Work has recently been started on Trops’ new production centre in Tavira (Portugal), a new project that forms part of the company’s “natural development” in a region where it has many members with increasing productions. “Up to now, we had 4,000 m2 for fruit reception, training courses and assessment for our farmers. With the enlargement, we will add another 4,000 m2, which were already planned when we started Phase I, and that will involve the starting of the fruit classifying and packaging,” the General Manager, Enrique Colilles, explains. They will invest 6 million euros in the development of Phase II.
Trops will also extend its operating capacity in Spain with the Trops Cadiz centre, with which they intend to cover the needs of the farmers in this area. This centre will join the three they already have in Vélez-Málaga, Granada and the one in Alicante. All of them are fruit reception centres that offer proximity to the producer members, allowing logistics, assessment and training services to be provided.
Fresh cut and ready-cooked ranges are increasing
Another of the development areas they are working on is fresh cut and ready-cooked produce. A section that is going to continue expanding, in line with the company’s growth. As announced last year, Trops already owns 100% of the share capital of Frumaco, the production and marketing area of by-products made from avocados “and in the future from mangos.” And they already have planned an “important extension” of the production installations for next year.
This range, marketed using the Trops brand name, is present in several countries within the EU. “We are highly satisfied with our current products due to their good reception on the markets.”
Fresh: excellent quality, low volumes
The mango campaign has undergone an important reduction in production, of around 70-75%, but the fruit has had excellent quality. “We hope that production recovers for the next campaign, as the drop in this year was due to the weather conditions.”
Regarding avocados, a higher production is expected compared to last year (+20%), which are going to be marketed well, as the demand for ‘Trops Ready to eat’ avocados grows, year after year, with high quality and loyalty from its customers.
Spain, a quality supplier
Morocco could produce 60,000 t of avocados this campaign and it is turning into an increasingly important agent. Should the Spanish sector step on the gas?
Enrique Colilles recalls that, “in Spain, we have a good production and an important growth potential. At the moment, water infrastructures are being built that are going to make it possible for us to consolidate and increase our productions, installations that are already under construction in countries such as Morocco, and in places such as Israel they have been operating for many years now.”
“To date, the excellent natural conditions in Spain for avocado growing have not been accompanied by the development of the water infrastructures that are required for this sector. Other countries have already done this!” This has meant that the exceptional period of drought that Spain is suffering from has generated a drop in production. But Colilles is very clear about this: “I have no doubt that Spain is, and is going to continue to be, the best and closest quality avocado producer for the EU.”
