The leading European operator in red fruits keeps its momentum with new investments.
The current campaign starts with new premises that will be occupied by four new packaging lines in an adjoining new main building, on which work started last August.
The organisation has invested 7 million euros in the improvement of marketing and production. This has been possible due to public-private collaboration and backed by a grant from the Andalusian Government (for almost 3.5 million), within the operational funds framework.
The total amount has been used for actions such as concentrating the offer, improving the marketing, planning the production and adapting it to the demand (both in terms of quantity and quality) and in promoting sustainable practices.
The Andalusian company can reach an average marketing figure of 75 million tonnes of produce, of which around 55 are for fresh produce. Its production value exceeds 86 million euros.
Produce. This year the cooperative is starting to operate with raspberries, of which it has around 24 hectares planted. However, it has been operating with blueberries for several years now and it has around 80 hectares of this fruit planted. “Diversification helps us to keep our workforce loyal”, Alberto Garrocho, CEO of the organisation explains. “The strawberry season is not enough; the other crops allow us to stabilise the workforce, on which we depend so greatly.”
During the 2014/15 campaign, concerned as we always are, about food safety and respect for the environment, the organisation brought out the “Sustainable Strawberry” range, a management system created using the quality brand, Zerya.
The cooperative’s main destination is the home market, to which are added the more traditional markets from the European Community.
