Butternut squash consumption is recording significant growth in Europe. Together with Portugal, Spain's season is currently in full swing, and the country is the leading producer. A company from Murcia is already capable of distributing it all year round in the premium segment.
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"In Spain, we have the highest quality butternut squash in the last four years, a claim backed by our clients. Production losses are minimal, and we are seeing good market sales that are allowing us to improve on last season's figures," says Juanfran Guevara, CEO of Prove.
"Our Butternut squash is harvested between late June and early November, and we can continue marketing it until June. We are thus one of the few companies able to supply the product all year round without resorting to imports," says the grower and marketer.
"Managing to sell high quality Butternut squash all year round is, without a doubt, a huge challenge, because the product tends to dehydrate and suffer internal hollowing," says Guevara. "That is why numerous tests are carried out during the storage period and why we aim to innovate with our cultivation and storage processes to try extending the product's shelf life and keep internal consistency optimal."
"We are therefore able to offer a squash grown in Europe with an optimal level of ripeness, as well as a lower carbon footprint compared to imports coming from South America and South Africa. The market is still generally reluctant to buy Spanish squash in the spring months, but those who are familiar with our brand know that we offer something really unique and with a quality that they won't be able to get from the Southern Hemisphere. That is why we stopped resorting to imports back in 2024," says Juanfran Guevara.
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Prove was founded in 2018 as a producer of premium peas in the pod for gourmet markets. It is one of the few companies that specialize in this product, marketed under a brand name, and which they offer from November to April. Other products, such as Butternut squash, spring onions, Padron peppers, and exotic vegetables such as okra, African eggplant, and djataou, among others, were later introduced.
"At the moment, peas represent a very low share of our production, since we have tended to work with products that we can offer without interruption. Still, our peas are known for their flavor, as we do not store the product, but harvest it daily to order to ensure it preserves all its sweetness. We pack it in containers of 250 to 400 grams and in boxes of 2, 3, and 5 kg," says Juanfran Guevara.
"Our Butternut squash can be supplied all year round. The same applies to spring onion, which is exclusively intended for the domestic market. We work with exotic vegetables in the summer months, targeting communities of different ethnic groups in various European countries. The majority of our production, more than 90%, is intended for the wholesale market because we are brand-oriented, although we do supply some supermarket chains, especially squash and spring onion."
"Butternut squash still has plenty of potential for growth thanks to the advances made in storage. We also have a pilot project underway aimed at the development of fresh-cut products, one of the segments where sales are increasing the most, since we are making the product more convenient and easier to consume. We aim for a 35% increase in our Butternut squash production in the coming season and for spring onion volumes to grow by around 15%," says Juanfran Guevara. "We are firmly committed to growing in terms of volume while maintaining our quality."
© ProveFor more information:
Juanfran Guevara
Prove
C/ Galería 13
La Campana, Lorca, 30813
Murcia, Spain
Tel.: +34 868110711
Tel.: +34 636965740
[email protected]
www.prove.es
