New quality seal designed to boost the competitiveness of Valencian avocados in the national and international markets
The Avocado Producers Association (Asoproa) has officially launched its new Aguacate Valenciano (Valencian Avocado) brand. At an inauguration event held at the headquarters of Valencian farmers association Ava-Asaja, the association said the new quality seal would strengthen the differentiation, competitiveness, and positioning of Valencian avocados in the national and international markets.
The event was attended by the president of ASOPROA, Celestino Recatalá; the president of AVA-ASAJA, Cristóbal Aguado; the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Barrachina; and the President of the Valencian Government, Juanfran Pérez Llorca; as well as representatives from various institutions, organizations, distributors, commercial operators, quality designations, and producers in the sector.
The new emblem features an avocado depicted in the colours of the Senyera, the flag of the Valencian Community, thereby reinforcing its connection to the region and its origin. New packaging designed to provide greater visibility and consistency to the brand at points of sale was also presented at the event, together with a promotional video highlighting the product’s quality, local sourcing, and sustainability.
The initiative will be supported by other strategic actions, including the launch of a new multilingual website with detailed information on the different avocado varieties, points of sale, and informational materials aimed at both professionals and consumers.
At the event, Cristóbal Aguado, president of Ava-Asaja, called for the avocado sector needs to organise itself. “Spain should be a leader in avocado production, and it is on the right track,” he said, adding that a more structured sector would consolidate growth and guarantee sustained profitability for farmers.
According to Asoproa’s president, Celestino Recatalá, “90 per cent of the avocados consumed in Europe are imported”, highlighting the significant potential for growth in domestic production. “Cultivation is profitable, but we are working for the future, so that when things aren’t going so well, we have a clear competitive advantage. It’s an investment in the future,” he noted.
Recatalá stressed the importance of strengthening the interprofessional avocado organisation to support domestic products, while also arguing that Valencian avocados should have their own distinct and recognisable identity. He also directly appealed to large retailers to “lend a hand” in marketing and increasing the value of locally sourced products.
There are currently 4,200ha of avocado production in the Valencian Community, and forecasts from Ava-Asaja and Asoproa point to sustained growth of approximately 300 new hectares per year. If this trend continues, planted area could double in the coming years, solidifying avocados as one of the most dynamic emerging crops in the region.
According to Juanfran Pérez Llorca, president of the Generalitat, the regional government of Valencia has earmarked €20mn to support the development of Valencian avocados as a high-quality, competitive, and safe crop. He said the new brand “sets us apart from the competition with a product that offers consumers safety and excellence and demonstrates our farmers’ ability to innovate and introduce new products”.
