This is Frumaez’s strategy to face up to the surplus offer in stone fruit
The proliferation of growing areas has meant that, even in normal production conditions, there is an important surplus of stone fruit, or, in other words, the supply greatly exceeds the demand and therefore drags the prices down with it. And this is paradoxical, seeing how the food industry uses fruit as an advertising gimmick, when the composition of dairy products, to give just one example, usually includes tiny amounts of fruit. Jesús Hernández, manager of Frumaex, is very critical on this subject and reminds us that produce such as plums or peaches contain “100% fruit, they are natural and additive-free.” What should be done, then, to stay afloat when there is also a decreasing world consumption trend? The ideal solution would be the “self-regulation” of the sector, but in view of the difficulties this entails, Hernández argues for a faster route, that of “non-stop innovation,” mainly with presentations that draw the customers’ attention. Colour and size, and obviously flavour, are the keys to this.
Geneticists are developing increasingly better varieties that are perfect matches for the latest requirements and at Frumaex they select the best for dispatching to alternative markets. “We are exporters; we mainly send our plums overseas.” This strategy involves the logical risk derived from long journeys for perishable products such as fruit. We take almost 30 days to reach the most distant destinations.” Amongst these are India, Malaysia and Singapore.
This year, the company expects to produce between 6 and 7 million kilos on a surface area of 300 hectares. 80% corresponds to plums, a segment in which they are specialists. Their campaign started at the beginning of May with the first early apricots, continuing with peaches and nectarines and will extend until mid-October with plums.
