EDITORIAL
A menu unfit for spectators
The World Cup has once again exposed one of the most striking contradictions in contemporary sport. On the pitch, 22 footballers follow meticulous physical preparation programmes, carefully controlled diets and hydration plans measured down to the smallest detail
PERFIL DEL MES
José Velasco: A life through the movies
I could never have imagined that our photo shoot would take place in a cinema, yet that is exactly what happened. José Velasco (1 June 1969) was born in Alhama de Murcia and remembers the day the cinema opened with remarkable clarity. The theatre was packed for the premiere of Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, a film he watched more than five times because he spent the entire weekend accompanying cousins and friends. The following week, Jaws was screened, and exactly the same thing happened
EVENTOS
Register your company for the Estrellas de Internet Awards
The 16th edition of the Estrellas de Internet Awards is now open for entries. Don’t miss the opportunity to win yours
Agrobiotech Innovation Forum: innovation, robotics and applied technology for the future
Lleida will once again become the centre of innovation in the primary sector from 27 to 29 October with the second edition of the Agrobiotech Innovation, designed to bring together knowledge, businesses, public authorities and consumers through technology
UVA
Grapes break the calendar and redraw the global map
Egypt, Brazil, Peru, India and China are consolidating their positions as table grape producers and exporters, extending their seasons and altering the balance between traditional origins and industries
Bloom Fresh to open the world’s most advanced fruit innovation centre in Blanca
The company will inaugurate its new innovation centre in September, coinciding with the International Table Grape Symposium. The high-tech facilities will strengthen its varietal breeding programme from Murcia
El Ciruelo drives innovation in table grapes
From the vineyard to the consumer, the company continuously improves every stage of its production and marketing processes
Frutas Esther: “Table grapes are geared towards European consumers and the conditions they demand”
The Region of Murcia is Europe’s leading supplier of table grapes. “Our challenge as a group is to provide a consistent offer through our production in Peru, South Africa and
ITUM: designer grapes from Murcia for the world
Seedless grapes with genes for tolerance to fungal diseases, multiple flavour profiles—such as caramel, crème brûlée, fruity and tropical notes—crisp texture and enhanced antioxidant capacity represent the latest developments from
Moyca, a Murcian company with an international outlook
The company works with an extensive portfolio of nearly 50 seedless grape varieties distributed across every continent
Paloma strengthens its commitment to proven varieties
The company remains focused on developing proven varieties, aiming to raise quality standards through a high level of crop management expertise. Its objective is to differentiate its offering from the
Murcia strengthens its position as Europe’s table grape hub
The Region will bring together the world’s leading table grape stakeholders at the International Table Grape Symposium, where key topics such as climate change, plant health, varietal innovation and new
Torero: “Grape quality is very high, but prices are not keeping pace”
The Murcian table grape season is showing excellent fruit quality, but prices remain significantly below last year’s levels
Uvasdoce: “Imports have grown by 30%”
With lower product volumes than last year but excellent quality, the Alicante-based company Uvasdoce has started the national grape season in a year in which it also achieved a record
Sánchez: “Seeded grapes are just as good as, or even better than, seedless grapes.”
“Seeded and seedless grapes complement each other and represent parallel markets that coexist perfectly,” says José Enrique Sánchez, President of the D.O. Uva Embolsada del Vinalopó
MERCABARNA
Sustainability and profitability shape Mercabarna’s management
The company has continued to implement its 2022–2026 strategic plan, whose first pillar is to promote sustainable management with social, environmental and economic impact
Aresca Fruits: 10 years of achieving its goals
Miguel Areste, Managing Director and co-owner of Aresca Fruits alongside Simone Scanu, explains that “2026 is a year of celebration for us, as Aresca Fruits marks its tenth anniversary having achieved the goals we set ourselves.”
