Juan Carlos López Nicklaus, Francisco José Rodríguez García and Alvis Sincer are the three partners at the head of the Almonte company, Goji Vital, a pioneer in the cultivation of Goji berries in Spain and one of the largest producers of this fresh fruit in Europe.
The project was launched in 2012 on a 12-hectare farm located in the County of Huelva, in the vicinity of Rociana. About 40,000 Goji plants (two varieties) were planted in the first year, but this figure was later reduced to 25,000 when it became clear that one of the varieties used was not suited to the conditions in the area.
In 2012, with the first harvest, they obtained about 100 grams per plant, while in 2016 the average has increased to 4 kilos. And the goal, according to the manager of Goji Vital, López Nicklaus, is "to reach between 6 and 8 kilos in the near future."
In any case, given that it is a new crop, "we don't know how the plant will develop in Huelva, since it has a long productive life that oscillates between 25 and 30 years. If everything goes smoothly, we hope that, as the plants grow older, we'll be able to get a greater yield per plant and berries of a higher quality."
The main destinations for the fresh Goji berries grown in Huelva are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Scandinavian countries. In Spain, according to the manager of Goji Vital, "the fruit is not sold because it has a high price. A kilo of Goji can cost around 21 Euro, and 50 gram containers are being marketed in the German market for 1.99 Euro."
The company's partners studied the possibility of dehydrating these berries and selling them as raisins, but discarded the idea because "despite the tests conducted, we did not find a process or a mechanism that would allow us to dry Goji berries in large volumes to reduce costs. Moreover, we cannot compete with China, which is the world's leading producer of dehydrated berries and, therefore, the one that sets the standards in the markets."
However, they do have the possibility of taking over a share of the fresh Goji market, since the Chinese can only reach Europe with dehydrated berries. As Juan Carlos López points out, "we offer a high quality product, without residues; something that growers in the Asian country cannot guarantee."
The manager of Goji Vital is convinced that the fruit "will take its place in the market," and proof of this is that the company not only produces and markets the first pure Goji berry juice in Europe, but also distributes plants among the growers willing to diversify their production.
Juan Carlos López clarifies that "we also sell the plants because we believe that the growers who buy them can be potential partners, rather than competitors. The market for Goji berries in Europe is still in its infancy and we think that it would be preferable for all of us to cultivate the same variety and under the same quality standards used in our farm."
Alberto Garrocho, a producer testing the crop
One of Huelva's producers willing to give Goji berries a shot is Alberto Garrocho, current president of Freshuelva and partner of Fresón de Palos. He has planted about 1,700 cuttings of this shrub on a 2,300 square metre plot owned by Fresgacar, the company he represents, which is based in Palos de la Frontera.
"It is a new crop, which we are unfamiliar with in Huelva, even though I have been observing its development in outdoor plantations for over a year and a half. We are going to start with a small amount, in order to observe the plant's vital cycles, when grown using a hydroponic system. We will also analyse whether they become more precocious or gain in quality and consistency when covered with plastic. Likewise, we will try to determine the best periods for the sale of the berries in the fresh market," stated Garrocho.
According to his estimations, "the shrubs that have been planted in November will start yielding some fruit, although in small amounts (around 150 to 200 grams per plant) by June 2017."
The president of Freshuelva affirms that "Goji berries are totally unknown at the moment, but it may happen that, little by little, they will be introduced in the market and after seven or eight years, we may already have about 500 or 600 hectares devoted to the crop in the province. I like this fruit a lot, especially because of its properties. It is the berry with the most antioxidants and its consumption guarantees numerous health benefits."
Garrocho explains that "Huelva's producers are cautious and they know that you cannot devote your entire acreage to a single product. That is why many tests are currently underway, including some with subtropical fruits. There are varieties of papayas, mangoes and avocados that are already grown in the province of Huelva. And it is evident that the supply will grow and that there will be numerous subtropical plantations in Huelva in the next decade."
What the president of Freshuelva is certain about is that "expanding the strawberry acreage is a mistake, a tremendous mistake." For this campaign, the area planted has stood at 5,400 hectares; 7% less than in the previous one. Garrocho believes that "we have already hit the roof, because other strawberry producing areas in Europe have become very competitive, advancing their production schedules and, to some extent, copying the methods and innovations that we have been employing and incorporating in Huelva's plantations."
Properties
Goji berries have excellent nutritional properties, and just like tomatoes, peppers or potatoes, among other foods, they belong to the Solanaceae family. This shrub is native to the Himalayan range and later spread to Tibet, China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, although its cultivation has spread to many countries, especially in Asia. They contain all the essential amino acids, they have a lot of proteins, and also a high content of vitamin C, carotenoids, trace minerals and lots of fibre.
This small, bright red fruit, also contains antiinflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal components. Its potent antioxidant properties and polysaccharides help strengthen the immune system. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are used to treat kidney and liver issues, back pains, eye problems and dizziness.
