Dried Fig Operational Group

An Operational Group is a set of stakeholders who come together around a sector to solve a problem or seize an opportunity. With this philosophy, we have brought together farmers, producers, processing industries, marketing companies, and knowledge-based entities to make the dried fig sector and its by-products more profitable and efficient.

The fig is a growing productive sector, with global demand increasing annually and very competitive prices. Extremadura is the largest fig-producing region in Spain, and the Montánchez and Tamujacos region concentrates the highest volume of land dedicated to this crop. Together, we account for nearly 100% of Spain’s dried fig production, which is why we are the EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF THE FIG and have formed an OPERATIONAL GROUP to lead this sector on a global scale.

Our goal is to make the dried fig sector and its by-products more profitable and efficient by developing technological innovations to produce high-quality, safe products. Together, we work on improving cultivation techniques, fig varieties, pest and disease management, harvesting processes, fig handling in the industry, the development of new processing methods, the creation of new products using the latest technologies, new marketing strategies, and more. All of this aims to overcome the challenges that hinder the sector’s profitability and turn them into opportunities. In doing so, we will equip our products with a quality seal to make them more competitive and better aligned with the demands of the most discerning markets.

Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to improve hygienic and sanitary quality throughout the dried fig production and processing chain through the application of non-destructive digital tools and a secure, sustainable traceability platform.

Objective 1: Produce figs in the FIELD for dried consumption with the highest hygienic and sanitary quality.

Objective 2: Establish innovative techniques for HARVESTING and INITIAL HANDLING IN THE FIELD.

Objective 3: Optimize the STORAGE and INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING of dried figs while ensuring the highest hygienic and sanitary standards.

Objective 4: Establish the healthiest and most sustainable practices for the PACKAGING and STORAGE of dried figs within the industry and at the point of sale.

Objective 5: Create a QUALITY SEAL to guarantee the quality and food safety of the product based on the improvements implemented.

Objective 6: MARKET the results of applying innovative and sustainable techniques throughout the dried fig production and processing chain.

Objective 7: LIVING LAB: Create an open innovation ecosystem to test and validate user acceptance of innovative and sustainable techniques.

Objective8: COMMUNICATION PLAN for the application of innovation within the fig sector.

Members

Subcontracted Members

The Fig Sector

Spain, with a cultivated area of 12,000 hectares and an annual production of 30,000 tons, is the leading fig-producing country in Europe, accounting for 30% of European production and 3% of global production. Of this total area, over 85% is cultivated mainly under rainfed conditions, particularly in Extremadura and Andalusia. The remaining 15% is grown in irrigated lands or moist drylands of the Valencian Community and Castile and León (EUSYRCE, 2016).

Extremadura is the largest fig-producing region in Spain, and the Montánchez and Tamuja area concentrates the highest volume of land devoted to this crop and to the marketing of its products in our region. In fact, producers in our Operational Group account for nearly 100% of Spain’s dried fig production.

Currently, global fig production for both fresh and dried consumption generates an international business volume of just over €540 million annually. Of this, 77% corresponds to imports and exports of dried figs (about €420 million), and the remaining €120 million relates to the fresh fig market. These figures represent an annual production volume of approximately 160,000 tons of dried figs and 60,000 tons of fresh figs.

The main importing countries are France and Germany, together representing nearly 30% of global imports, followed by others such as the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom, with notable differences between their imports of dried and fresh figs. In terms of exports, Turkey is the leading global exporter of both dried and fresh figs, although each product is marketed independently. It is worth noting that Spain, alongside Turkey, is the only producing country that exports a significant volume of both fig types.

Nationally, in 2015, the fig sector generated €38 million in revenue, according to the 2015 Agricultural Yearbook, with an average price of €132.4 per 100 kg (MAGRAMA, 2016).

The economic importance of this productive sector continues to grow, driven by both national and international demand for dried figs, which increases each year, along with very competitive prices. Moreover, the consolidation of various agri-food companies in Extremadura and Castile and León specializing in dried figs and their processed derivatives has fostered greater interest in this crop. The fig tree is increasingly seen as a viable alternative in certain generally disadvantaged regions where other irrigated crops with higher water requirements are not feasible.

For the consolidation of this crop, several technological improvements are necessary throughout the production process. These include agronomic improvements in the field related to plant material, cultivation techniques such as pruning and fertilization, and pest and disease management. Enhancements in harvesting techniques and fig handling in processing facilities are also needed. Altogether, these improvements will help increase production and ensure a consistent fruit quality in rainfed conditions, as well as support the establishment of new plantations in irrigated areas of the region using integrated pest and disease management and advanced cultivation techniques.