Grupo Sol Badajoz has extended its installations and now handles 400 tonnes of stone fruit a day
Last year there was an important drop in fruit production owing to weather conditions, but this year the forecasts seem to be returning to a growth situation, reaching 45 million kilos. For this reason, they were prompted in the company to acquire new installations to increase the preparation and cold storage capacity, which will allow them to handle 400 tonnes of produce a day in between both plants. The sales manager, José Antonio Gomes, is optimistic about the new campaign. The forecasts, at present, are positive and if everything goes to plan, they will start harvesting the first peaches and nectarines on the 15th of May and at the end of the same month the plum and apricot harvests will begin.
On a trade level, the group intends to strengthen its presence in Europe using stable business partnerships, as well as expanding to new destinations, such as Canada and China.
In the case of the Chinese market, where it began operating last year after the doors were opened to Spanish plum, peach and nectarine exports, the Grupo Sol Badajoz started off cautiously, only exporting plums, a fruit with a resistance that guarantees its arrival in perfect conditions after a journey of almost one month. Due to these good results, during the 2017 campaign the executive expects the volumes marketed to increase.
The company, which exports its produce to four continents, continues to extend its trade networks to ease the effects of the closing of the Russian and Algerian borders, a situation that has caused an increase in competition in Europe, South America and the Middle East. In order to differentiate the company, they are opting for better varieties and they are continuously researching new developments that are coming out. “In apricots we are more committed to materials from France, and in flat peaches we are using varieties that allow us to have a complete cycle from June to the end of August. We have increased in volumes for flat peaches, apricots, persimmons and pomegranates. Work must be continued on variety improvement, as this is essential for the sector”.
