Avocado and mango growers hurt by drought and low prices

At the end of the last avocado campaign, with the last weeks of spring They had to sell half of them, which barely touched 50 cents per kilogram. And the mango campaign last September concluded with averages at the starting point. Under 80 cents, 20% lower than the price just a year ago.

“Imagine being willing to take less than half of your salary with electricity, fuel or fertilizer prices skyrocketing,” he asked. Antonio Rodriguez, provincial secretary of the COAG organization in Malaga, To those who attend this Wednesday, where representatives of different agricultural groups of the Axarquia region are concentrated.

Political representatives from a wide range of organizations attended the meeting at the regional headquarters of the Costa del Sol-Axarquia Union of Municipalities in Torre del Mar. All agreed re-demanding compensatory measures to different administrationsbut above all to establish regulations that set minimum prices for fruit and vegetable products.

Producers blame distribution chains not transferring increments at source It can be seen in medium and large areas in recent months, under the pretext of smaller sizes this year (due to less rain and limited irrigation).

“Prices have fallen so much that in many cases farmers had to leave the mangoes unpicked”Rodriguez himself claims. Other producers pointed out that the same thing happens with avocados of later varieties in May and June. As the spokespersons of the UPA agricultural association point out, the new avocado campaign, which will start in a few weeks, does not seem to change the pace of business.

“We are facing a model change, all cannot be a homogeneous fruit, 400 or 500 grams and all are perfectbecause that’s not the way the field is,” Rodriguez added, when asked about the current situation amid rising prices and the need to turn to trucks for emergency irrigation at the doors of every campaign.

For the farmers themselves, one of the factors that complicates the viability of these subtropical farms in the Axarquia region is, large imports of produce from countries such as Brazil, or in the case of mangoes Colombianew major global avocado producer. They demand that the authorities put a price limit on the entry of solid fruit that is “as a result of drought”, which is competitive with existing sizes.

“If the industry doesn’t support us and managements prefer to continue entering from outside rather than valuing ours, we will consider whether to continue,” said Rodriguez. It should be noted that Mango campaign in 2021 reached nearly 30,000 tons in Malaga stateAccording to COAG. They employ thousands of families in the eastern region, where about 4,800 hectares are cultivated.

very important product

According to data from the Junta de Andalucía’s Observatory for Prices and Markets, in 2021 As a result, the value of mango production decreases compared to the previous campaign. 26% decrease in origin price.

The price paid to the farmer in 2020 is 1.38 euros, in 2021 it is 1.02 euros per kilo, repeating downward trend this year.

Therefore, from UPA and COAG Malaga “In such a difficult time for Andalusian agriculture and livestock, the effects of drought, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis resulting from it and the significant increase in production costs, profitability of farms under control”.

It is therefore time to support professional farmers who respond to a social model such as the subtropical fruit sector, and that 89% of farms have less than five hectares They concentrate almost 36% of the total area of ​​fruit trees in Andalusia”.

it was mango second subtropical crop of economic importance after avocado, so this crop has experienced strong development over the past 20 years and In 2021, 4,800 hectares were planted, 91% of which was in production.. 90% of them are concentrated in the province, Malaga mango production accounts for 85% of Andalusia’s volume and in Andalusia this amount exceeds 28,100 tons.