Production of tropical fruits in Europe: a geographical survey.
Voth A.
Author Affiliation: Institute for Spatial Analysis and Planning in Areas of Intensive Agriculture (ISPA), University of Vechta, Postfach 1553, D-49364 Vechta, Germany.
Acta Horticulturae : 29-36
Abstract : An analysis of the diffusion pattern of tropical fruit species in Europe is presented. Pineapple production began in the Azores in the 1860s, expanded for several decades, but then entered a period of crisis from which it has not recovered, although pineapples are still grown there largely for the Portuguese market. Climatic conditions in the Canary Islands, have favoured the cultivation of banana (Musa) while conditions in Southern Spain (Costa del Sol) have allowed the development of cherimoya (Annona cherimola), avocado (Persea americana) and mango (Mangifera indica) cultivation. Banana cultivation on the Canary Islands began in the 1880s. After a long period of expansion, the loss of export markets and banana imports to the national market caused a crisis. Water shortage and limited space have restricted banana cultivation on the Canary Islands, but due to European market organization and subsidies it remains profitable. Pineapple cultivation in the Canary Islands also started in the 1980s, but only for the local island markets. Cherimoya cultivation in Spain started around 100 years ago, but expanded in the 70s and 80s. New techniques in hand pollination have brought high yields and contributed to the diffusion of cherimoya in the region, but growth in cherimoya cultivation in other parts of Europe has not been sustained, due to its special climatic requirements. Avocado cultivation in Spain, which showed a boom in the 1980s, remains concentrated in the Costa del Sol. In other parts of the country, it could not compete with the dynamic evolution of citrus, and the over-exploitation of coastal groundwater resources caused high salinity of nearby wells and eventual loss of many avocado plantations. Mango cultivation expanded in 1985 as an alternative to avocado production, with the introduction of many mango cultivars, not all of which proved suitable for commercial production or for the local conditions. These have largely been reduced to 3 main cultivars, Tommy Atkins (early season), Osteen (medium season), and Keitt (late season). The European production of tropical fruits still has some good prospects. The Mediterranean climate and geographical isolation from the tropics bring about a lower pest and disease pressure, allowing production with low or even no chemical control. Short transport times and good logistics should enable producers to pick riper fruits and obtain better prices than fruits shipped over long distances. Modernization of fruit production, particularly for banana and pineapple, is necessary.