Anecoop, Spain's leading fruit and vegetable exporter, has announced its 2022-2023 campaign results at its General Assembly of partners, held in Murcia.
The number of associated companies of the cooperative has dropped from 73 to 67, as it aims to have fewer, but larger entities integrated into the group. "We have set up a powerful structure, capable of alleviating the limitations of small and medium producers to implement advanced production technologies or sustainable practices. The group's strength to handle market negotiations is put at their service," says Anecoop General Manager Joan Mir.
The results show growth in turnover, both for Anecoop S. Coop. and for the combined companies of the group. "We have seen a 2.7% growth in the turnover of Anecoop S. Coop, reaching 846.9 million euros; a figure that contrasts with the 14.3% decrease in the volume marketed, which is mainly due to a smaller harvest of almost all products," said Joan Mir.
"Grupo Anecoop's combined turnover has increased from 998 to 1.001 million euros. Good news that is complemented by the growth of the average price per kilo paid to our producing partners, which has increased by 20.7% over the previous year," he said.
25th anniversary of Grupo Persimon coincided with a 50% drop in the production
"Anecoop would not be what it is today without kakis. The cooperation with Grupo Persimon and the commitment between cooperatives, and of these with Anecoop and vice versa, has been key to its development," said Joan Mir,
"We had planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kaki Persimon with numerous events, but the weather and pests have caused the production to plummet by more than 50%," he said.
The cooperative's director also highlighted the importance of continuing to invest in advertising to boost the consumption of this fruit, thereby setting an example for other products. "In these 25 years, we have invested more than 44 million euros in advertising together with the PDO Kaki Ribera del Xúquer, and this has proven to be a successful strategy that should motivate doing the same with other products."
"With 6,700 hectares in production, we are leaders in Spain and account for more than half of what is produced in the country. We are also the main exporters in Europe. Over these years, we have already tested more than 40 varieties in our trial fields," he said.
"The fruit and vegetable sector is especially sensitive to the current geopolitical situation"
After a global review of the campaign, Anecoop's leaders also wished to address the geopolitical situation of recent years, advocating the need to stay vigilant and assume the responsibility that defines the entity's mission.
Its president, Alejandro Monzón, said: "Although it is true that the situation is unfavorable for all sectors, ours is particularly sensitive for many reasons, the most obvious being the immediacy with which our products need to be marketed, and the almost daily adjustment of production costs."
"The new global scenario makes investment in innovation very necessary"
"The new global scenario, with growing unfair competition due to the massive entry of products from third countries, and structural changes, with the grouping of large companies backed by funds, make investment in innovation very necessary. This is something we must prioritize," said Joan Mir.
"Staying vigilant over the profitability of our partners' farms is, thus, a priority; a profitability that depends on the adoption of measures backed by the research we conduct both in the field and in the laboratory. In the 2022/2023 campaign, the focus of R&D&I projects has been on biological pest control, the integration of artificial intelligence to improve the production processes, or the modernization of irrigation based on digitalization and new technologies. We currently have more than 112 innovation projects underway," said Alejandro Monzón.
"We are seeing constant change, and it has accelerated in recent years. The only way to respond to it is with innovation, new management systems and greater efficiency," said Joan Mir, who also reviewed the challenges that the agricultural sector has been facing in recent years, namely adverse weather conditions, which have decimated the productions; or inflation and the consequent increase in the cost of raw materials, energy and the general cost of living.
In his speech, Joan Mir also talked about the protests held by the sector, which have been spreading across Europe in recent months. "It is socially unacceptable and unfair to ignore a sector that, during the pandemic, showed how necessary it is for a country to have a strong, competitive, independent and diverse agricultural sector. The sector needs to be listened to and its legitimate demands should be met." He made a clear call to the Administration and society in general to stand behind Spain's agricultural sector.
For more information: anecoop.com