Vicasol

Vicasol, at the vanguard in production and marketing of fruits and vegetables

For the Vicar based cooperative Vicasol, these last two decades have meant their period of highest growth. The company has held innovation as one of their highest principles, and now the cooperative is immersed in several R&D projects aimed at launching new varieties of fruits and vegetables to the market.

In conversation with Vicasol’s president, Juan Antonio González stated that “our mission is to play close attention to any change in market trends, specially in what comes to the demands by European consumers, who are more and more looking for products of higher quality and flavour”.

During the last edition of Fruit Attraction the cooperative presented their new catalogue of products, which has grown after the addition of new marketing proposals in aubergine, cucumber and pepper, with the goal of satisfying the demands of the most specialized niche markets.

Vicasol will present the results of their R&D projects over the coming months, which will doubtlessly expand their catalogue even further.

Before each new addition into our catalogue, we need to be certain on how its grow will be, our associated farmers are our allies, so any addition is planned with them"

“Before each new addition into our catalogue, we need to be certain on how its grow on the field will be. Our associated farmers are our allies, so any new addition is planned together with them, so that when we are positive about the opportunities the market offers in regards to demand, we are ready to start production”, the president declared.

a growth rate of 600%

Vicasol has grown in over a 600% over its last 20 years of history, multiplying the size of the cooperative. One of its milestones was the setting up of their new logistics headquarters at El Ejido - Vicasol 3. These two decades, and especially the last 10 years have meant a golden era for the Almeria based cooperative. Summing up the evolution of Vicasol, we see it today supporting 4 headquarters, around 1000 associated farmers and over 2500 employees.

Vicasol’s general director José Manuel Fernández stresses that “we are living the best moment in our history. We have healthy finances and are able to show, campaign after campaign, that we are an engine for economic sustainability on the long term”.

Economic solvency

“Free of debt”. If something proves the entrepreneurial excellence of Vicasol’s management are its “healthy finances”. This reality materialized in many ways, but perhaps most especially in the construction and setting up of the new marketing and services facilities at Vicasol 3, El Ejido, entirely funded by the cooperative.

Transparency

The first grade-cooperative holds high the principle of obtaining the most profitability it can for the farmers. Through weekly meetings of the board plus 4 general meetings per year, “Vicasol is a true first-grade cooperative, with one structure in which the associates choose what paths to follow, accompanied by the management board”.

The grandsons, at the vanguard

“The founding members’ grandsons are today leading the vanguard at the cooperative”. The average age of the associates stands around 40 years, since most of them pertain to the third generation - the grandsons of the founders, who 40 years ago decided to unite and become stronger together.

Campaign after campaign, new farmers outside of these families come to join the cooperative, which offers more than 20 services especially aimed at its farmers, with the goal of improving their quality of life, as well as their families’.

The reference for producer
organizations in Andalucia

Vicasol created its own producer organization, an entity that stands as a clear reference in Andalucia for being amongst the biggest in the region and the amount of resources it manages for its associates.

40th anniversary

On 2019, Vicasol celebrated its 40th anniversary. The several years long process of developing that required the new headquarters at El Ejido have doubtlessly meant a historic milestone for the company inaugurating the new facilities. The ceremony was led by the minister of agriculture for Andalucia, Carmen Crespo, with more than 1400 people attending it.

Located in El Ejido, Vicasol 3 encompasses three different facilities for packaging, a gas station, a supply warehouse, a store and a coffee-shop. Capable of hosting 900 workers, the organic lines have their own section, with dedicated cold storage, manipulating and packaging lines specially for organic products.

Aiming to improve the quality of life of their farmers, Vicasol is ever striving to facilitate production and marketing processes for farmers in El Ejido, Adra, Dalías, Berja, the lower Alpujarra and surrounding regions; being closer to them allows for a higher profitability from their production.

10% of it, organic

Currently, the area dedicated to organic production represents a 10% of the whole, and the cooperative’s goal is to keep growing this trend. Proof of their commitment is the new exclusive area dedicated to organic production in Vicasol 3, adding up to the sections already working in organic in Vicasol 2; and Vicasol 4, at the east side of province, which is solely dedicated to organic productions.

the high-tier Delicias by Vicasol

During the last campaign, the cooperative showcased at the Gourmet Salon their new marketing proposals in preserves and high-tier under the brand Delicias Vicasol. The products were also displayed at Andalucía Sabor and other venues, always gathering positive reviews.

The first-grade cooperative has kept growing and reaching new markets beyond Europe, such as EEUU, Canada, United Arab Emirates and China, participating in fairs and securing new strategic contacts.

Vicasol counts today with 4 headquarters in Almeria, located at La Puebla de Vícar (Vicasol 1), La Mojonera (Vicasol 2), El Ejido (Vicasol 3) and Níjar (Vicasol 4). Nowadays around 1000 farmers are associated in it, together with 2500 employees, and it maintains a steady growth through the years.