Jorge Bretó, CEO of CITROSOL, explains why the company's postharvest solutions are winning new customers around the world.
EF: What important milestones have you achieved so far in 2025 that you would like to highlight?
JB. 2025 is proving to be a key year for Citrosol. First of all, we have already completed the reconstruction and expansion of our manufacturing plant, which allows us to respond with greater agility and efficiency to the growing international demand. This expansion not only increases our production capacity, but also allows us to reinforce our centralized quality controls to offer an even higher standard in our products and technologies.
In addition, we continue to consolidate our international presence. Sales outside Spain now exceed 55% of the total, reflecting our strong commitment to internationalization. Regions such as South Africa, Peru and Egypt are gaining increasing weight in our turnover.
EF. At Fruit Logistica you presented CATsystem® and Greenfog-AS for the first time. How are sales of both evolving? Have they been well received by the market?
JB. The reception has been excellent. The CATsystem® was a finalist for the FLIA Technology Award 2025, which already anticipated the interest it would arouse in the industry. Since then, we have successfully installed it in several citrus plants. The results are very satisfactory and we are currently working on its adaptation for other fruits.
As for Greenfog-AS, it is generating a great deal of interest especially in "zero residue" programs. It is a fumigant treatment based on "green chemistry"-a GRAS substance according to the FDA and considered minimal risk by the U.S. EPA-which gives it a unique position as a highly effective tool without phytosanitary residues. It is being very well received by operators looking for sustainable and effective alternatives to conventional fungicides.
EF. What novelties are you going to present at Fruit Attraction 2025?
JB. In this edition of Fruit Attraction we have decided to consolidate our commitment to three of our most representative and transformative solutions, which are marking a real turning point in postharvest: Citrocide®, CATsystem® and Greenfog-AS. More than presenting new technologies, our goal is to continue to reinforce the value they bring to the industry, both in terms of sustainability and in terms of operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
We believe that there is still much potential to be developed and implemented with these tools, and Fruit Attraction will be the perfect scenario to continue demonstrating their impact on improving processes, reducing losses and food waste, as well as adapting to demanding international standards.
EF: How have market requirements evolved in the post-harvest treatment sector in the last 3 to 5 years?
JB. The evolution has been profound. On the one hand, regulatory requirements have increased significantly, especially in Europe, where the Green Pact's Farm to Fork strategy calls for a 50% reduction in the use of chemical pesticides by 2030. This has driven a growing demand for alternative solutions, such as our PlantSeal® vegetable coatings or the Citrocide® system, both of which are compatible with organic farming. On the other hand, the requirements of traceability, water and energy efficiency, and waste reduction have become a priority. In this regard, technologies such as the CATsystem® mark a turning point by enabling real-time management, with precise control of concentrations and minimization of losses and food waste.
EF. Which geographic regions show the strongest growth for your solutions?
JB. International sales continue to grow solidly and steadily. In the last five years, our global presence has increased significantly, both in terms of turnover and in the entry into new countries. Turnover in international markets now accounts for more than 55 % of Citrosol's total sales.
We are also consolidating our presence in many of these markets by setting up our own structures that enable us to offer a closer and more efficient service to our customers. We already have subsidiaries in Peru, South Africa and Uruguay, as well as our own staff in Egypt.
Peru, South Africa and Egypt stand out as high-growth markets. We have also recently entered other countries such as Chile, where many of our solutions are already being successfully implemented, resulting in significant growth.
In Asia, the potential is very high. In recent years, Citrosol has expanded its presence in this region, entering new markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam, and strengthening its presence in countries where we were already present, such as India and Thailand.
EF. Are you incorporating any emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology or artificial intelligence, in the new product development process?
JB. We are currently working on several projects exploring new technological solutions, one of them based on nanotechnology, although for confidentiality reasons we cannot share specific details at this time.
We are also actively working on the development of intelligent technologies, such as remote control of the CATsystem® through the Citrofy® platform, which already allows adjustments and monitoring from any geographical location. In addition, we are advancing in real-time analysis and advanced sensor systems, which in the future could incorporate AI capabilities for autonomous decision making.
