Europlátano opens new ripening facilities on the peninsula

For years, Europlátano has been developing an expansion project to reach its clients directly, without intermediaries, as the company grows, processes, ripens, and markets its fruit. The group currently has ripening facilities in Tenerife and Alicante. In the second quarter of the year, the group is doubling its capacity with a newly built warehouse in Orozco, Vizcaya. This month, the facility has started serving its first customers. By the end of summer, it's expected to be at 100% of its capacity.

This new plant, along with the one they have been operating in Alicante since the end of 2020, will enable Europlátano's growers to serve the entire peninsular market directly without intermediaries. It will also empower them to control quality and traceability while being as cost-efficient as possible. The new 6,000-square-meter warehouse features 21 state-of-the-art ripening chambers and two processing lines. Additionally, it is situated in a geographically advantageous location, serving as a gateway to the development of profitable European markets. Each of the ripening chambers is named after a farm on the islands, which serves as a small tribute to the farmers and highlights the direct link between the farm and the market, a connection that is unique in the sector.

Europlátano's ability to control the entire production chain has been paramount to its success; it has become the only Plátano de Canarias producer organization that covers the entire process independently. Historically, Canarian producers sold their fruit at origin to Peninsular ripeners, losing control over quality, traceability, and prices. Having farmers control the entire chain and the business group guarantees the defence of their interests. The aim is to work towards sustainable agriculture; thanks to the company's stable financial structure, they can pay a competitive price to producers in the short term while at the same time developing important expansion projects that guarantee the future of bananas.