Frutícola Empordà’s Tessa apple harvest reached 700,000 kg this year, marking the highest production yet for one of the newest apples on the market. Based in Sant Pere Pescador (Girona), the Catalan company doubled its 2023 output and plans to increase Tessa’s harvest fivefold in the coming years. Additionally, it is considering expanding its cultivated area, which currently spans 30 hectares.
In 2020, the company joined the European Tessa Club, an organization managing the production and marketing of the variety to ensure specific quality standards. The club has just over a dozen members across the continent. From the initial 98,000 kg harvested in its first year, production has quickly surged sevenfold, with forecasts indicating significant growth ahead.
Sweet, crisp, with a characteristic red color, and adaptable to various climates and altitudes, Tessa originated in Italy and was developed recently through research combining the Gala and Pink Rose varieties. Created with sustainability in mind, the apple is packaged using eco-friendly materials, minimizing plastic use to protect the environment. Companies producing and marketing this apple are carefully selected to ensure superior and consistent quality.
Four years ago, Frutícola Empordà launched a pilot program to observe how the apple adapted to the climate and terrain of Sant Pere Pescador. Despite being at sea level, the results were positive. The company successfully joined the Tessa Club after passing an evaluation, becoming Spain’s sole producer and distributor of this variety. Since 2020, Tessa’s harvests have grown significantly, increasing from 98,000 kg to the current 700,000 kg. Annual production was 120,000 kg in 2021, 183,000 kg in 2022, and doubled to 355,000 kg in 2023. The company anticipates harvests will continue doubling in the coming years.
Frutícola Empordà is part of the Tessa Club alongside other European companies, including Melinda, La Trentina, Valentina VM, Jolly Coop, FruitMasters, Südtiroler Obstversteigerung, Kropfl Obsthandel, BB Fruchthandel, and EVA. Combined, these members cultivated 11,800 tons of Tessa apples in 2024 across 490 hectares, a production area that continues to expand across Europe.
Miquel Roig, manager of Frutícola Empordà, explains, “Tessa is an excellent variety for producers, marketers, and consumers alike. It has a tough skin, which makes it resistant to injuries, weather wear, and impacts. It also boasts a long shelf life and is easy to store. For consumers, its deep red color is visually appealing, and it strikes a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity.” He adds, “Introducing a new variety is never easy, but so far, Tessa sales have been very strong. We’ve been working on this for four years, and customer feedback keeps improving, so we expect continued growth in this regard.”
Half a century of excellence
Frutícola Empordà, established over 50 years ago in Sant Pere Pescador (Alt Empordà), is one of three companies producing and marketing apples under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Girona Apple quality label.
The company grows its apples within the influence zone of the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, a protected area, and adheres to strict production controls. It employs sustainable agricultural practices, following integrated production technical standards and environmentally friendly systems that minimize the use of phytosanitary products, ensuring safe and healthy fruit for consumers. Frutícola Empordà collaborates with 25 producers, supported by technical specialists and partnerships with the IRTA-Mas Bahía Experimental Station in Canet de la Tallada and the University of Girona.
The central facility holds BRC (British Retail Consortium) certification, enforcing stringent supplier controls, continuous worker training, and a traceability system that monitors the fruit from harvest to final consumer delivery. It also complies with Global GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and GRASP (labor conditions best practices) protocols.
The company has earned SPRING certification, recognizing sustainable water use and efficient water resource management. This certification is crucial for suppliers to major national and international supermarket chains. It evaluates factors such as the legal compliance of water sources, extraction methods, water consumption monitoring, and the producer’s impact on sustainable watershed management.
