Almeria’s Unica Group has announced the incorporation of two new members ahead of the 2015/16 campaign. Agrolevante and Parafruts become the eighth and ninth cooperatives to join the group, which was created in 2009 to consolidate the region’s fresh produce supplies. This year it expects to market around 230,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables worth €215m.
Huercal Overa-based Agrolevante is the first citrus producer to join Unica and is part of the group’s product diversification strategy in order to be able to offer its clients a wider range. Agrolevante produces 12,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables a year, including some organics.
Parafruts’ annual output is around 8,000 tonnes –it’s main product being tomatoes.
Unica said the addition of the two new members brought it closer to achieving its aim of increasing its output to 260,000 tonnes in 2015/16 and boosting its offer of citrus, tomatoes and organic products.
The other seven cooperatives that make up Unica are Casur, Cabasc, Cohorsan, Cota 120, El Grupo, Ferva and Parque Natural. Between them they have 2,000ha of greenhouse production and 700ha of open-air production in southern Spain.
Meanwhile, details of Unica’s merger with Navarra-based Grupo AN are being finalised and are due to be announced in the coming weeks. The deal will create Spain’s second biggest agricultural cooperative with annual sales of €1bn.
