Avocado Farming

Avocado farming

Salsa Agrícola is one of the biggest avocado producers on the eastern Costa del Sol, Spain’s largest area for avocado farming on account of its favourable microclimate.

The first of the twelve farms currently operating was planted the year 2000, and the most recent one, Finca El Caño, was planted in 2021 in the municipality of Torrox.

Fuente Nueva is the name of our experimental farm, where we first applied intensive production techniques and criteria. Through the experience and knowledge gained here, we were then able to extend this approach to our other farms.

As a result: from just over 124 productive hectares distributed between these 12 farms, 83 have already reached their maximum potential production with total yields exceeding 1,000 tonnes of fruit per year.

+ than 1,000 tonnes per year

Through traditional cultivation (200-300 trees per hectare), this maximum capacity is reached on average in around the sixth year after planting. On intensive plantations (600-1,500 trees per hectare) like ours, this period is shortened, and by the third year, yields are already similar to those of conventional mature farms.

All farms have been designed based on their soil characteristics and criteria of rational and efficient management, implementing highly innovative farming techniques.

The experience gained and the ongoing research conducted, bolstered by the strong prospects enjoyed by the sector in this region, point to a strong future for this business area within Grupo Sociedad Azucarera Larios.

A recognised model

Thanks to our philosophy of innovation and the implementation of state-of-the-art planting techniques, we have managed to tackle one of the main problems of avocado cultivation: root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi.

With the creation of elevated planting ridges and efficient drainage in each of our plots, we have managed to alleviate the problem and obtain great results.

Grupo Sociedad Azucarera Larios is committed to the continuous study and analysis of new practices and the implementation of improvements and capitalisation that we apply horizontally to all the activities we undertake. Currently, our main challenge is to achieve the same level of success attained in thein traditional plantations in our new intensive farming project that we have been developing since 2016.

We are investing to innovate in avocado farming.

Historically, our farms were run as smallholdings, growing sugar cane and later vegetable crops.

The first challenge was to group these holdings into the ideal size of farm so that the work could be largely mechanised.

The second major challenge we faced was to reduce the inputs required by traditional plantations in the area, such as average water consumption per hectare, high fertiliser use, or the excessive application of herbicides in new plantations.

Through advanced technologies, we control humidity levels daily, are improving the annual contribution of organic matter that the trees themselves produce previously, controlling levels through periodic soil analysis, and by using weed suppressing meshes from the moment of planting, this second challenge has been achieved.

Product

Through continuous innovation we have achieved two primary objectives for Salsa Agricola:

High production levels on our farms, reducing the effect of alternate bearing.

High quality fruit

The pollinating varieties Bacon and Fuerte, as well as the commercial Hass variety, produce optimum average quality with very low levels of damaged fruit/waste given the strong conditions on the plantations and the pruning carried out annually.

By continually monitoring our picking which is essential to obtain high-fat fruit, we are able to ensure that the avocados we grow are premium quality and reach the national and European market with all the prestige of a fruit that is highly valued for its origin.

+ than 1,000 tonnes per year

All farms have been designed based on their soil characteristics and criteria of rational and efficient management, implementing highly innovative farming techniques.

We are investing to innovate in avocado farming.

Historically, our farms were run as smallholdings, growing sugar cane and later vegetable crops.

The first challenge was to group these holdings into the ideal size of farm so that the work could be largely mechanised.

A recognised model

With the creation of elevated planting ridges and efficient drainage in each of our plots, we have managed to alleviate the problem and obtain great results.

Product

Through continuous c innovation we have achieved two primary objectives for Salsa Agricola:

High production levels on our farms, reducing the effect of alternate bearing.

High quality fruit

by continually monitoring our picking which is essential to obtain high-fat fruit, we are able to ensure that the avocados we grow are premium quality and reach the national and European market with all the prestige of a fruit that is highly valued for its origin.

Avocado farming

+ than 1,000 tonnes per year

A recognised model

We are investing to innovate in avocado farming.

Product

+ than 1,000 tonnes per year

We are investing to innovate in avocado farming.

A recognised model

Product

Productive farms

Fuente Nueva

Escopetica

María Cristina

El Caño

Cabrillas

Cortijo Rando

Vega Rengel

Cortijo Bravo

Huerta Adelfas

Huerta Álamos

Vega Anaya