FINAF (First International Association Fruit) and the Association of Producers' Organizations Gruppo Mediterraneo have merged. A European fruit giant has been born, with a marketing production worth EUR 1.4 billion.The new giant includes 22 Producers' Organizations and represents 27% of the Italian pear crop, 25% of the processing tomato crop, 20% of the kiwifruit crop and 14% of peaches and nectarines. There are more than 100 products in the combined range. The new Association of Producers' Organizations is based in the Emilia-Romagna region, where it represents 68% of the regional processing tomato crop and 45% of the peaches, nectarines and pears crop.
The companies that join FINAF are: Apo Conerpo, Apofruit, PempaCorer, Orogel Fresco, As.I.P.O., Agribologna, Il Tricolore, Apol Industriale, Uniproledi (France), Faro, Codma, Verde Intesa, Conapo, Alpo, Cooperativa Modenese Essiccazione Frutta, Funghi delle Terre di Romagna, Conserve Gard (France), Moderna, Terra di Bari, Opera, BIO Orto, Acom.
Roberto Cera, FINAF president, and Enzo Treossi, Gruppo Mediterraneo president, said, "Thanks to this merger it will be possible to develop important technical and operative synergies and define common strategies in order to maximize the value of production. This will be also possible thanks to the handling of an Operative Program counting on an operating fund of EUR 130 million."
Among the various goals of merger project are:
- Drawing up further the varietal research and the genetic improvement to production program, coordinating the selection of varietal lists, giving further impetus to the acquisition of exclusive varieties (through the company New Plant whose members are all members of FINAF) and evaluating the 'club' management of new cultivars to monitor the cultivated areas.
- Defining common rules for harvest and ways/time for the launch on the market, with a greater coordination between fresh and processing sectors, strengthening further ties with the cooperative industries.
- Developing and rationalizing the strategies for prevention and management of market crisis.
Positive assessments about merger come from Tiberio Rabboni, Councillor for Agriculture of Emilia-Romagna region, and Maurizio Gardini, Fedagri-Confcooperative president.