In the Calderona mountain range, a few kilometers from Valencia, Aldemar Boix grows hundreds of avocados on his farm. There are two hectares with about a thousand trees of five different varieties; more than five tons a year that suffer less than one might think from the current water shortage. “The farm is in a good place, the avocado needs mountain areas close to the coast, a little altitude (between 200 and 400 meters above sea level) and non-aggressive temperatures in winter,” explains this farmer, who gives almost a perfect definition of the Valencian landscape where, it seems, the avocado is gaining ground over traditional citrus fruits.
According to the Department of Agriculture, in recent years there has been a significant expansion in this production since according to the Valencian Agricultural Sector Report (ISAV), in 2022 there were a total of 2,310 hectares destined for this crop, an area that had increased by 217 hectares compared to 2021, 10% more, and 846 hectares more compared to 2020, an increase of 57%.
There is so much interest among Valencian farmers that the Department of Agriculture has scheduled a work day on avocado cultivation for next February, a call that comes after the celebration of the first table at the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research, IVIA-Aguacate. , in which Boix already participated as a sector representative of this fruit in the Valencian Community as a member of La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera.
“In the first meeting, the needs we have were raised, because it has been seen that the Valencian Community can take over from Malaga, which has been the engine of avocado production in Spain, until now when they are beginning to have problems due to the drought. “, details Boix. “There is some hope that we can be the replacement because it is working very well and it is not easy to introduce a crop into a territory,” adds Carles Peris, general secretary of La Unió.
According to the Valencian Agricultural Sector Report (ISAV), in 2022 there was a total of 2,310 hectares destined for this crop, which is mainly concentrated in the regions of Marina Baixa (353 hectares), Plana Baixa (312 hectares), La Plana Alta (280 hectares) and Camp de Morvedre (276 hectares).
Precisely in Callosa d’En Sarrià, where loquat is traditionally grown, is where it has grown the most and even the local Ruchey cooperative and the Málaga-based TROPS signed a collaboration agreement two years ago for the production and marketing of avocado. There, 201 hectares have already been planted, where it has grown the most, followed by Castelló (196 hectares), Almenara, Sagunt and Puçol.
Aldemar Boix explains that a paradigm shift is taking place, since although not in all locations you can replace orange – or other citrus fruits – with avocado, this is confirmed as “the alternative crop, due to its excellence and security in price.” , which holds up much better than the traditional orange.”
There are those who are already replacing unprofitable citrus varieties with avocados, despite the fact that the unusually high temperatures at some times of the year harm the crop, such as in the weeks before Christmas. Those days, the Valencian Farmers Association, AVA-ASAJA, warned that early sprouting was occurring in avocados and stone and vine fruits, among other productions, when the vegetative cycle usually begins in March and April.
AVA-ASAJA, promoter of the avocado producers’ association, ASOPROA, highlights that “avocado has become one of the most interesting cultivation alternatives in those warm areas where it does not freeze.” They estimate that Valencian farmers plant approximately 300 hectares of avocados each year on farms that previously had orange trees and other fruits with profitability problems. “We believe that we have already exceeded 3,000 hectares in the Valencian Community, with a production close to 14,000 tons,” the entity adds.
The Ministry adds that the climate of the Valencian Community allows the cultivation of a large number of avocado varieties, such as Hass, Fuerte, Lamb Hass, Reed, Bacon and Maluma, highlighting the late variety Lamb Hass, the majority.
The interest of the market also helps, since in 2022 each inhabitant of the Valencian Community consumed a total of 1.80 kilos of avocado at home, slightly above the Spanish average, which is 1.78 kilos per capita. In 2021, its consumption stood at 1.65 kg per capita and in 2016 at only 0.75 kilos per capita. It is confirmed as a crop with great potential in the Valencian Community that could even have its own brand, Aguacates CV, on which ASOPROA is already working. There have been other slogans, such as ‘Avocado from València, the most sustainable in the world’.
There is even a launch of its own Interprofessional, already admitted by the Ministry of Agriculture. “We are emphasizing training, because there is still a lot of ignorance about the cultivation techniques that can obtain the best performance, in research and in the defense of a crop that, despite its unfair environmental accusations, has the same water needs as citrus fields and sustainable cultivation in Valencian lands”, argue from AVA-ASAJA.
