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Tendencies
CUstaRD appLE “MaDE iN spaiN”
THE PROVINCES OF GRANADA AND
MáLAGA HAVE THE UNIqUE PRODUC-
TION OF CUSTARD APPLE IN EUROPE. AT
PRESENT, THE SUPPLy OF CUSTARD AP-
PLE, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER CON-
DITIONS, IS AROUND 40,000 - 50,000
TONS.
By Daniel Lafuente
Torregrosa
revista@fyh.es
The Tropical coast of Granada-Málaga
is the unique
Spanish and European producing
zone and the one of
highest world-wide production
of this tropical fruit.
The campaign of custard apple
in the Tropical Coast is
between the months of September
and April with an
annual production between
40,000 and 50,000 tons of
this product. Concretely, in
2010 the supply was 38.300
tons, of which 35,000 tons
comes from the zone of Granada
and 3,300 tons from the
province of Málaga.
Surface. In the campaign of
2010 the Tropical Coast had
a surface of 3,211 hectares
of this crop. If it is compared
with the average of the years
2006-09, the surface has
grown slightly, since it was
2.900 hectares.
The custard apple is a product
of Spanish consumption.
Not in vain a high percentage
of the production is handled
by the wholesalers of
the Mercas (Mercamadrid
and Mercabarna are the most
important) and the rest is relocated
between chains, in-
dependent operators and the
export which was more than
1,000 tons in the campaign
2009-2010.
Mercas. Because of their geographic
situation for the distribution
and commercialization
of fruits and mainly
their volume of supply, Mercamadrid
and Mercabarna
are the reference places in
the wholesale business of the
custard apples. However, the
evolution of the sales is not
developing at the same rate.
Concretely, the campaign of
2008 will be remembered
with optimism by the operators
of Mercamadrid, since
more than 8,000 tons of custard
apple were commercialized
with an average price
in the market of 2.34 Euros/
kilo. This volume of supply
is the highest of the last five
years, although the highest
average price was in the year
2009 with 2,62 Euros/kilo,
nevertheless, only 5,578 tons
were sold.
With respect to Mercabarna,
the year 2007 was the best
one of the last five years because
they commercialized
almost 2,500 tons of this
fruit with an average price of
1,93 Euros/kilo.
This recession is sensible with
respect to the three last years,
since the supply and the price
decreased gradually. Example:
in 2010 they commercialized
1,925 tons of custard
apple with an average price of
1.43 Euros/kilo.
International. Normally, the
custard apple is commercialized
mainly in Spain with a
very high consumption.
From the guaranty of origin
the custard apple is being
promoted to increase the
consumption and even to
know the reality of a product
unknown by big part of the
consumers of fruits and vegetables
in Europe and Spain.
Speaking about the international
markets between 10
and 20 per cent of the production
is exported to the
EvoluTIon of ThE cusTArD
ApplE TrADE In MErcAMA-
DrID.
(In tons). Source: Mercamadrid.
6,093
7,108
8,087
5,578
5,173
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EvoluTIon of ThE cusTArD
ApplE TrADE In MErcAbArnA.
(In tons). Source: Mercabarna.
1,989
2,454
2,296
1,830
1,925
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
European Union, mainly to
Germany and the United
Kingdom. These two destinations
are the main points of
interest. From the guaranty
of origin are trying to introduce
in new markets with
commercial agreements to
promote this product in Germany
and the United Kingdom.
“The project is looking
for improving the knowledge
and the satisfaction of the
demand that the European
consumer is already doing,
mainly in the United Kingdom
and Germany, where
the consumption is reasonable
like to invest this
amount in promotion”, Antonio
Sanchez, chairman of
the guaranty of origin of the
custard apple of Costa Tropical
Granada-Málaga.
EvoluTIon of ThE AvErAgE
prIcE of ThE cusTArD ApplE
In MErcAMADrID.
(euros/kilo). Source: Mercamadrid.
1,88
2,00
2,34
2,62
2,20
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EvoluTIon of ThE AvErAgE
prIcE of ThE cusTArD ApplE
In MErcAbArnA.
(euros/kilo). Source: Mercabarna.
1,60
1,93
1,63
1,52
1,43
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
F&H International 1 • November 2011
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