"Almond Consumption Increases Every Year, There is a Future"

Almendras Artigues, under the leadership of Juan Carlos Artigues, marks its third generation as a benchmark in this market in Marina Alta and throughout the Valencian Community. At the Cedma 2025 Awards, which are being presented today, his work at the helm of a traditional company that knows how to adapt to new times has been recognised.

-What does it feel like to receive recognition from the Cercle Empresarial de la Marina Alta, when it is your own peers who acknowledge your work?

-When they called me and told me I had been awarded, I was truly surprised and immensely joyful. It gave me goosebumps because these are things you really don't expect. In the end, they tell you that the projects you are carrying out as an entrepreneur have meaning, and I am super happy about it. I could never have imagined it in my life. This recognition for Almendras Artigues and for me, honestly, is priceless.

-You represent the third generation of the Almendras Artigues business. What would you say is the secret?

-The secret, honestly, is that there is no secret. The secret is to work, above all, work with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. And do what you love, and let it come from within. That is, really, the secret. Every work, every sector, and every company is different. This sector is also very particular because it is a market with a lot of speculation, and you have to stay on top of it. But the secret, above all, is to work very hard. And advance little by little. You also have to adapt and modernise. As you see things, you evolve and innovate for the company as well. Because, of course, today you have to be aware of everything. If you stand still, it's a bad thing. Because, in the end, you have to renew machinery, technology, the way of working... you have to do it constantly. Now, for example, work is done very differently than before the pandemic. I have always liked face-to-face interaction, and now almost everything is done by email. You have to adapt. But there is no secret. Above all, do the work you love and enjoy it.

-How do you see the economy of Marina Alta?

-In Marina Alta, the number one pillar is tourism. And, honestly, I think it is being done well. In general, the companies in the sector are very good, and I see it as a good economic moment.

-And the primary sector, what stage is it going through?

-The truth is, I see it well. In Marina Alta and throughout the Mediterranean, the entire coastal area, there used to be a lot of agricultural and almond production. That has practically disappeared because the land is more dedicated to housing and villas, and now what is Marina Alta and Marina Baixa and the entire Mediterranean coast, what used to be the almond tree of a lifetime, that is over, and everything is more oriented towards tourism. What happens now? As the world changes, the almond tree today is cultivated throughout Spain: in the south, in the centre, in the north. And especially with drip irrigation. In the past, it was all dry farming. Many plantations have been created, and there is more and more consumption because almonds used to be used for just a few things, but today they are used for many more. Almond consumption increases every year and has a future.