“A 500 g punnet of grapes sold for 20% more last year than it does this season,” says Antonio Caballero, Managing Director of Frutas Torero.
Commenting on the current season, Caballero explains that “there is less fruit on the vines compared with previous campaigns, although quality is very high.” However, despite this excellent quality, prices are around 25% lower than during the previous season.
Egyptian competition has largely shaped the market during July, preventing prices from recovering.
“First, Egypt’s late-season production overlaps with European markets and, once it finishes, it leaves us with a very narrow commercial window before Italy starts. Although Italy joined the transition to seedless varieties later, it is progressing at a good pace,” he explains.
“Competing with Egyptian production is a losing battle because labour costs—which are particularly important in grape production—are much lower there. In addition, crop protection products that are banned in Spain are still permitted in Egypt.”
Expanded facilities
The Abarán-based company has recently completed the expansion of its facilities, adding 2,500 square metres of cold storage capacity together with modern grading lines for both table grapes and stone fruit.
All packing areas are fully air-conditioned to provide employees with a more comfortable working environment, particularly important in a region where average summer temperatures exceed 35°C. Sustainability in all its dimensions—especially in terms of employee wellbeing—has been a key consideration throughout the redesign of the facilities.
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Each season, the site handles around 18 million kilograms of fruit, divided almost equally between table grapes and early-season stone fruit.
The packing centre also incorporates real-time monitoring technology, enabling complete traceability for every shipment. From the moment the fruit arrives until it leaves for its destination, every batch is digitally monitored to ensure that the fruit reaches customers with the same quality and freshness as on the day it was harvested.
