Florette completes the expansion of its center for innovation in raw materials

The company of fresh salads packed in Navarre, Florette, increases its red of crops in the regional community. It does so with the last phase of expansion of 200,000 new square meters of crops protected with the latest technology that houses the center of innovation in new raw materials of Florette, already in operation.

With an investment of 3.2 million euros, the new crops, in Cadreita, represent an increase in production capacity of almost 900 tons per year. Dedicated entirely to the production and research of first shoots, among other varieties and classic as canon or arugula, the experts in Florette vegetables recover and test new crops and raw materials and technologies in Navarra, respecting the characteristics of each vegetable and its rhythm of natural growth.

This is the case of sorrel, an autochthonous variety not always taken into account and whose characteristic citrus flavor offers many possibilities in salads. Florette has managed to recover its cultivation and commercialization already in some of its mixtures of salads. Or the red canon, a very tender and tasty variety, like the green canon, and marketed exclusively by Florette. “The development of new varieties is very complex and means that the average time of development can reach 8 years of work.”

The extended hectares are equipped with new technologies that allow to monitor the cultivation of the shoots, allowing on the one hand the possibility of managing the greenhouse automatically (ventilation and shading screens) thanks to the climate control systems and on the other hand they help to optimize water consumption since, thanks to soil moisture sensors, we use the minimum amount of irrigation water that the crop needs at any given time. “In addition, a network of collectors has been installed to collect rainwater from the roof of the greenhouses to reuse it for irrigation water, covering 50% of the water needs of the crop throughout the year,” says Javier Les, director Florette Agricultural technician.

The expansion of crops in Navarra is one of the most important of the 40 new innovation projects underway this year, for which Florette has a cross-sectional team of 25 professionals. With a budget of 10 million euros for new investments, 70% of them with a strong innovation component, Florette once again assumes the role of promoter of the category of IV Range (ready-to-consume packaged vegetables) that sustains from the Appearance of salads packed in Spain.

“Navarra is our origin and although we have activity in several areas of the peninsula and the Canary Islands, this is still the area with the highest productive capacity of Florette“, says Fermín Aldaz, commercial and marketing director of Florette Ibérica. With 800 hectares of cultivation and 2 production centers located in the towns of Milagro and Arguedas, Florette employs more than 700 workers in the region. From Navarra, 300,000 bags of Florette salads go out daily for its many points of sale and catering establishments throughout the peninsula.

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