Agrícola Navarro de Haro closed 2018/19 with an “acceptable” balance sheet, exceeding the forecasts (going from 73,000 t to 75,000), and reaching its own record in watermelons, handling 750t/day. Its commitment to diversification may be seen at Fruit Attraction (Hall 9, 9D10), where they will present some new aloe vera pot plant, which will be added to the fresh leaves that are already on sale. Its well thought-out strategy, responds to the need to look for alternatives for crops that are no longer profitable: lettuce and tomatoes, which are very important in their range (second and third in volume), but which are falling.
“A time will come when we have to stop producing them. In our region, land rental, the cost of water, electricity… are all much more expensive than in other countries and it is very difficult to compete with this”. The alternative lies in concentrating on specialities, “this is a good idea, but you need adapted infrastructures and they are expensive compared to the profits a product brings, even when they are specialities”.
In 2019/2020 they plan to market 50,000 t of watermelons, 12,000 of lettuces, 6,000 of tomatoes, 2,500 of courgettes, 2,000 of broccoli, 1,700 of cauliflowers and 500 of aloe vera.
