Things are going well so far and we plan to reach 40 hectares next year," explained Alberto Nocera, chairman of Agrieuropa.
Agrieuropa is a cooperative specialised in the production, processing and packaging of vegetables. It covers 200 hectares, 99% of which are greenhouses. It grows corn salad, radishes, white turnips, carrots, watermelons etc.
Recently the cooperative has also started working on sugarloaf chicory, which is destined to 15 hectares of land.
The company gathers 11 partners and their main focus are exports, in fact "90% of our production is destined to Northern Europe and Germany, Czech Republic and Poland in particular. The remaining 10% then goes to Northern Italy."
In terms of volumes, the first product is corn salad, which represents 70% of the total production. This year, we have also installed new packaging lines for corn salad and spinach. Spinach is sold as packed unwashed 500 g bags, whereas corn salad is sold in trays.
Another important product is watermelons. "From 15th May to 15th September we work with 30,000 tons of watermelons. 80% are destined for the foreign market."
There is a wide range of watermelons, from the classic Crismson Sweet to the more exotic Miyacos. These fruits are available in various shapes and the weight ranges between 3.5 and 20 kg. Recently, the cooperative has also included seedless varieties in order to meet the demands of some retailers.
"This year there were some problems concerning average prices, as they were rather low. It is the first year that we have been affected by the crisis this much. In addition, mild temperatures also posed a problem as Northern countries managed to grow their own produce and orders diminished."
"Our produce is genuine and the fact that we deliver it promptly means it is always fresh. Plus everything has the GlobalGAP certification."
The cooperative has 4 packaging lines - two for corn salad and two for spinach - and there are another 2 lines for washing. The main structure covers 3,500 square metres and the warehouse is just as big. There is also a refrigerated area for storing.
Contacts:
Agrieuropa Soc. coop. agr.
SS 148 Pontina, Km 97,700
04019 Terracina (Latina) – Italy
Tel.: (+39) 0773 756158 / 756209
Fax: (+39) 0773 757053
E mail: commerciale@agrieuropa.it
Agrieuropa Soc. coop. agr.
SS 148 Pontina, Km 97,700
04019 Terracina (Latina) – Italy
Tel.: (+39) 0773 756158 / 756209
Fax: (+39) 0773 757053
E mail: commerciale@agrieuropa.it