The organisation from Moguer, Huelva, closed 2017 with an annual offer of red fruits, and now it is adding berries from Ávila.
This is just the beginning of an annual offer that spreads from the province in Castilla-Leon and in which, for the first time, 210,000 kilos of produce have been harvested from a surface area of 5.5 hectares.
This aspect makes up one of the company’s main challenges, as it is working on developing the concept “Your global berry partner”, aimed at maintaining its offer throughout the year “making it possible to incorporate this category to the regular shopping basket,” the chairman of the cooperative, José Manuel Márquez comments.
For the first time, last March, the Andalusian organisation started planting strawberries in Avila “and this has allowed us to have produce when the campaign has finished in Huelva, since harvesting starts in this area in June, at the end of the Andalusian season.”
In 2017, Cuna de Platero strengthened its sustainable, responsible production model; a working method where all the areas in the company are involved, from the fields to the warehouse, as well as the internal departments of the cooperative from Moguer.
“The work carried out in Avila is the same that we do in Huelva, marked by sustainability and respect for the surroundings we work in, offering customers fruit that is top quality, natural and full of flavour,” states Márquez.
Variety balance
Along with the other red fruits, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, work is being carried out to maintain a variety balance throughout the year to avoid production peaks on certain dates.
“In raspberries as in strawberries, we have managed to complete the annual calendar. We continue researching to obtain blueberries and blackberries all year round, although we already have blueberries on the market eight months of the year, and the development of blackberries will be one of the challenges for the next few campaigns.”
New departments and digital transformation
The creation of the new Human Resources department has been another of the challenges carried out. This area “manages all the administration of the personnel in a homogeneous and general way, bringing together Cuna de Platero’s culture, values, communication, etc.” According to the chairman, this new department brings “legal certainty, coordination and management of resources with it, and we hope that it will become a strategic area that helps us with decision making.”
The change of model from a traditional to a technological, digital one “is one of the routes we are taking” and to do this, “Human Resources guarantees us that we will have the profiles that accompany this technological investment. Currently we are engaged in the implantation of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and finalising the modernisation of the packaging and palleting systems.”
Circulation of healthy habits
Cuna de Platero has joined the “5 al día” (5 a day) association, as well as renewing its cooperation agreement with the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC).
The cooperative has organised the 3rd edition of ‘Fresayunando’ (‘Strawberryfasting’), breakfasts in which over 2,000 children from Moguer and the surrounding area have taken part. It has also held the 2nd edition of the Cuna de Platero Emotional Intelligence Camp, organised with the PPO Foundation and with cooperation from Moguer Town Council.
Moreover, the organisation is also carrying out sport sponsorships, along with sponsoring events involved in the centenary anniversary of the publication of ‘Diario de un poeta recién casado’ (‘Diary of a newly married poet’.).
