La Palma is the island of the Canarian Archipelago with the most acreage devoted to avocado cultivation. According to data provided by the regional government, it has a total of 595.5 hectares planted. It is followed by Tenerife, with 473.4; Gran Canaria, 181.6; La Gomera, 19.6; El Hierro, 17; and Lanzarote, 0.5.
In 2015, the acreage devoted to avocados in the Canary Islands stood at 1,287 hectares; an increase of 58% compared to 2007, when this crop was grown on 815 hectares. These data show the boom experienced by the sector in eight years and "its potential for growth, especially in the foreign market, as stated by the Councillor of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero.
Spain is the largest avocado producer in Europe. Most of the avocados grown in the Islands used to be intended for local trade; however, the growing supply has led to exports becoming increasingly relevant, especially in the peninsular market, but also in France and Cape Verde and other African countries.
Narvay Quintero also highlighted the options available to producers to stand out from their competitors, such as the adoption of European quality labels. "Betting on quality is the way for the Archipelago to strengthen its position against other productions that compete with ours, mainly in the south of the Peninsula, when exporting to the European market," said the Councillor.
Different varieties
The Canary Islands grows various avocado varieties. The main ones are the Hass and Fuerte, although there are others, like the Antillano, Reed, Pinkerton, Bacon, Lamb hass and hybrids thereof.
The combination of different varieties makes it possible to obtain an almost year-round production, although in summer, mainly in August and September, it is smaller. The goal for producers in the Canary Islands is to extend the harvesting season by growing it in different microclimates.
Source: eldiario.es
