The poor results achieved in the most recent citrus campaigns, combined with the growing popularity of tropical fruits, are leading to significant changes in the fields of Cadiz and Malaga.
"Five or six years ago, avocados started being planted in Valle del Guadiaro, Cadiz, where the yield per hectare is above average and the fruit's characteristics are very similar to those of the avocados grown in Malaga. The acreage is growing at a monstrous rate, since producers are coming to terms with the fact that the product's profitability is much higher than that achieved with citrus fruits," explains Juan de Dios Pérez, manager of Pérez Zara Agrícola.
"My grandfather started his career as a wholesaler 60 years ago in Conil de la Frontera, Cádiz. Later, my father and my uncle started producing their own citrus in San Martin del Tesorillo, bordering the province of Malaga, where the microclimate allowed them to start the campaign with earlier varieties and finish it with later varieties, compared to other producing areas. Both the company and the citrus acreage continued expanding until they became a source to be taken into account by large Valencian exporters," says the young 26 year old exporter.
"Over time, my father started working on other businesses and set citrus fruits aside, having ignored brands and direct exports. The profitability was so low that producers have also not invested in new varieties. That is why now, with my studies just finished, I am developing a project to follow through on what my grandfather and my father started, although focusing on avocados and mangoes. I don't think citrus fruits have a future in this area; avocados are now the trendy fruit and the most interesting to cultivate."
Recently, Juan de Dios has adapted the infrastructure and acquired sorting machines for avocados to be able to expand as an exporter.
"Avocados now offer growers the same prospects as citrus fruits did fifty years ago. Just two months ago, avocados were a new product for us, and right now we have already reached three different countries with our brand. We want to have this product available all year round and our advantage is that we have the port of Algeciras just ten minutes away, allowing us to import from overseas."
