In 2023, the mango season was abnormally short, as the impact of drought and heat waves brought the start of the season forward to mid-August, and it ended precipitously in the first week of October, but this year has been much more positive for Malaga's subtropical sector. "In our case, we've had close to 80% more volume than last season, almost double the volume we had forecast for 2023," says Prudencio López, manager of Natural Tropic. "The campaign has been very long, with more kilos than expected not only for the Osteen, but also for the Keitt. In fact, 2024 has been a year of growth for us, with Natural Tropic reaching close to 50 million euros in turnover."
Due to the need for a tropical climate, mango cultivation is carried out in very specific areas in the provinces of Malaga (which accounts for practically 90% of Spain's acreage) or Granada. Thus, the Spanish season very strongly depends on local weather conditions. "Meanwhile, avocados, which are more flexible in this regard, have expanded to other areas of Andalusia and the Valencian Community, where their growth is ensuring great stability in the Spanish production," says Prudencio.
"Right now, we are in the middle of the avocado season, with good quantities of good quality fruit, and after the price drops recorded in December due to oversupply from different origins, at the moment, prices and supply are again in balance," he says.
"For us, besides La Axarquía, another two very important areas for the supply of avocados are Huelva and, above all, Cadiz, and from February onwards we will start with Valencian avocados."
"The diversity of production areas and the overall high quality of Spanish avocados should encourage us in the sector to work together under a single brand of origin, instead of dividing our promotional strength by trying to promote regional origins," says Prudencio.
"Morocco is a big competitor for us during our market window. Last year, the drought caused there to be a more limited production, so this wasn't such a big issue, but this year the country is supplying larger volumes and shipping the fruit directly to the United Kingdom and Europe, our main markets, at very competitive prices. And we have been noticing this from the beginning of the season. This is why we need to strengthen the image of Spanish avocados."
"Our specialization and logistical development allow us to reach any part of the continent in a more atomized manner"
"We know that part of the retail is strongly price-focused, so in the current context of lower consumer purchasing power, the priority is obtaining fruit from cheaper sources, rather than proximity or sustainability. But despite this, Spain offers great advantages: our production period is longer than the Moroccan one, and we are the main supplier to the European market, practically from February to April. Also, while Morocco is forced to reach Europe with full trucks, our specialization and logistics allow us to reach any part of the continent in a more atomized manner," says Prudencio López.
"In this regard, I'd like to highlight the great commitment to the Spanish avocado season, and in general, with their fruit and vegetables, from chains such as Lidl and Carrefour. All the chains work with Spanish production when their season is in full swing, although not to the same extent. That's why we, in the sector, appreciate the chains that show 100% commitment to Spanish produce and 100% support for our work," he says.
"Very positive scenario for pistachios. We will be growing, but are still far from meeting domestic consumption, so prices will continue to be very attractive"
Although Natural Tropic is focused on subtropical crops, the company has launched a new project with pistachio cultivation. As in the case of mangoes and avocados, this crop is growing at a quick pace, as the demand from the industry and consumers is also on the rise.
"We already have 100 hectares of pistachio trees planted, and we have also built a processing plant, which is already in operation and required an investment of 2 million euros," says Prudencio. "We plan to implement the same working methods as we have for mangoes and avocados, as well as to carry out domestic campaigns."
"The market is currently dominated by the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, by Turkey and Iran. In Spain, we have already exceeded 80,000 hectares of plantations, so with the volumes that the country will obtain in the next 10 years we will have the capacity to position ourselves and consolidate our position in the retail sector. Moreover, even though we are growing, we are still far from meeting domestic consumption, so prices will continue to be very attractive."
For more information:
Natural Tropic
C/ Juan Gris, P. I. La Pañoleta
2029700 Vélez-Málaga, Málaga. Spain
Tel.: +34 952 50 27 09
https://naturaltropic.es
