Alimentos del Mediterráneo (Alimer), based in Lorca, has become Spain's largest exporting cooperative. Gregal (Torre Pacheco) stands fifth in the ranking, while Hortamira (San Javier) was the ninth largest. In other words, three cooperatives from the Region of Murcia are amongst Spain's top ten in terms of export volumes, according to a report conducted by Cajamar.
Additionally, another two cooperatives, San Cayetano (Torre Pacheco) and Coato (Totana), are also very close to this top ten.
The study highlights that, despite the large number of agricultural cooperatives in Spain (3,861), only a third of them actively export. The average revenue from overseas sales stands at 4.7 million Euro; compared to this, Alimer surpassed the 80 million; Gregal reached 50 million and Hortamira obtained well above 25 million. Only in Andalusia and the Region of Valencia are there cooperatives operating at these levels, such as Canalex, Ejidolux, Frutas Escobi or Copal.
With 1,611 growers and livestock farmers, Alimer produces a wide range of products: sweet fruit (peaches, nectarines, flat peaches, platerines, apricots, plums and pears), vegetables, melons and watermelons, vegetable preserves, flowers and ornamental plants, as well as supplies (fertilisers, phytosanitary products, machinery, etc.), among others.
For its part, Gregal is an older cooperative, as it was founded three and a half decades ago. It is Europe's largest Gallia melon grower and its product range includes also lettuce (iceberg, baby, little gem, mini-romaine, among others), bell peppers, watermelon, cauliflower, celery, pointed cabbage and broccoli; not to forget Cantaloupe and Yellow melons. 90% of the harvest from its 135 associates (85,000 tonnes) is exported.
Hortamira, created in 1981, stands out for its wide supply of vegetables and citrus, including bell peppers, lettuce, broccoli, pointed cabbage, celery, courgette, artichoke, oranges, lemons, mandarins, melon and watermelon. It is one of the Spanish companies exporting the largest volumes of organic fruit and vegetables, with over 10,000 tonnes per year. 75% of the production from its 63 associates (more than 50,000 tonnes) is shipped overseas.
These are the three largest amongst 94 such cooperatives in the region, which generate a combined 1,000 million Euro in revenue, of which 70% corresponds to exports. The cooperatives and its 25,000 associates give employment to more than 50,000 people.
Eduardo Baamonde, General Director of the Confederation of Agro-food Cooperatives (CCAE) and coordinator of Cajamar's study, stresses the need for a concentration of supply through mergers with the goal of being able to negotiate better prices with the distribution chains.
Source: Laverdad
