This May marks a symbolic date for Algarve agriculture: the 35th anniversary of the Frusal – Fruits of the Algarve empowerment. Founded in 1990 by a group of 28 visionary producers, Frusal has grown solidly and sustained until the largest citrus producers’ organization in Portugal has been said. Headquartered in Vila Nova de Cacela, the company has become a pillar of the regional and national agri-food sector, which is now responsible for an annual production that exceeds 40 thousand tons of fruit, especially citrus, which represent 80% of its activity.
More than numbers, Frusal is synonymous with commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation. The company is proud of the certifications that boasts-such as Globalg.ap, Grasp or IGP Citrinos do Algarve-, strategic partnerships with scientific institutions and the ability to bring the best of the Algarve to consumer tables in countries such as France, Germany, United Kingdom or Canada. To mark this milestone and get to know the backstage of this success story more closely, the Postal of the Algarve was talking to Pedro Madeira, managing partner of Frusal, who told us about the outcounted challenges, the vision to the future and the pride to bring the name of the region farther and further.
P – Frusal celebrates this year 35 years of existence. What balance does this route do and which one does consider to have been the most striking moments of this success story?
R – The balance is very positive. Over the course of these 35 years, Frusal has been consistently growing, both in number of associated producers and in production and business volume. We are today the largest citrus producers (OP) organization in Portugal.
Among the most significant milestones of this route stands out the recognition in 2001 as an organization of citrus producers by the European Union-a statute that was most recently extended to avocados, diosse and carob. Another decisive moment was the beginning of the provision of services to our members, allowing to enable small productive structures. A remarkable moment also happened in 2004, with the total restructuring of the Cacela Main Center. In 2007, we started with our own production, currently Frusal being the largest producer within OP itself. In 2009, we acquired Tavifruta, which allowed us to expand our work capacity to a second warehouse. Consolidation over the years of our positioning as suppliers of the large national surfaces and the continuous growth of the export quota are also milestones to highlight.
P – They started with 28 producers and today bring together more than 60 associates and 1,500 hectares of production. What were the main factors that allowed this growth sustained over the decades?
R – This sustained growth results from several factors. The concentration of supply and production control guarantees the end consumer safe and quality products. We have always bet on quality and taste, with various certifications that attest to it. Our ability to make products available throughout the year has been an important surplus value, allowing a great affectation of production factors and the possibility of establishing partnerships with large national and European surfaces.
P – Sustainability is a strong flag of Frusal. How have your agricultural practices have evolved in this field and how have certifications contributed to strengthen the confidence of national and international markets?
R – Given the scarcity of water that affects our region cyclically, this has been one of the biggest concerns of the entire citrus sector. The continuous improvement of water efficiency assisting the droplet watering system with moisture probes and irrigation programmers that allow as efficient watering management as possible. We have also entered several projects that aim to improve knowledge for better pruning acting, combating the Mediterranean fly and even to mitigate climate change by managing resources in their scarcity context.
P – Your bet on export and entry into new markets, such as Canada, Scandinavia and more recently Italy, demonstrate a growing ambition. What are the next steps in Frusal’s internationalization plan?
R – Our internationalization strategy continues to privilege proximity markets, always with the objective of ensuring fruit harvested at the optimal point of maturation and close to the moment of consumption. In addition to the already consolidated markets – Spain, France, Germany and Switzerland – we have recently been developing an interesting and continuity work in the Netherlands and Luxembourg (we don’t have the Italian market).
P – Since Algarve citrus is a product of excellence, with unique characteristics recognized by certifications such as IGP, how does Frusal contribute to valuing and promoting this agricultural identity of the region?
R – IGP Citrinos do Algarve is, for us, an essential tool in valuing regional production. The region has optimal edapoclimatic conditions, which translate into citruses of excellence. This certification guarantees the consumer that he is acquiring fruits that are produced with respect for the environment, are always harvested at the optimal point of consumption, worked and packed with the most rigorous criteria, fulfilling with HACCP (dangers analysis and critical points control).
P – Innovation and technological investment are pillars of your strategic vision. Can you share with us some of the latest research and development initiatives that Frusal is leading?
R – We are preparing the creation of a Research and Sustainability Center with our central in Tavira, which will have the name Frusal Inovcitrus. One of the priority projects for the next three years will be the study of the pest “Thirps”, which has caused significant damage to citrus – especially lemons and limas in the latest campaigns. We have established a protocol with InnovPlantProtect to deepen the knowledge about this pest and find effective forms of mitigation. Our responsibility, as a reference organization, also involves the production of applied scientific knowledge. In this way, we have counted on the University of Algarve as an essential and privileged partner.
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