Grupo LC: “The business model is changing”
Grupo LC’s Commercial Director, Lorenzo Carrasco, warns of a profound transformation in the fruit and vegetable distribution sector
Diego Martínez expands its facilities to strengthen its commercial capacity
The Catalan company enters a new phase of growth with the expansion of its facilities and the addition of new product lines
Escandell: balancing winter strawberries with summer melons and watermelons
Aida Escandell, Sales Representative at Frutas Escandell, reviews a strawberry season marked by heavy rainfall, strong summer demand and changing buyer profiles
“Customer loyalty is earned through a quality product”
Operating from both Mercabarna and Mercamadrid, Frutas Plasencia maintains a direct relationship with its customers, built on the trust generated by quality produce
Fruits Ràfols strengthens its commitment to premium berries
The Mercabarna-based company reports a successful berry season while advancing the launch of its three new proprietary brands: Black Panther, Blue Shark and Red Lion
2025, a year of strong sales momentum
Susana Aspuro, Mercabarna’s Markets Coordinator, spoke to Fruit Today magazine about the positive performance of fruit and vegetable sales in 2025, which increased by 1.6% compared with the previous year, surpassing 2.3 million tonnes
IV Y V GAMA
Roig’s prediction and the rise of ready-to-eat food
“By the middle of the 21st century, there will be no kitchens.” The debate sparked by the Mercadona chairman’s statement has a very tangible translation on supermarket shelves: the unstoppable growth of fresh-cut and ready-to-eat products
Packaging balances performance, sustainability and efficiency
The role of fruit and vegetable packaging is evolving in response to growing demand for ready-to-eat products
DiqueSí drives growth in the complete salad category
Vegetales Línea Verde showcases the innovation process behind its Street Food range
Cooperativa La Palma: authentic flavour in formats for today’s consumer
Gazpachos, vegetable soups and creams, sauces and preserves, freeze-dried and dried convenience products, plant-based burgers and sports nutrition are all part of its portfolio
Lázaro drives growth in fresh-cut with Calixta
In a market where convenience continues to gain ground, the company’s brand of ready-to-enjoy potatoes and sweet potatoes has become a key growth driver
Paturpat introduces new product lines
With the launch of sweet potato, the company is extending its expertise in potato-based products to a tuber that has gained significant popularity in recent years, both in households and the foodservice sector
Mimaflor responds to evolving consumer trends
The company is driving the evolution of the fresh-cut category with solutions tailored to today’s market needs
UNICA Group adds fresh-cut watermelon to its portfolio
This season, the company is launching its first fresh-cut watermelon products, available in halves and quarters. Another recent addition is its new grated tomato
MELÓN Y SANDÍA
Size and convenience: reshaping the melon and watermelon of the future
The world’s leading seed companies once again opened the doors of their trial fields in Campo de Cartagena to showcase their latest innovations
El Melonero drives growth in watermelon
Although its name and history are closely linked to melon, the Madrid-based company El Melonero is entering a new stage marked by strong growth in watermelon and the opening of a new facility in Aranjuez
FRUTA DE HUESO
Ondine® refreshes Mercamadrid
Under the slogan “Snack the Summer”, the campaign also includes promotional activities in the brand’s key European export markets: France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy
Each kilogram of Catalan stone fruit costs €0.58 to produce
AFRUCAT has presented a study analysing the production costs of peaches, nectarines and flat peaches
Climate change is redefining breeding objectives
Plant breeder PSB Producción Vegetal is developing stone fruit genetics with the aim of anticipating the challenges posed by climate change, from rising temperatures to tree water stress
Grupo Paloma looks beyond nectarines
The company concentrates its production on extra-early nectarines. However, that picture could begin to change
SEMILLAS
Bayer Seminis backs Calidus and Galdius to gain share in cucumber
The company expects a slight rebound in cucumber acreage next season due to Parvispinus, positioning its new varieties as a growth driver in Almería and the Costa de Granada
Bejo strengthens its position in Almería with Sintra and Alecto
The seed company confirms the strong performance of its two latest introductions: Sintra, a French cucumber, and Alecto, a Spanish cucumber for the winter season
HM.Clause gears up for the next season
The company’s portfolio includes new varieties that deliver reliability and quality, such as Legatus F1 broccoli and Vamana F1 courgette
Fitó strengthens its cucumber portfolio for Almería growers
The company covers the entire production calendar with varieties developed to deliver greater resistance, productivity, commercial quality and an increasingly precise response to growers’ needs
Rijk Zwaan strengthens its cucumber portfolio against yellowing viruses
The company introduces Velaire RZ and Veloran RZ in Dutch and French cucumber, while consolidating Surazo RZ and Piqué RZ amid increasing virus pressure
KAIROH expands Sakata’s early courgette portfolio
Sakata introduces a variety adapted to high-temperature conditions and short production cycles, featuring a plant architecture designed to reduce crop management requirements
Syngenta repositions LC222313 and prepares to enter the mini cucumber segment
The company is adjusting the recommended growing windows for LC222313 while bringing its successful mini cucumber programme from Turkey and Jordan to Spain
