The avocado producing sector in Malaga, which harvests between 35,000 and 45,000 tonnes per year, lacks such an event to be able to promote the fruit's consumption. This year, however, we saw a rebound in demand coinciding with the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on 28 May in Milan, Italy, and now again with the European Football Cup.
According to the two main Malaga-based guacamole companies, Frutas Montosa and Frutas Reyes Gutiérrez (through its subsidiary Avomix), these sporting events have doubled the demand. "We've had to extend the processing schedules to be able to cover the orders," says the manager of Frutas Reyes Gutiérrez, Juan Antonio Reyes, who believes that guacamole is increasingly used as a snack during this type of competition, which are usually seen with friends or family.
The firm owns most of Avomix, a subsidiary specialised in the production of guacamole and fresh juices. It began operating in 2000 with a production of 350,000 kilos of guacamole and has gone to reach about two million kilos in 2015, with prospects to reach six million kilos in two years, according to Reyes.
Growth
The situation is not too different for Frutas Montosa. The firm started manufacturing guacamole in 2007, after becoming a supplier for Mercadona. In 2015, it produced two million kilos, compared to 1,870,000 in 2014 and 1,390,000 in 2013. The company expects its production to increase again this year. Right now, after the Champions League and with the Euro Football Cup underway, its production has doubled.
This explains why, in the first five months of the year alone (January to May), Montosa has already exceeded last year's total production by 15 percent.
Good weather
For José Luis García, manager of Frumaco, another Malaga-based company specialised in the production of guacamole, the increase in demand can also be explained by the arrival of good weather. He points out that in the summer months (June, July and August), the number of orders increases. Frumaco produced about 450,000 kilos in 2015 and expects to close this year with 500,000. Trops owns 92% of the company.
Another firm devoted to the sauce's production in the province is Avos Nerja. Its average production amounts to around 120,000 kilos per year. According to sources from the company, there are more orders coming in the summer. The latest to jump on the guacamole bandwagon has been Natural Tropic, which is mainly devoted to the production and marketing of tropical fruits. It started manufacturing guacamole in 2015 and produces only about 10,000 kilos per day, partly because of the scarcity of avocados this year.
Montosa and Reyes Gutiérrez make use of the latest technology to produce their guacamole; specifically, the high pressure pasteurization system (HPP). This system allows both companies to offer a product with a shelf life of 40 days without the use of any preservatives. When not using this technology, the sauce's shelf life doesn't usually exceed 18 days. The technique makes it possible to protect the freshness of the fruit and extend both the shelf life and the sales period.
