However, we cannot let our guard down and must continue to explore new paths.
Fruit Today magazine spoke with its director, José Antonio García, who, despite its successful social network campaigns featuring its “lemonencer,” the first lemon influencer, explained that “it’s not the time to let our guard down but to explore new paths.”
What is your evaluation as the head of Ailimpo and your feedback after the Assembly?
Twenty-four years ago, three madmen, or geniuses, had the brilliant idea of organising the sector differently from how it had been until then. It’s been a tough, complicated task, but we’ve created a culture of dialogue, with an approach based on the general good. Of course, we’ve made mistakes along the way, but we’ve learned from them.
What’s the most important thing at this time?
Identifying the challenges, looking forwards, and not being just an observer. It’s time to deploy appropriate actions plans, some in the short term, others in the medium term, and still others in the long term. And we’ll probably have to adapt as we go along, in accordance with the geopolitical circumstances. Metaphorically speaking, “we travel to the future and come back with lessons learned.”
You’re in favour of the culture of collaborating with your supposed competitors
Yes, fortunately, we’ve got a close relationship with our competitors, with whom we try to speak, cooperate, exchange experiences, etc.
You’re excessively focussed on the European market
Yes, that’s right. We’re not an exception. Only 4% of our produce leaves the European Union, although it’s actually less since our statistical methodology includes Norway and Sweden. Therefore, we’re down to 1%. Nowadays, logistical complexity is an important obstacle, but we have to look at the long term because the current situation may be cyclical.
Therefore, what challenges have you identified?
On the one hand, production, since our current model is based on a transit time of around 48 to 72 hours. The objective must be to obtain quality fruit that lasts for 30 to 40 days. We’re aware that this can’t be done overnight, and that we have to work on the model of cultivation, watering, fertilising, etc. There are countries, such as Argentina, that have been able to develop a business pattern in which the fruit arrives as a quality product after a 30-day journey. It’s already been invented, and we have to adapt it. In the commercial field, we need to have larger, more consolidated structures, which will enable us to undertake this type of adventure. In addition, we have to speak with our “supposed competitors” to establish collaboration networks and tackle new destinations. A very clear example would be establishing close collaboration with Argentina, and extending its campaign with Spanish lemons in the United States. Or to do so with Asian countries, where South Africa already has important commercial links.
And the second challenge?
This is the most transversal challenge and affects not only our sector but all of them. It’s digitalisation, which not only means using a probe or a drone. We have to be more ambitious and introduce robotics in a generalised way, AI, blockchain. At Ailimpo, we find ourselves at a preliminary stage for finding appropriate partners to accompany us along the way. We have reference points in Israel or California. And, of course, the desire to do things well because the sector, by applying high technology, will be unrecognisable within a few years.
