Following the same growing production trend in recent years, broccoli consumption has increased significantly in Spain. And not only hand in hand with the fresh sector; its growth has also been supported by the freezing industry, which allows consumers to obtain a product with all its nutritional and qualitative properties intact and long shelf life, and Spain has its epicenter in the province of Navarra.
"The industrial broccoli campaign is over in Badajoz and Navarra production areas. In Navarra, specifically, the broccoli grown is mainly destined for freezing since it is a very important segment in the region. In 2021, 941,000 tons of frozen products were produced in Spain, of which 710,000, 70% of the frozen vegetables in the entire country, came from just 3 companies in the province," explains Eduardo Díaz, from the Central Hortofrutícola de Tudela of AN Group.
"At Grupo AN, we are specialists in ad hoc products for freezers. We manage the commercialization and preparation of broccoli destined for the industry. We have both a manual and an automatic chopping line, and we serve our fresh raw material to freezers in Spain, France, and Portugal. Our volume of broccoli for the industry is over 20,000 tons," shares Eduardo.
"The largest percentage of broccoli frozen by freezer companies is destined for export, but the domestic market is also experiencing a boom in sales. Based on the fact that broccoli is healthy food and its consumption is already on the rise, frozen broccoli provides other advantages for the consumer: compared to the fresh product, which has a limited shelf life and for which the part that is discarded, the stem, represents an important percentage of the product, frozen broccoli can be kept for a long period, it is 100% usable because it is already flowered and, in addition, it is ready to cook".
"The frozen market share is increasing and expected to grow. It is only necessary to see that the freezers' production and storage capacity is expanding since new investments are being made in the expansion of the storage chambers and freezing tunnels".