Agrodolores is committed to innovation as a tool for the future and to consolidating the company’s growth. Agrodolores is building a new packing centre in Dolores de Pacheco, with an investment of €30 million.
The first phase will begin operations in November, while the complex is expected to be fully developed during 2027, enabling the company to increase volumes, attract new growers and customers, and enhance the automation of its production processes.
This project represents a €30 million investment and has a clear objective: to provide the company with a structure prepared for growth and position Agrodolores as an international benchmark capable of responding to the needs of its customers and growers, while optimising quality, food safety and process automation as the key pillars of this strategic project.
The new facility is being built on a 63,000 m² site and will include around 24,000 m² of working space, with state-of-the-art packing lines. “It will represent a leap forward not only in terms of quantity, but above all in terms of quality,” explains Simón Conesa, Executive Chairman of Agrodolores.
Broccoli will open the new phase in November
The project has been planned in two stages. The first will become operational at the beginning of November and will be dedicated to broccoli. Second phase will subsequently begin, focusing on peppers, with the aim of having the entire facility fully operational during 2027.
Once fully developed, the new site is expected to progressively replace the current facility in El Jimenado, where the company is already facing significant limitations to continue expanding its activity.
The expansion will allow Agrodolores not only to handle more produce, but also to change the way part of its production is channelled and open the door to new growers and markets.
From 12,000 to around 22,000 tonnes of broccoli
The most clearly quantified growth will come in broccoli. Agrodolores currently handles around 12,000 tonnes of this product, and the new capacity could allow it to approach 22,000 tonnes.
This expected increase reflects the strategic importance broccoli has gained within the company. Conesa acknowledges that there is “a very clear commitment” to this crop and that a significant part of the new investment has been specifically designed to support its development.
Pepper production will also grow, although the company has not yet set a specific target. Currently, across Agrodolores’ four facilities, it handles between 70,000 and 75,000 tonnes, some of which are marketed through the auction system and direct sales.
The new facilities will allow more produce to be channelled through the company’s own packing and marketing operations, while also incorporating growers who do not currently work with Agrodolores, as well as customers and destinations that are not currently part of its portfolio.
Technology to improve efficiency
The new lines will incorporate artificial intelligence, machine vision and automation systems designed both to increase efficiency and reduce incidents that may reach customers.
For Conesa, technology is no longer simply a competitive advantage, but a necessity in a sector operating with tight margins and facing constant cost increases. “Companies have to reinvent themselves and keep all their imaginative machinery constantly working,” he says.
Labour availability
In this context, automation is particularly relevant for another reason: labour availability.
For years, water has been the main concern in Campo de Cartagena, and it remains a key issue. However, Conesa believes that labour shortages are now reaching a comparable level.
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The challenge is not only finding workers. The Executive Chairman points to issues related to availability, skills and absenteeism, within a labour market undergoing rapid change.
His approach combines two apparently opposing but complementary ideas: investing in technology to reduce dependence on labour-intensive processes while, at the same time, placing people at the centre of the organisation. “Without people, the company is nothing,” he states.
Four centres
Agrodolores currently operates through four centres: its auctions in Dolores de Pacheco and El Mirador, its marketing centre in El Jimenado, and its facility in Adra (Almería), which operates as a sales and collection point.
The new central facility will progressively transform this structure. More space, next-generation lines, artificial intelligence and significantly greater packing capacity will allow the company to grow on a different foundation.
The company will not only increase broccoli and pepper volumes; it will also be able to capture production, organise it differently and offer customers greater guarantees in terms of quality, punctuality and food safety.
Conesa places particular emphasis on this final point. Agrodolores considers itself not only a fresh produce marketing company, but also a service provider. Providing a good service is not simply about delivering tonnes, but doing so on time, with consistent quality and while minimising any incidents that could generate costs for customers.
