Fruit today talked to Celestino Recatalá, Chairman of ASOPROA (Asociación de Productores de Aguacate/Avocado Producers Association) who gave us details about the crop and put the spotlight on the importance of the recently created quality brand.
Can we take it that the commercial launch of ‘Aguacates de la Comunidad Valenciana’ will take place during this campaign?
Yes, indeed. The quality brand was officially presented at the end of the previous season; therefore, commercially, we are launching it this campaign.
What are its main goals?
We have to carry out a joint effort to showcase a local produce and prepare our future. A future that we want to last for a long time, with the profitability of the reasonable prices that we have been obtaining in recent years. We must make it known that there are avocado productions in the Community of Valencia and that local produce is the most sustainable.
Does the quality brand include all the varieties?
Yes, indeed, Hass, Lamb Hass, Bacon or Fuerte. It is a way of making the brand stronger and, particularly, to ensure that the production period covers many more months.
What is the crop’s quantitative evolution?
At the moment, we are constantly growing by around 350 hectares per year and it is obvious is that the demand for avocados remains high.
You are immersed in a collaborative project called Agufert. What does it consist of?
Amongst other things, how the Hass ripening process is completely different to that of the Lamb Hass. At Agufert, they are studying the Lamb Hass harvest to take it ready to eat to the supermarket shelves. I think that we have already obtained enough data about the sustainability of Lamb Hass and the commercial operators know much more about it now.
What was the production figure for the last Valencian harvest?
We reached 21,000 tonnes, but the campaign about to start this autumn will be much greater thanks to younger plantations coming into production. The first harvests are forecasted for the end of October and November with the Bacon and Fuerte varieties; then Hass will appear and from February onwards, the indisputable leader will be Lamb Hass, which makes up 70% of the entire offer.
