As the avocado and lime season kicks off, Carlos Eduardo Beltran, Operations Manager for Managro Fresh, provided insights into the current state of the market.

Baltran spoke about the main fresh products handled at Managro Fresh, he stated: "In Managro Fresh, we handle Hass avocado and Tahiti lime; as fresh products, additionally, we have a canned pineapple division." Beltran further explained the avocado market situation, stating, "The season began very well in January with positive prices and low volume in the European market. However, prices decreased in February due to the high volume of Colombian avocados. Prices improved again in March and April. Now the challenge is the period from May to August, where Peruvian volume is the main challenge for this season."

Beltran discussed the consequences of the weather conditions on the harvest, he pointed out that ... "Last year's rains significantly affected the tree flowering process, resulting in a decrease in the production volume for the main 2022-23 season and the 2023 off-season. Additionally, it has had an effect on the evolution of fruit dry matter, delaying harvest seasons by several weeks, shifting away from our original production window."

Beltran also spoke about the challenges faced by Managro Fresh during this season, including ... "The national logistics of the routes between packing houses and ports, with the social protests that have taken place on the country's main roads. The logistic costs have significantly increased due to the alternative routes that must be taken, and the continuous increase in fuel prices has also had a direct effect on the increase in logistic costs."

In addition to the interview, Beltran provided additional information about Managro Holding's three business divisions. He stated that: "Managro Farm has a project to acquire 3,800 hectares of land, 2,800 of which will be allocated to Hass avocado cultivation, and 1,000 hectares to Tahiti lime. Additionally, we have the development of two nurseries with Israeli technology for the development of Tahiti lime and Hass avocado seedlings."

Beltran also shared that: "In Managro Fresh Industry, we have our plants for Hass avocado and lime packing, as well as our pineapple processing plant. We also have plans to construct plants with HPP and IQF technology for the development of pulp and frozen products, and lastly, the construction of an avocado oil production plant."

Lastly, Beltran mentioned that: "In the Managro Technology module, we aim to make a social impact on Colombia's agriculture. We have two divisions: Croper.com, which belongs to the holding, is a marketplace in which we have approximately 1.2 million users. We help farmers acquire fertilizers directly from manufacturers, improving their crop costs. The second division is an alliance with Microsoft in which we are committed to providing free internet to our farmers."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com