The avocado will be the star product at Fruit Attraction

The avocado is to be the star product at the 16th Fruit Attraction organised by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, taking place from 8 to 10 October at the Madrid trade fair centre. In this way, the trade fair will concentrate various initiatives around this superfood, whose success has grown notably in recent years both in terms of consumption and international trade.

In addition to the presentation of the Interprofessional Organisation of Avocado and Mango at Fruit Attraction, the day before the start of the fair, on Monday 7 October, the World Avocado Organization, Asociafruit -Spanish Association of Producers and Exporters of fruits, dried fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants of Andalusia-, Aecam -Association of Avocado and Mango Marketers- and CooperativasAgro-Alimentarias will be holding the Global Avocado Congress, to help to continue positioning the avocado at an international level. In addition, during Fruit Attraction, this product will play a leading role in different activities organised by Asociafruit, Aecam and Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias.

Among other activities, demonstrations will be held at Factoría Chef, led by Daniel del Toro, in which this product will be the main ingredient in different recipes. The guest chef will also be visiting the Fruit Attraction halls to invite visitors to take part in the Avocado Quiz. A digital brochure on the health benefits of avocados will also be produced. Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Avocatruck, a foodtruck located on the Central Avenue where showcooking sessions with innovative uses of avocados will take place and there will be free tastings every day during the trade fair opening hours.

On the other hand, during the month of September, "The avocado league" is being organised, with the participation of different hotel and catering schools from all over Spain, in which competitions will be held in which students will design recipes with avocado featuring as the main ingredient. The winners from each school will attend Fruit Attraction to compete in the final.

In recent years, according to the MAPA 2022 Yearbook, avocado cultivation in Spain has experienced notable success, moving from the traditional growing areas (Canary Islands, Costa Tropical of Malaga and Axarquía in Malaga) to other areas of the country in the provinces of Cádiz, Huelva, Alicante, Valencia and Castellón. In addition, cultivation experiments are being carried out in regions such as Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria.

Andalusia is the Spanish region that accounts for most of the national avocado production, around 75%, with Malaga and Granada being the provinces where the crop has traditionally been grown. However, it is currently expanding to provinces such as Cadiz, Huelva and Seville. 

Spanish avocado exports are mainly destined for the EU, according to the Customs and Excise Department of the Spanish Tax Agency. In 2023, 122,784 tonnes of product were traded to EU countries, with France and the Netherlands receiving more than 50% of these exports. Overall, in economic terms, the value of the total exported production is quantified at around 400 million euros.

Mexico is the world's largest producer and consumer of avocados, accounting for around 30% of world production, according to FAOSTATS. Much of it is destined for the US market. Countries such as Peru and Chile also export a large proportion of their production, with European markets in general, and Spain in particular, being an important destination for their exports.

Peru is the world's leading exporter of avocados to Spain, according to the Customs and Excise Department of the Spanish Tax Agency. In 2023, a total of 133,011 tonnes of Peruvian avocados were imported. This means that more than 50% of this product imported by Spain (242,060 tonnes) originates from Peru.

Fruit Attraction, organised by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, is holding its 16th edition from 8 to 10 October and is expecting participation of more than 2,100 companies from 56 countries, which will be presenting 70,000 m2 of fruit and vegetable produce. The event expects to attract more than 100,000 professionals who will be visiting from 145 countries.

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