Avocado growers in the area surrounding Vélez-Málaga in southern Spain say they expect to increase the volume of ready-to-eat fruit they supply over the coming season as a result of ongoing investment being made to introduce ripening technology.
The town, which has become one of the powerhouses of the European avocado trade thanks to its geographical location and temperate climate, produced 40,000 tonnes last season and – because 2012/13 is an ‘on year’ is set to increase its output to 45,000-50,000 tonnes this time around.
Enrique Colilles, managing director of the region's largest producer, Trops, said the recent completion of a new ripening centre would enable the company to offer clients a wider range of presentation options, including more ready-to-eat fruit as well as avocado derivatives, to be marketed under the Frudel brand.
"The Trops label has a strong following throughout Europe and the extra output means we can build on the success and expand into new markets where our brand is not so well known," he commented.
Oscar Martínez of Reyes Gutiérrez, another major producer in the region, said its own avocado output was likely to be around 10,000 tonnes in the coming season.
