SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 8 Oct (EUROPA PRESS) –
In 2023, the Canary Islands saw a rise in its exports of tropical and subtropical fruits to European Union nations outside of Spain when compared to 2022. Specifically, both the weight and monetary value of these crops produced outside the Peninsula but within Europe surged by 310%, increasing from 1,229 to 5,042 tons, and by 100.9%, from 1.92 to 3.86 million euros during this timeframe.
This information was shared by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty of the Canary Islands government, Narvay Quintero, during the opening of the Fruit Attraction fair in Madrid. After visiting the Canary Islands’ stand alongside the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, the minister highlighted the potential of these island fruit trees, which generally maintain their presence on the Peninsula whilst seeing a notable increase in their representation in other European markets in recent years.
Narvay Quintero also notably emphasised the significance of papaya, “a flourishing crop that continues to expand its market reach year after year, with exports to the Peninsula in 2023 totalling 9,299 tons valued at 9,156,238 euros, and to other European markets amounting to 642 tons and 1,051,808 euros.”
The Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA) and Proexca, is facilitating the involvement of Canarian businesses and public entities in this event, which runs until 10 October at Ifema, showcasing the archipelago’s offerings, including pitaya, mango, avocado, tropical pineapple, papaya, tomato, cucumber, aromatics, and proteas, alongside agricultural technologies and innovation services developed within the islands.
Companies such as Montaña Roja Herbs, Sweet Papaya, Agro Rincón, Alisios Tropical Fruits, Pitaber, Plantate SL, Kampoo, and Esae Vision System (these two being agricultural software companies) are present at the Canary stand, along with FEDEX and the Cabildos of Tenerife and La Palma.
The representation from the Canaries is further enhanced by the inclusion of spaces from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and Asprocan, which also receives backing from Proexca via its Foreign Promotion sector, as established in the sectoral plan agreement endorsed with this producer organisation association.
Furthermore, the Canarian Institute of Scientific Research (ICIA), linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, has utilised this platform to showcase its various research initiatives aimed at enhancing tropical and subtropical crop yields.
“This gathering has established itself as an effective commercial and promotional instrument that clearly focuses on enhancing business prospects by serving as a meeting point for producers from the archipelago with importers, distributors, and suppliers participating in the event,” Quintero emphasised.
The event also saw the involvement of the Deputy Minister of the Primary Sector, Eduardo García, the Executive CEO of Proexca, Pablo Martín Carbajal, and the ICCA Director, Luis Arráez Guadalupe.
Since 2009, the Canary Islands Executive has been promoting the internationalisation of the region’s fruit and vegetable industry at this event through the collaborative efforts of Proexca, the ICCA, and Gestión del Medio Rural Canarias (GMR Canarias). Although this public body has had minimal active participation in recent editions, it operates a commercial office in Madrid catering to orders for fresh and processed products from both the Peninsula and 12 European countries, as well as the United States, which is a key focus in its marketing strategy.
Throughout the fair, Proexca has arranged several meetings with the kheutmann business group, known for its extensive history in the fresh market, which recently participated in the German Tropical Fruit Reverse Business Mission, during which they engaged with businesses in Gran Canaria and Tenerife that primarily produce bananas, papaya, and pitaya, both organically and conventionally.
The organisation anticipates around 100,000 professionals from 145 nations, alongside 2,000 companies representing 55 nationalities, will attend this 16th edition of Fruit Attraction, occupying a space of 70,000 square meters. This edition puts particular emphasis on the Innova&Tech segment, dedicated to the research and advancement of innovative techniques and productions to enable the fruit and vegetable sector to effectively address current major challenges, such as increased production, water management, and sustainability.
