At times, organic and conventional prices can become very similar; still, Spain remains strongly focused on the cultivation of organic vegetables for those markets where price is not the most important factor.
"At times, a lack of conventional produce can cause it to become more expensive than organic. Our restrictions in the organic sector don't allow the use of chemical-based protection, so we produce less and the cost is much higher, but the client understands and appreciates this," says José Francisco Capel, president of Biosol Portocarrero.
© Biosol Portocarrero
"We produce 80% of our crops under programs, but prices are closed every week. You shouldn't set annual prices because the market fluctuates a lot. Having a fixed annual price can cost you the company. Other vegetables with a longer shelf life allow you to work differently, but that's not the case for ours," says the president.
"We depend a lot on the weather, but we still plan our volumes on a weekly basis. Nowadays, if you don't work with programs, sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose, but programs give you some stability."
© Biosol Portocarrero
"Taste is highly rewarded"
"We have 300 hectares in production and we handle around 30 million kilos, the vast majority of which is intended for export. The trend we are seeing in Europe is that taste is highly rewarded, especially for cherry tomatoes. With such premium products, consumers are willing to pay more, but they also expect them to have a great taste," says Capel.
In general, "cherry tomatoes have higher Brix degrees, and thus also a shorter shelf life. The time that passes from the harvest until it is delivered to its destination is crucial, so you have to be very efficient to prevent any quality losses. The handling of these products takes priority; after harvesting, it is the first product to leave the warehouse, bound to its destination."
"We face brutally unfair competition"
As far as trade with third countries is concerned, the manager says: "Neither in terms of specifications, nor in quality controls, nor in many other aspects do they meet our same standards. We face brutally unfair competition. We cannot compete with salaries of €5 a day without social security. We pay increasingly higher costs, and in Morocco, they produce without restrictions. Neither their organic nor their conventional crops meet the same specifications as we do," says the president.
He says that their competitive advantage is "being closer to Europe, especially for products like tomatoes on the vine, which quickly lose their freshness, and tasty varieties that aren't suitable for long transport routes."
© Biosol Portocarrero
"When ships loaded with zucchini arrive, they cause prices here to sink for a week. Very cheap Moroccan produce is brought into our market, and until that runs out, we have no sales. It is really unfair competition. I believe that we are often used as a wild card," says the manager.
This Almeria-based company grows and exports exclusively organic fruit and vegetables, which are shipped to Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It mainly works with tomato, pepper, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, melon, and watermelon. Although summer production is lower, they are active all year round, growing on the coast and in the mountains. After a short break, the season is starting in 15 days with cucumber, zucchini, and tomato.
For more information:
José Francisco Capel
Biosol Portocarrero
Tel.: +34 652 59 58 33
[email protected]
www.biosolportocarrero.com