The Association of Val Venosta Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives (VI.P), a major supplier of apples, soft fruit and vegetables based in north-east Italy, has commenced a series of celebrations to mark its 20th anniversary with the opening of a brand new sales and marketing office at its headquarters in Laces, South Tyrol.
VI.P was officially formed on 9 October 1990, with 10 fresh produce cooperatives based in the Val Venosta region coming together to form a single consortium.
'The right people met each other at the right time, and the thing that remains most important is that these people give each other their full support based on the common idea of presenting a united front in the market,' commented Karl Dietl, president of VI.P.
Two decades on from its foundation, VI.P can look back on a highly successful past: during those 20 years, the group's total harvested volume has tripled, from 118,000 tonnes in 1991 to 374,000 tonnes last year.
The development of new facilities, the introduction of improved cultivation methods and the attainment of major production and processing certificates such as PGIs, GlobalGAP, IFS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 has boosted VI.P competitiveness, as has the consolidation of its 10 original cooperatives into the existing seven today.
The consortium has also centralised a number of functions, including sales, administration, marketing, quality control and electronic data processing, bringing them under the management of just 35 people, supporting the more than 700 staff employed by the business as a whole.
Representing the interests of around 1,800 family-run companies, the consortium's commitment to change and innovation has prepared it for any challenge presented by the market, Mr Dietl added.
'During the last 20 years, it has adapted constantly and consistently to market developments and today it is known as a flexible and efficient producer organisation,' he said.
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