Almerian vegetable grower and exporter Augro Fresh has completed its expansion plans on schedule and now has 100 hectares of courgettes, marrow, aubergines and Ramiro peppers under production.
The company, which freshinfo featured in June, has removed itself from the renowned Mar de Plastico and constructed a revolutionary site in the hills of Berja, around 10 kilometres north of El Ejido.
An initial block of 7ha has been transformed into the massive area, which is 80 per cent courgettes, 10 per cent aubergines and 10 per cent Ramiro peppers, although there is a small volume of marrow also being grown there.
Jez Spikings, UK commercial director, told freshinfo: “The plans have come in on time and as we expected. We have had some summer courgettes and the first of the new crop will be available from the first week of September.
“There is still English, French and Dutch product on the market, obviously, so we will wait and see how the market develops, but the weather has been so poor in northern Europe, that some people are struggling. Ramiro peppers, for instance, were still being picked into November in England last year, and that may happen again this year, but we are aiming at the whole of Europe, and we know that if we are needed in the UK, we’re good to go.
“This is one of the advantages of not being a co-op, but a grower that makes its own decisions. We know the challenges, but we are in charge of our own destiny,” Spikings added.
The firm’s office moved to the new site this week. The on-site packhouse is fully functional, although the vast majority of product is being packed in the field.
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