<p>Forecasts for the organic almond campaign in Extremadura that begins harvests begins on August 15, are very negative. Expectations are that there will be a 40% decline in production volumes due to the abundant rains of spring."The almond's blooming period, which takes place between the second half of February and early March, coincided with a period of heavy rains which didn't come to an end until May, causing flowering and pollination problems that will result in a decrease of approximately 40 % of the production. Therefore, there will be a very short campaign in Spain this year," said Antonio Perez, manager of Productores de Almendras S.A.T. (Almond Producers S.A.T)</p> <p>Given this decline in volume, the almond industry expects to see a large increase in prices for the coming season, this, however, won't compensate farmers for the lack of production." The price of almonds has been sustained and has the number of acres has increased over the past three years. The fact is that almonds have advantages over other crops. Almond production does not cause surpluses; it is not a perishable product and it is consumed throughout the year. It also has significant support through the CAP circuit. ""Now the price of almonds will increase, but this wont compensate farmers for the lack of production, as there will be many plantations where harvesting costs will be higher. On the other hand, we're also going to need more time to collect because of the lack of standardization of production in the trees, "said Antonio Perez.</p> <h1><strong>Export Markets</strong></h1> <p>Although they have some specialty stores in Spain, the export markets in countries such as Germany, France, Holland and Portugal, are the most important ones for organic almonds."The countries of central and northern Europe are some years ahead of us in ecological consumption, since they already know the benefits of doing so and the quality that sets ecological products apart. These are countries with an interesting market share and with loyal consumers to organic products. It is developing slowly in Spain, with various promotions to get the product to the consumers, but now the process has been complicated by the crisis. We would need about 10 years to have Germany's consumption levels. "</p> <p>Made up by producers who market under the brand BIOTERRA, Productores de Almendras S.A.T. produces, processes and sells 100% of the almonds and nuts of the fields of Extremadura, nearly 3,000 acres of upland varieties such as Ferragnes and Guara by 70%, and also Marcona and Largueta, pioneering in organic farming techniques of almonds at the national level since 1996.But BIOTERRA is not just a reference for its fresh almonds, as they have expanded their assortment of dried fruits, like figs, sprocket, hazelnut, etc., as well as in their 2nd range production, doing all the processes that can be made with almonds, be it roasted, fried, caramelized or coated with chocolate, as well as making almond cream and oil.</p> <p>"We started gathering almonds and marketing them, but we saw that by adding value to the product and having new products we could differentiate ourselves from the competition and give a comprehensive service to the specialty stores, since we already have more than 60 different references," says Antonio Perez."This year, as a novelty, we have included the chocolate fig, almond delight (the only organic chocolate that exists in the market) whose quality and attractive presentation has been well received. We hope that these products will be consolidated in the next season, because we believe in these quality products and high added value. "</p>