach this level of critical drought here in Malaga"
"We are suffering a brutal drought, but we have already been dealing with this problem for several years. It is currently at its worst, and although the Axarquia is being more severely hit, the problem is spreading to other parts of Malaga and the rest of Andalusia, where agricultural producers are becoming highly concerned by the issue."
"Many farms have had to be abandoned, and not for a simple 'shortage' of water, which means not having enough, but for not having a single drop of water with which to, at the very least, keep their trees alive. The situation, in fact, is irreversible for many of the areas and now the administrations are running out of time and should concentrate on implementing urgent measures to improve the water infrastructures."
"It must be done now," said Alvaro. "If not, the subtropical sector in the Axarquia and other areas of Malaga will be doomed to die, despite the huge wealth generated by these crops, both economically and socially."
"We are not 100% affected by the situation, since our productions are in the region of the Guadalhorce Valley and here, luckily, we have not yet reached this point, but we are affected directly, since much of the mango we market comes from the Axarquia."
"As for avocados, we have very recently launched a new plantation in the Region of Valencia in order to diversify the risks of shortages."
"We have been working for eight years in the marketing of Valencian avocados; in fact, we opened a collection center in 2022 in Alicante, and we also reached an agreement with a Valencian cooperative to limit the distances and be able to better serve our suppliers in the Levante area."
"There are very good areas for growing avocados there, but also others where it isn't possible to make the crop work, especially due to the weather conditions. Our experience in the Region of Valencia in recent years has helped us in picking the location for our first plantation, and if everything goes well, we will continue to grow year after year in terms of planted area," said Juan Miguel.
"Also, we are not the only ones who are acquiring farms there," said Alvaro. "Today, one of the greatest advantages of the Region of Valencia compared to other producing areas is the availability of water. In fact, this precious commodity is making some companies move. The Portuguese Algarve, Cadiz and Huelva are also emerging areas when it comes to avocado cultivation."
"In any case, it remains important to raise awareness about water and stop thinking that its supply is infinite. We are seeing that this isn't the case, and that the consequences of not having it are really bad and concerning, both for agriculture and for the daily life of any person."
"At this point, it would be good for public administrations to fight to ensure that all ways of acquiring water are truly legal, since, unfortunately, fraud has been allowed to happen, regardless of the urgent need for improvements in Andalusia's water infrastructures."
For more information:
Tropicsur
Tel.: +34 951 509 400
[email protected]
www.tropicsur.es