Avocados are very far from being as present as bananas in La Palma, but what is certain is that it is a fruit with a clear expansion, generating a significant annual income for its growers of between 8 and 10 million Euro.
According to the manager of the Campo Palmero Cooperative, Cocampa, Luis de Paz, the island has an average annual production of 5 million kilos, although it fluctuates a lot, because it is not a constant production. "We, at Cocampa, produce about a million and a half kilos, and the island's estimate amounts to about five million kilos;" a significant amount, if you consider that the Canary Islands as a whole produce 8 million kilos and the Peninsula 80 million kilos. "It's a lot or very little, it depends, but if we had more avocados, sales would still increase and more would be exported, so from that point of view, the production is still small."
Although some shipments are occasionally made to the Peninsula or abroad, the majority of the production is consumed in the Canary Islands; however, the future for this crop lies in shipping it to other places. Luis de Paz defends this position, because "we see that we are reaching the production level that could cover the consumption needs of the Islands. The crop is expanding, it is being exported more and more, and the total volume is expected to continue growing in the coming years." In this sense, he pointed out that the Council of Agriculture of the Cabildo knows that it is essential to start opening new markets, "not because we want to, but because we noticed that there is demand for avocados both in the Peninsula and in Europe."
Profitability
In this context, for the people who now have avocados, the crop is very profitable, but Luis de Paz stressed that planting now entails starting to harvest in five years, and it is not easy to know if it will be profitable then. "But as long as things stay as they are now, it is expected that they will indeed remain profitable. In fact, when they ask me about what to plant, I usually advise planting avocados." Although its profitability has nothing to do with that of bananas "it cannot be compared in terms of volume or money with bananas; it is another kettle of fish," acknowledged the manager of Cocampa.
Avocados are grown in different parts of the world and in very different climates, such as La Palma. "What we notice here is that lands that are less productive for bananas, which tend to be colder, are suitable for avocados, so both crops can complement each other well." Las Breñas, the Aridane Valley, Tijarafe or Puntagorda are the areas of Isla Bonita where there are more avocados planted. It is difficult to know for sure how many people have avocados, but there is no doubt whatsoever that it is a booming product which is yielding profits to those growing it. The fact is that, despite being expensive, if you compare it, for example, with potatoes, more and more people are consuming it.
Source: elapuron.com
