When you think of sun-kissed subtropical fruit, you might picture bananas growing in South America or mangoes being harvested in India, but did you know that one European country is also producing subtropical fruit?
When you think of sun-kissed subtropical fruit, you might picture bananas growing in South America or mangoes being harvested in India, but did you know that one European country is also producing subtropical fruit?
Spain also grows juicy fruits such as papaya and mango as well as avocados and bananas and is Europe’s only subtropical producer.
While subtropical fruits are grown in the southern mainland provinces such as Granada and Málaga, the centre of production is the Canaries, particularly the largest island, Tenerife.The island of La Palma comes as close second.
Thanks to year-round sunshine and mild winter temperatures, the climate here is perfect for a wide range of subtropical fruits, including bananas, papayas and pitahayas (dragon fruits).
Spain even produces its own unique varieties such as the Plátano Canario, a special type of banana grown only in the Canaries. It is sweeter than the bananas grown in South America and is highly prized throughout Spain.
“The Canary Islands are exceptional because of the constancy of the climate,” says Manuel Escoda, Marketing Manager at Bonnysa, one of Spain’s biggest fruit and vegetable producers.
“Their subtropical conditions allow for an exceptional cultivation of this type of fruit.”
What conditions do subtropical fruit need to thrive?
“The climate, the soil, the cultivation method…each product requires specific conditions”, Escoda says.
“In the case of subtropicals, as well as adapting the variety to our area, it is a question of reproducing the same conditions.”
In their natural habitat, banana plants require tropical conditions to survive. This means they need temperatures of around 27 degrees and yearly rainfall between 198 and 248 centimetres. While the crops certainly get the right temperatures in the Canaries, water supply is a problem.