The general manager of Sur Hortícola, A. Medina, considers that if the production continues to increase, the crop’s profitability is in danger
The company from Huelva is arriving at Fruit Attraction with its brand, Sur Hortícola, a fully consolidated brand in the persimmon category in both the varieties Sharon and Rojo Brillante. The company started growing Sharon persimmons as pioneers in 1989, using top quality vegetable material that soon allowed them to export to Europe. Today, the company is facing new challenges on the market and it is rethinking its priorities when choosing one variety or another, and it is analysing the future cautiously.
Antonio Medina, the company’s general manager considers that the sector should think deeply about the advisability of extending the crop surface area, because if it is not carefully planned, “although we could continue to sell persimmons, selling them profitably would be another question altogether”.
What were the beginnings of a crop of an unknown fruit like?
First we must clarify that Sur Hortícola was a pioneer in growing the Triumph variety, also known by the trade name ‘Sharon’, which was renamed by the Israelis. We discovered the produce during a trade visit to Paris at the end of the 1980s, when Sur Hortícola was completely devoted to growing strawberries in Huelva.
At that time, our company was committed to improving the strawberry crops already existing in the region, by carrying out many trials to identify the best varieties, the application of the latest growing techniques from California and the introduction of polyethylene. All of this caused a real technological revolution which, accompanied by an intelligent business vision and a courageous export strategy, led Sur Hortícola to be the top national strawberry exporter, turning Paris into its main market.
The manager of the company that marketed the strawberries showed us some boxes of “Sharon” variety persimmons and predicted a promising future if we embarked on its cultivation following the handling techniques used by the Israelis. He insisted on its good taste, its robustness and its fluid sales. Our technicians brought the Israeli technology home and we investigated the commercial profitability, the handling practices, as well as the adaptation to our farms in Huelva. The Oceanic Mediterranean climate allowed us to successfully develop our pioneer crop on an area of over 300 hectares.
And when did Sur Hortícola decide on Rojo Brillante?
Our business vision has always included the need to diversify crops and constantly innovate our vegetable varieties. We started the crop in 2004 and at the moment, we are changing over part of our Sharon plantations to Rojo Brillante. The Rojo Brillante variety – which has a very attractive shape, size and colour, as well as a delicious, sweet and seedless flesh, enjoys greater acceptance on the main European markets. It also has a business performance that is the same or better than that obtained with the Sharon.
I understand that a variety change is occurring?
At the moment, we are working with both varieties. The Sharon is slightly later; therefore it gives continuity to the Rojo Brillante campaign. Although our idea is to retain a small percentage of Sharon and increase the cultivation of the Rojo Brillante. Finally, it will represent a small percentage of our harvest, probably around 17%, since some markets have already been taken over by the Rojo Brillante, whilst other markets where it was not known, are beginning to show an increasing interest in it.
What production calendar do both varieties have?
The Rojo Brillante starts off at the end of September, whilst the Sharon is harvested from the first week in November until December, in a relatively short campaign.
Which countries should be looked at as experienced in these productions?
I would say Japan, China and Korea, since the persimmon is a tree species originating from Asia. The Asian season starts in September with a wide selection of local varieties that are small or medium-sized, astringent and at times, stoned. Others are not astringent, larger and sweeter. New Zealand also has some production and the United States has some volumes in California. In Spain, growth has taken off in recent years, but only in the Rojo Brillante variety.
What forecasts do you have for the campaign that is starting now and what volume forecasts do you have?
For us it will be a normal campaign, without any outstanding problems. We expect to harvest around 6,000 tonnes of both products. After over 27 years in the persimmon sector, our brand Sur Hortícola has been fully consolidated, thanks also to our large quantity production capacity, without disregarding the highest quality standards or the close treatment offered by a family-run company.
Unfortunately, November includes a moment in the campaign of overproduction. For this reason, Sur Hortícola believes that now is the time to expand the Rojo Brillante to new markets and to invest in the latest technologies in order to improve the conservation conditions.
As opposed to other campaigns, this year we have suffered from a lack of rainfall and high temperatures in the summer throughout Spain. These conditions could reduce the size of the fruit slightly.
Which are the company’s main markets and how have they evolved?
Currently 70% of our production is sent to the demanding German and Dutch markets. The remainder goes to countries outside the E.U. The truth is that we are selling more and more, the evolution has risen due to the fact that the consumption is growing on an annual basis.
Do you think that we could reach an oversaturation of the product?
I only know about our region and there are not too many new plantations here. I have no idea what is happening in Murcia, Alicante, Valencia or Castellón.
We have seen a constant increase in production over the past few years, but this is logical because the demand has also evolved, although it is very difficult to know what is going to happen because there are many elements that are combined for either one situation or another to occur. It is very difficult to know the amount of tones there are, even the area planted, everything is calculated on a rough basis.
