Nine Grenadian olive-growing cooperatives unite to successfully tackle new markets
Agro-alimentary cooperatives of Granada and the main cooperatives of this province impel a new integrative project to successfully tackle new markets.
Thus, in the course of the working meeting held on 12th July, the strategic lines of this integration project have been presented, which aims to improve the competitiveness of Granada’s olive oil through the unification and consolidation of processes, taking into account the requirements of business dimension that prevail in the increasingly globalized olive market.
At this working session, held at the headquarters of the San Sebastián cooperative in Benalúa de las Villas, the general director of Agro-food Cooperatives of Granada, Gustavo Ródenas; the territorial delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Manuel García Cerezo; the mayor of Benalúa de las Villas, Mª Angustias Chamber; together with the presidents and governing councils of the nine cooperatives that drive the project: San Francisco de Asís (Montefrío), presided over by Juan Rafael Granados; San Sebastian (Benalúa de las Villas), presided over by Antonio Rafael Serrano; San Isidro (Loja), presided over by José Velasco and Agropecuaria Granadina SCA 2nd grade (Granada), presided over by Leonardo Núnez, in which the cooperatives Santa Isabel (Campotéjar), Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza (Cúllar), Almazara Montillana and San Idefonso (Peligros).
The Provincial Federation has been the promoter of this new project, integrative and flexible, born by the leading cooperatives in the olive sector of the province
The main objective of this initiative is to join forces and take advantage of entrepreneurial potential, in order to create a joint marketing strategy that allows to successfully tackle new international markets, gain competitiveness and achieve new business opportunities, always looking for the profitability of Producers.
These olive oil cooperatives are at a very advanced level in terms of production, obtaining to date products of the highest quality through environmentally friendly procedures
Its alliance will allow to reach the minimum required by the different regulations, national and autonomous to obtain the qualification of Priority Associative Entity (EAP).
Granada is the third province to produce olive oil, after Jaén and Córdoba. Olive oil is sold mostly through 52 cooperatives that unite more than 30,000 farmers
On the part of Agro-alimentary Cooperatives of Granada, the general director, Gustavo Ródenas, stressed that “this labor meeting unites the strength of the Provincial Federation and the cooperatives, with the support of the Territorial Delegation of Agriculture, representing the embryo of an exciting initiative born of the confidence and vision of the great producers of olive oil of Granada to open doors in the markets and to obtain the greater profitability for one of the star products of the province”.
For his part, the territorial delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Manuel García Cerezo congratulated “the capacity of the member cooperative cooperatives to be stronger, adding efforts and wills.” He highlighted the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to the cooperative sector, making available tools that strengthen business competitiveness, such as the Priority Associative Entity. “If we are able to offer quality and traceability, we will be able to achieve the highest profitability for a strategic production for the province of Granada as is olive oil” he concluded.
The mayor of Benalúa de las Villas, Mª Angustias Cámara, congratulated the cooperative capacity of the cooperatives to the benefit of their farmers, transferring their wishes for business success.
Source: Agri-food cooperatives of Granada
