“We have assimilated that we don’t just sell apples; we sell a good service, whenever it is necessary,” the executive explains. This paradigm is such that Miquel comments, jokingly, that “there was a Purchasing Manager whose first words on the telephone were: is that the Samaritans? When I heard these words, I knew that I had to talk to my team to change the plans.”
“It is understood that we sell apples, high quality apples, a quality that is taken for granted due to our region, with plantations very close to the sea,” Roig explains. “This differentiating element brings service reliability to our clients, as it is very difficult for significantly bad weather to have a disastrous effect on our harvests.”
Short-term projects
Amongst the Sant Pere Pescador cooperatives’ most immediate projects for this winter, the new plantations of the Hot 84 variety stand out, with which they intend to reach 30 hectares in 3 years. Obviously, on the subject of exclusivity, the Catalan company will continue with its Tessa variety and, regarding ecological crops, although with a small percentage of the marketing, but with very good acceptance, the plantations, at least at present, will be put on ‘standby’.
In the preparation centre, investments have been made in solar panels. However, they are not the final solution for the apple sector given the nature of the business itself, (this type of energy works best in May, June, July and August) as it coincides with the months in which the cold storage rooms are emptiest. “However, it is an energy commitment that is not only aimed at saving, but it also moves towards the comprehensive sustainability of our business.”
Concern about water
On the subject of environmental sustainability, for years and through the three Catalan cooperatives under which the quality figure ‘PGI Poma de Girona’ is encompassed, work is being carried out on the ‘GiroReg’ plan, which each season takes on greater significance due to the drought that has been affecting all the Catalan regions. This irrigation system uses highly sophisticated, modern technologies, which allow up to 25% in water savings compared to conventional drip systems. “Catalonia is reaching a breaking point situation with water, not only for agriculture but also for human use, and in our region the population also doubles or triples in the summertime.” To all of this we must add that “our threat lies in the fact that the water we use does not come from reservoirs, but rather from wells. And if this were not enough, the plantations are very close to the sea, where salinisation of the water could easily occur, a fact that we cannot rule out.”
Regarding the new legislation on plastic and the sales of under 1.5 kg that must be carried out loose, Roig explains that the company uses recycled plastic and on this aspect “there are no concerns,” however, he believes that “the club varieties, such as the Tessa, should maintain a symbol on their presentation which, if necessary, should be made on a cardboard package with four apples, under the 1.5 kg established by the new legislation. “It is a problem that supermarkets have already been facing because if they are presented in loose boxes, some consumers rip off the symbol before going to the checkout.”
