Fruit Today magazine had the opportunity to interview Jordi Martí, the company’s National Commercial Director.
How is the citrus season from the Southern Hemisphere shaping up?
The season is expected to start earlier this year, in early August, and fruit quality and volumes are anticipated to be good.
Widespread rains during the early stages of cultivation, combined with the beneficial effect of warm days and cool nights, have resulted in well-ripened fruit with good colour, which bodes well for a successful campaign.
Regarding the Banarica brand, with bananas from Guatemala, what was the goal behind this venture?
Given our large national and international sales network, which allows us to move large volumes of product, we were looking for a strategic partner to develop a banana brand. We found it in Guatemala: a producer with over 30 years of experience growing bananas with exceptional organoleptic qualities (sweetness, texture, aroma, flavour, and juiciness).
Additionally, the producer holds all the necessary certifications: Global Gap, Rainforest, SCS, NSF, and is a member of the World Compliance Association.
How did the winter import campaign for melon and watermelon go?
Off-season, for piel de sapo and yellow melons and watermelon, we work with Cosarica, our own long-established brand.
The campaign, both in terms of volumes and quality, was very satisfactory despite early challenges caused by overlapping harvests.
Focusing on watermelon, the high quality of the striped and black varieties, along with the regularity of shipments from our farms in Brazil, has led to great market reception.
You operate two business models in Mercabarna: market stand sales and direct sales to Europe from your headquarters. How are they evolving?
Our goal is to provide a comprehensive commercialisation service for our sender partners through all possible distribution channels and areas of influence.
Our own sales points in Mercabarna, Mercamadrid, and Mercaleón serve traditional retail, while our international sales teams and foreign offices meet the needs of modern retail in Spain and across Europe.
Regarding the Mercasa network, we could describe it as stable. Although the traditional distribution network is gradually losing ground in the national market, it still holds significant importance. At the same time, providing service coverage to local retail distribution is part of our DNA.
Modern distribution continues to gain importance in the fresh produce sector. Its range of convenient formats and attractive presentations within a global food offering is a winning formula for consumers. Our offer is very flexible, thanks to our own packaging and packing departments in Barcelona and Madrid, which operate 24/7.
Our extensive global sourcing network enables us to cover all seasons and marketing windows without interruption.
Avocado, grapes, and berries are among the fastest-growing products in terms of consumption. Are you seeing a similar trend?
CMR has been one of the main operators in grape import and marketing for decades, with a network of national and international suppliers that allows us to offer a wide selection.
The berry category has seen significant growth thanks to the emergence of long shelf-life varieties that have captured the attention of operators by reducing losses.
In avocados, CMR has its premium brand AURUM, which offers a very high quality standard thanks to careful fruit selection, ripeness monitoring, precise sizing, and premium packaging and labelling—highly recognised by consumers.
How is market stand sales evolving for domestic clients and those from abroad?
It remains stable and has been energised by the regular presence of buyers from other countries such as France, Italy, Poland, and Bulgaria, who see our market as a reliable, certified, and high-quality source of produce from diverse origins.
How have CMR’s sales performed in the first six months?
We’ve maintained steady monthly growth between 2% and 5%.
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What sustainability policies is the company implementing?
Highlights include our energy and environmental efficiency project at our Barcelona headquarters, which improves savings in electricity and water use, the replacement of the office air conditioning system resulting in direct consumption savings of over 70%, and improved waste management through automated cardboard compactors.
We also continue to engage in activities promoting responsible food use, such as donations to food banks and community engagement through sponsorship of awards and projects supporting the agricultural community.
