Fresón de Palos expands with products processed from berries

According to the expert, in recent seasons, based on data supplied by the MAGRAMA, there has been a slowdown of strawberry consumption amongst Spanish consumers; a trend that differs from what is happening in the main European destinations.

"Retailers have an increasingly wider range of fruit, giving people more options to consume fruit all year round. It is unusual for more than two types of fruit to be purchased at once, which makes products that are not directly competing actually full competitors. in this sense, it is necessary to differentiate strawberries from other berries. Strawberries are a really consolidated product, moving volumes that could soon make the fruit a commodity, competing for a place in regular purchases, while raspberries, blackberries or blueberries represent a tiny share of the retail space and consumers don't consider them a regular part of their shopping list, are dominated by products such as oranges, apples or bananas," explains Jaime Zaforas.

Fresón de Palos is introducing crops like blueberries and raspberries, although this has not led to a reduction in the strawberry acreage, which has remained at the more than 1,100 hectares of the previous seasons.

"Fresón de Palos will continue strengthening its leadership in the strawberry market in the coming years, while continuing to grow in the cultivation of blueberries and raspberries, promoting its strategy to make the parent brand more recognisable amongst consumers. Thus, retailer shelves will feature a range formed by Fresón de Palos (strawberries), Arándano de Palos (blueberries) and Frambuesa de Palos (raspberries)," he explains.

In recent seasons, the weather conditions have become one of the most important factors; there is even talk of climate change as a result of the unusually high temperatures registered in autumn and winter, the lack of rainfall, etc.

"In the sector, it is usually said that there are 'no two campaigns alike,' but what happened this season has no historical precedent. We don't know if it has been a one-off or if we are facing climate change, but the high temperatures and the sunshine of the last quarter of 2015 have caused the production to start earlier than ever," affirms Jaime Zaforas.

In fact, some European importers have talked about quality problems in the strawberries from almost all exporters, especially Egypt and Spain, as a result of the weather conditions at given points of the campaign.

"The campaigns are becoming longer and strawberries are highly sensitive to external factors, so it could eventually be considered normal for the production not to reach the desired quality levels in given weeks as a result of the weather. At this moment, we are harvesting really good fruit," he says. "As soon as the campaign reaches its peak, we expect a normalisation of the situation that should lead to us having a successful season."

On average, the sector exports more than 90% of the production, although Fresón de Palos is an exception, as the Spanish market is its priority destination.

"Currently, our share in the national distribution market stands close to 30%, according to research by Nielsen; a privileged position that we defend with a great product, an efficient and flexible service, and an established brand," points out Zaforas.

As for exports, its main destinations are Germany, Italy, France, the UK or Portugal, followed by Eastern Europe and recent additions, such as Panama and the United States.

Given the seasonality of strawberries, Fresón de Palos seeks to expand its brand in the market by exploring new segments in partnership with leading companies, such as the recently launched Fresón de Palos strawberry ice cream, or a traditional strawberry jam.

"Strawberries are a very seasonal product that virtually disappears from the shelves in June and does not return until December, but thanks to the launch of these new products, the Fresón de Palos brand will remain visible in stores all year round, strengthening its positions and expanding to other product categories," points out Jaime Zaforas.

"The fact that major companies like Hero or Bornay are successfully marketing products with the Fresón de Palos brand shows that consumers and distributors appreciate it. It makes us proud to see that our brand adds value to the products of these large firms; that those products gain from the quality image of our strawberries, helping them truly stand out."

Innovation is one of the hallmarks of Fresón de Palos and it will become even more important in the coming seasons, starting with the current one, when we will present our latest developments.