Bama-Gruppen AS is the largest importer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables in Norway. For several years, the company has been holding an event in which it rewards the best international supplier of the year; those which have managed to fulfil five key factors for the group.
Thus, the Canary cooperative COAGRISAN was selected from hundreds of suppliers worldwide as one of the three finalists, next to the Karsten Group, of South Africa (leading agricultural company in this country) and the Alara Agri Business, of Turkey.
The ceremony where the winner was announced was held in Berlin, coinciding with Fruit Logistica 2015. The dinner, organised by the company, brought together two hundred people, including the heads of the group's major suppliers.
Representing COAGRISAN, the event was attended by its president, Juan José González del Pino, and its CEO, Jacinto Godoy González, who were accompanied by the head of Fortuna Frutos Continental, Gert-Jan Slobbe.
They were accompanied by the Councillor of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Water, Juan Ramón Hernández, and the Deputy Councillor of Agriculture, Alonso Arroyo, of the Canary Islands Government.
BAMA's Supplier of the Year Award is granted to the company that best demonstrates excellence in five main areas: product quality, market orientation and development, ethical and environmental practices, and quality and reliability of service.
During the ceremony, a video was projected highlighting the main qualities of each of the three finalists: the Karsten Group in the production of grapes, the Company Alara Agri Business in the production of cherries and COAGRISAN Cooperative in the production of Canary tomatoes.
The figures are overwhelming. Alara is the world's largest exporter of figs and one of the largest exporters of cherries in Europe. It has 220 hectares for the cultivation of cherries, more than 2,000 producers and about a thousand workers throughout the chain.
The Karsten Group is one of the largest in South Africa, devoting about 685 hectares to the cultivation of grapes alone, employing thousands of workers and developing dozens of social projects related to education and nutrition, among others.
For its part, COAGRISAN has 139 hectares of high-tech farms, with AENOR, Global GAP, BRC and Contrata certifications, integrated production, a growing 'Zero Waste' acreage and a production that exceeds 20 kg/m2, obtaining 24 million kilos per season.
Lastly, the time came for the CEO of BAMA Gruppen AS, Øyvind Brisa, to announce Karsten Group as the winner of the 2014 award for best supplier.
COAGRISAN president, Juan José del Pino, said that the fact that the cooperative he represents was a finalist is already a reward in itself. We are competing in a 'league' of the best, and getting this far means that we are doing really well.
COAGRISAN's tomatoes have enjoyed an exceptional reputation among Nordic consumers for almost twenty years, mainly in Sweden and Norway. Sales and demand have continued to rise in recent years, according to the representative of Fortuna Frutos Continental, Gert-Jan Slobbe.
Getting to this point is the result of the professionalism, dedication and passion of COAGRISAN producers, who work every day to exceed the customers' expectations. Demand for our tomatoes exceeds what we are able to supply, said the CEO.
The Councillor and Deputy Councillor of Agriculture of the Canary Government showed their satisfaction and stressed that having a Canary company considered as one of the best by the most demanding consumers is a good reason to be proud.