Albentillas SCA, a cooperative based in Bentarique (Almería), has been integrated into the social structure of Toñifruit SL, a company specializing in organic farming based in Librilla (Murcia). The two companies, which will continue to maintain their legal identity, belong to the second-degree cooperative Anecoop.
As a result of this agreement, which was signed on October 24, Toñifruit, increased its offer, which stood at about 16,000 tons of organic production from its 19 partners and included citrus, stone fruit, pomegranate, and seedless grapes, by 4,000 tons of citrus from Albentillas' 100 partners. 90% of the joint production is organic and mainly of citrus fruits, with lemon being the largest crop in this group of products.
The facilities of both companies will continue to be operational. Toñifruit's warehouse, which was remodeled last year to triple its handling capacity, will specialize in the management of organic products for the fresh market.
Meanwhile, Albentillas' facilities will be dedicated exclusively to the management of its partners' conventional crops and the organic orange it grows for the processing industry, specifically for the production of juice; thus serving those farmers who have these product lines.
This integration serves a triple purpose. On the one hand, the integration establishes a stronger company through the union of capacities, bringing together product volume and making more efficient use of resources, with access to a greater volume of business and using the same marketing channel. In addition, cost savings are generated by implementing economies of scale that avoid duplication of processes. And, ultimately, an association of farmers committed to environmental, economic, and social sustainability is formed.
The integration takes place under the umbrella of Anecoop, whose interest in organic agriculture was evident in 2014 with the start-up of the Solagora SAS company, based in Perpignan, which became its platform for the entry of organic fruits and vegetables into the European market.
The management of the two entities has shown their satisfaction with this important step, which is born of mutual trust and the same strategic vision. According to the director of Toñifruit, Juan Antonio Martínez, "Thanks to this alliance, Toñifruit has become Anecoop's main organically-grown-fruits-and-citrus partner, which will improve its positioning as a benchmark in this segment." The manager of Albentillas, Pedro Gómez, stressed that this union "is the commitment of more than 100 farmers to strengthen and promote an agriculture model that the European Union has been promoting for years and that is part of its strategic plans for the future."
For more information:
Anecoop
https://anecoop.com