Investment funds have established a strong foothold in the agrifood sector and, little by little, they are starting to make forays into the subtropical fruit segment. In July, the Alcoaxarquía Group opened their doors to Tresmares Capital, an investment platform that is backed by Banco Santander. Through this alliance, the Alcoaxarquía Group has transferred a minority participation in its share capital to Tresmares.
With this initiative, the company intends to give a boost to the business plan that it has been carrying out for several years now, ensuring strong growth, both financially and logistically, but holding onto the reins of its future. “Our intention is to triple our invoicing from now on, over a five-year period,” José Antonio Alconchel, founder and CEO of the company, explained to Fruit Today.
Retail interest
In this year, the Alcoaxarquía Group foresees increasing its volumes by between 30-35%. In addition, at the beginning of the campaign, 400 hectares of crops are being incorporated to the group, making a total of 2,000 hectares, and they are negotiating to add another 500 at the end of the year. “In this campaign we will pass the 20,000 tonne mark, between tropical and citrus fruits,” José Antonio Alconchel points out.
The company’s strategic commitment, based on growth through diversification of production areas, “is not comfortable, because it means serious effort and lots of work, but it allows us to position ourselves well in a context like this year’s, with important drops in production areas such as La Axarquía”, the founder states.
Thanks to this road map, they have caught the interest of many European retail companies, with which they will meet up at the Fruit Attraction trade fair, from the 3rd to the 5th of October at their exhibition space, located in Hall 9, Stand 9E12.
Adaptation of calibres
There is no doubt that climate change and water shortages are global problems and they have an impact on the entire value chain. “We are going to experience great uncertainty over the next few years. The large distribution sector is getting ready,” Alconchel comments. To do this, he thinks that it is essential “to face up to today’s reality and adapt to the drop in sizes. The large distribution sector must be aware of this, in addition to taking into consideration the idea of marketing second categories, as used to be done. This would allow, on the one hand, consumers to be given more competitive prices and, on the other, facing up to the problem of food waste, helping with sustainability. But to do this, in addition to be willing to do it, important marketing strategies need to be planned, motivating these types of steps.”
Customer focus
The Alcoaxarquía Group works with a clear premise: customer focus, offering ready-to-eat, quality fruit, 12 months of the year.
In order to maintain the continuity of the supply and top quality standards, the company is present in different production sources such as Spain, Morocco, Peru and Mexico, amongst other countries.
The company was founded in 2009, in the region of La Axarquía (Malaga), and today it has two head offices in Spain (Alcoaxarquía Málaga, in Vélez-Málaga, and Alcoaxarquía Levante, in Sollana, Valencia); another in Morocco; and a fourth subsidiary in Peru (located in Nazca, in the south of the country), opened last year.
