Vitaolé

The regional government of Spain’s Extremadura region has launched a new marketing company, called Vitaolé, for its fruit and vegetable products, which it is hoped will improve the competitiveness of Extremaduran fresh produce.

The new company, which was launched this week in the city of Mérida, is comprised of leading regional fresh produce companies and cooperatives Farfruit, Naturcrex, Cabanifrut, Sol de Badajoz, Acopaex and Avante.

At the press launch, Vitaolé’s president, Juan Francisco Blanco, said the main objective of the new group was to improve the competitiveness and “ensure the future” the Extremaduran fruit sector, particularly in export markets.

He said Vitaolé was aiming to sell more than 120,000 tonnes of fruit every year in Latin American markets and the Middle East.

The new commercial entity will market over 3,600ha of fruit from the region, principally apricots, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, flat peaches and nectarines.