The Almeria-based Unica Group has just signed an integration agreement with the citrus cooperative Sunaran, based in Palma del Río, Cordoba. With the move, the production is expected to grow to 450 million kilos in the next campaign.
The cooperative Sunaran SAT brings together 100 producers who cultivate 1,500 hectares of citrus crops in the Guadalquivir Valley, with a production totaling 50,000 tons. This volume will increase in the coming years, when the youngest farms become productive.
Sunaran covers the whole range of orange and grapefruit varieties, with a production and marketing period that goes from October to July. 80% of the production is intended for export and the main destinations are the EU, Canada, the Middle East, China and South Korea.
With this operation, 17 cooperatives have already joined the Única Group project: Agrolevante, Cabasc, Camposol, Casur, Coopaman, Cohorsan, Cota 120, Europeos, Granagenil, El Grupo, Ferva, ParqueNat, Parafruts, Frutas Segura y García and Virgen del Rocío, which are based in Almeria, Granada, Murcia, Malaga, Cadiz and Cuenca. The fresh production of the cooperatives of the Navarrese group AN is also sold through Unica Fresh.
Sunaran says that its contribution to Única Group will be its experience in markets in third countries, which are very important for citrus fruits. The alliance will give Sunaran the opportunity to develop projects that "are more difficult to handle individually."
Enrique de los Ríos, manager of Única, believes that the move is a "very positive" one, as it will entail advances in the cooperation between producers. "It is not just about improving the profitability or providing a better service to clients in several continents; it is about further contributing to a common project. Cooperatives must work together in the face of major challenges, such as the competition from third countries or the ultra-processed industry, changes in consumer habits, sustainability or digital transformation."
Source: lavozdealmeria.com
