The Apora cooperative, a key part of the Italian company OP Orogel, has invested 43 million euros in recent years. A further 35 million euros has been earmarked for the coming years, and a new plant is in the pipeline. The Italian frozen vegetable supply chain is growing rapidly, and Apora's production model is being established in the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions. A 35 million euro industrial plan has been set out for the period from 2026 to 2028.
© Orogel Soc. Coop. Agr.The inauguration of the new plant in Gaiba on 10 April 2026 attended by Senator Bartolomeo Amidei, Enrico Ferraresi, President of the Rovigo Region, Nicola Zanca, Mayor of Gaiba, Asia Trambaioli, Deputy Mayor of Gaiba, and Fabiano Pigaiani, Mayor of Ficarolo. Representing Orogel were Bruno Piraccini, Giancarlo Foschi, Giancarlo Babbi, and others.
"Our group is growing and consolidating," said Bruno Piraccini, Orogel's president. "We have invested heavily in the Polesine area, and we plan to continue doing so." We have planned a large, automated frozen food warehouse in Ficarolo, Rovigo (Veneto). The warehouse will be about thirty meters high and feature storage space for twenty thousand pallets. Construction will begin in a few months and should be completed by 2028. Apora is a fast-growing company."
© Cristiano Riciputi | FreshPlaza.comBruno Piraccini, President Orogel
Concern for the international scenario
"The Orogel Group is growing," Piraccini points out. "Even the first three months of the year show a slight increase in sales of our frozen food products, despite general consumption stagnation. However, we are concerned about the international situation and the resulting sudden and indiscriminate increase in costs, particularly those related to energy, technical resources, packaging, and transportation. If the trend does not reverse, there is a risk of high inflation, with all the problems that entails."
Growing numbers
With over 4,370 hectares cultivated, 16,000 tons of vegetables processed annually, a 44-million-euro turnover, and 50 new hires in four years, Apora's figures demonstrate concrete growth rooted in the region with an eye toward the future. Apora is an agricultural cooperative associated with the Orogel Producers' Organization. At the heart of its operations is the Ficarolo plant, which processes and freezes vegetables such as soybeans, edamame, onions, peas, pumpkins, and borlotti beans within a few hours of harvesting. This process fully preserves the vegetables' organoleptic and nutritional properties.
© Orogel Soc. Coop. Agr.The Ficarolo (Veneto) factory
The transformation of the Ficarolo plant is the result of nearly twenty years of technological investments. Over the last three years, we introduced a new legume washing line with a water recovery and reuse system, an upgraded line for shelling edamame soybeans, and optical vision systems for quality control on frozen products. Each improvement addressed two objectives: Ensuring the highest quality and prioritizing worker safety.
Meanwhile, Apora developed the entire onion supply chain by acquiring and upgrading the Gaiba warehouse, which opened on Friday, April 10. The renovation of ten 0°C refrigeration cells has led to significant improvements in the management of fresh raw materials.
© Corazzari CristianoInauguration of the plant in Gaiba on Friday, 10 April 2026 (source photo)
From 2026 to 2028, a total of €35 million in investments is planned to improve logistical efficiency and increase capacity for managing volumes. The main projects include an automated cell with over 20,000 pallet storage spaces, which will triple the current capacity, and a new storage warehouse.
The business has grown in terms of employment as well. There are now 155 employees, reflecting a 46% increase over the last four years and the consolidation of internal skills and business expansion. The driving force behind the entire system is the farmer-members and professionals who transform the work in the fields into the products that end up on Italian tables every season.
In short, Apora unites agriculture and deep freezing, innovation and territorial tradition. As an Orogel cooperative, Apora is one of the driving forces propelling the entire Italian frozen vegetable supply chain into the future.
For more information:
Apora Soc. Coop. Agricola
Plant
Via Vegri, 751
45036 Ficarolo (RO) - Italy
+39 0425 727522
www.apora.it
