This company from Granada,Bio Procam, closed the mango campaign with the forecasts it had at the beginning of the year and that have been general in the sector: a considerable drop of around 80% and high prices that have not compensated for the loss of production. “Farms of 30,000 kg have only produced 3,000. Mangos have cost the farmers a large amount and although the sale price has been more expensive, 100% of this has not been passed on to consumers. If this had happened, they wouldn’t have been sold.” In ecological produce, the price at source has been “way above 2€/kg. There have even been payments of nearly 3€”, the Manager of Bio Procam, Fernando Martín, explains.
In avocados, Bio Procam will have more volume than in the previous campaign. A year that, Martín recalls, was “very bad in kilos.” This year the plantations are giving slightly more fruit and some new farms have also joined the company. The negative side is the predominance of small calibres, although the prices are similar to last year’s.
Another positive note, at least in their case, is the slowing down in the dropping figures for ecological consumption. “Two campaigns ago,we started seeing less demand. Last campaign this drop was considerably higher, but, fortunately, this year the fall off has not been noticeable. We believe that it has bottomed out and this is now going to be maintained.
“Above all, it’s been the French consumers that have stopped buying bio produce. It was a country where the purchasing of bio produce had grown a great deal, but inflation has made an impact, and this has been translated into lower spending power for consumers.” This situation can clearly be seen on some supermarket shelves, such as those in the chain Aldi, which has removed many references, the Manager of Bio Procam affirms.
In Spain, taking into account that we are talking about a much more modest percentage of bio consumption, the drop has been smaller than in other countries. “There are few bio consumers, but they have greater spending power.”
Water prospects
On the Costa de Granada, the farming sector is ‘dodging the bullet’, at least for the time being. “We have the Rules dam and the Béznar reservoir. Both have seen their levels dropping because it is not raining, but we also have Sierra Nevada. If it snows (and it has already started), we won’t have any water problems. But we need some more snow.”
Regenerative project
This year, Bio Procam is returning to FruitLogistica with its own stand after several years of absence due to the pandemic. The company will be present under the umbrella of the Andalusian Government, as a co-exhibitor from the Business Agency for Transformation and Economic Development (TRADE) in Hall 18, stand C4.
As a new development, this year they are coming with an important increase in avocado and mango surface area that is certified with Naturland and Biosuisse–nearly 130 hectares. An increase that means “a point in our clients’ favour. Because, beyond the ecological side, it is a social certificate.” An aspect that is highly valued, mainly in central and northern Europe.
Along with the certificates, the company advances that theyare starting up a regenerative farming project on the tropical fruit line. “Right now, we are taking the first steps, carrying out the first trials, and we are in the middle of the analysis period. Our goalis to take even more advantage of the resources: irrigation, fertilisation, carrying out analyses of soil and leaves, reaching a deeper knowledge of the soil structure…”
