Digitalization, sustainability and expansion in ready-to-eat fruit: BIG interview with Jordi Martí

In a year marked by inflation, changing consumption patterns and a growing demand for sustainable practices, CMR Group has continued to consolidate its position in European and global markets. With almost 150 years of history, the company has made progress on multiple fronts: expanding strategic alliances, adapting to the evolution of sales channels and reinforcing its commitment to quality and responsible supply management. We spoke with Jordi Martí, National Commercial Director of CMR GROUP, about the 2024 results and the group's strategic vision for the year ahead.

Fructidor: How would you summarize CMR Group's main achievements in 2024?

Jordi Martí: Year after year, we continue to increase our sales volume, and 2024 was no exception. We reached €250 million, which reflects the growth of both our domestic producing partners during the Spanish season and our international off-season partners. In addition, new shippers joined us and started to cooperate with us, thus strengthening our supply capacity.

Fructidor: Which markets are showing the most potential for 2025 and beyond?

Jordi Martí: Our sales network covers Iberia, Italy and North Africa from our central unit next to Mercabarna, in addition to Mercamadrid and Mercaléon. We also have offices in Lisbon (CMR Portugal), Perpignan and Paris for France, and in the Netherlands for Central, Eastern and Northern Europe. The objective is to grow both in existing markets and in new areas where we still have low coverage.

Fructidor: How is CMR adapting to new consumer habits and the evolution of sales channels, such as online?

Jordi Martí: The public is increasingly aware of healthy, wholesome and responsible consumption, so the intrinsic characteristics of fruits and vegetables make them a priority food item for new consumer profiles. In this sense, we have already come a long way by the simple fact of marketing a product so suitable for the new trends, so we have to focus on making them available in the required formats, at the ideal time of consumption, and with the specifications, certifications and quality guarantees required by the increasingly informed consumer. The weights of the various marketing channels of the fruit and vegetable sector differ for each market, so the flexibility of adapting the offer to each of them is crucial. In CMR we cover each and every one of the sales channels, adapting to their requirements, formats and standards in order to meet their demands with our broad and diversified portfolio of products. We understand the online channel as a marketing channel for our distributor customers.

Fructidor: With the increase in logistics and production costs, how do you maintain competitiveness without losing sight of sustainability?

Jordi Martí: At CMR Group, sustainability is non-negotiable. Our CSR policy is based on three pillars: reducing environmental impact, using food responsibly and engaging with the community. In 2024, we drove the circular economy, improved energy efficiency, invested in recycling infrastructure and collaborated with social entities. In addition, we continued with regenerative agriculture practices and measures to reduce our water footprint in our Brazilian subsidiary. All this reinforces our competitiveness and social value.

Fructidor: What role does innovation play in CMR's strategy?

Jordi Martí: Innovation is part of our DNA. We continually invest in digitization, crop technologies, clean energy, cooling software and product conditioning. In such a dynamic sector, not innovating means losing competitiveness. For us, being at the forefront is synonymous with offering real value to the customer.

Fructidor: Let's talk about the AURUM brand. What is your assessment of the past year?

Jordi Martí: AURUM has gained recognition in Spain and has aroused great interest in markets such as Italy and France. The key is quality: we select the best pieces, control the maturation process with expert technical teams and offer a calibrated product, labeled and ready to eat at its optimum point. This effort is being rewarded with market loyalty. In particular, avocado had an excellent season, while mango was affected by availability problems.

Fructidor: What actions have contributed to AURUM's positioning?

Jordi Martí: We work on the active communication of the brand in networks, we collaborate with content creators, and we offer recipes, nutritional information and attractive consumption moments. On a professional level, we send personalized newsletters, we carry out actions at fairs and showcookings with nutritionists and chefs, and we maintain a presence at key points in the sector.

Fructidor: How do you guarantee the optimum ripening point?

Jordi Martí: We have 59 state-of-the-art ripening chambers in Barcelona and Madrid. Specialized technical teams supervise the product in each phase of the process, adjusting the parameters to ensure an avocado or mango that meets AURUM's demanding standards.

Fructidor: What trends do you foresee for 2025 in ready-to-eat fruits?

Jordi Martí: Both market studies and our own data show a sustained growth in avocado and mango consumption, either fresh or in ready-to-eat formats. Europe still has a lot of growth potential, especially in countries where these products are not yet fully integrated into the daily diet.

Fructidor: What is your assessment of the COSARICA campaign?

Jordi Martí: Despite a difficult start due to overlapping campaigns, it has been very positive, especially in yellow melon and piel de sapo. COSARICA watermelon - in striped and black seedless versions - has been very well received thanks to its quality and regularity. From our facilities in Brazil, we manage cultivation and quality control with expert teams. We also launched a renewed brand image and distinctive labels that have been well received by the market.

Fructidor: What are your expectations for BANARICA in 2025?

Jordi Martí: Banarica bananas, grown on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, stand out for their organoleptic properties. We expect great acceptance, as is already confirmed by positive comments from customers. In terms of sustainability, the brand complies with the highest standards: Global GAP, Rainforest, SCS, NSF, and World Compliance. In addition, they have storage infrastructure in Puerto Barrios with capacity for 7,000 pallets.

Fructidor: What are the sector's greatest opportunities and challenges for this year?

Jordi Martí: The opportunities lie in expanding geographically, opening new points of sale and adapting our offer. This requires more product, which also generates new opportunities for our current and potential partners. It is a virtuous cycle of collaborative growth.

Fructidor: Finally, what message would you like to give to your partners, growers and customers?

Jordi Martí: CMR Group is a multinational with almost 150 years of history and presence in more than 50 countries. We know the market and its trends, and we share them with our partners so that they can anticipate them. Our network of producers, together with our own production unit in Brazil, enables us to guarantee a constant, diverse supply, tailored to our customers' needs. We remain open to new partnerships that will help us to further strengthen our value proposition in all the markets in which we operate.

If you would like to explore business, distribution or partnership opportunities with CMR Group, please submit your inquiry today.