Dcoop invests 22 million in Cordoba to produce almonds that travel to China and are monitored by laser cameras

This assessment took place during a media visit, during which the general manager of this agri-food giant, Rafael Sánchez de Puerta. He was responsible for explaining that from the Cordoba factory, it is planned that they will be released in 2024 “around 6,000 tonnes of almonds in grains”; that is to say ready to be marketed.

Dcoop, which has a twin factory to that of Cordoba in Portugal, expects this figure to rise in 2027 to “11,000“. That is, he predicts that he will reap increase of the 83%. In other words, he forecasts an increase of 83%. “Our projections are oriented towards growth. We have new plantations coming into production. In addition, new partners continue to join us,” he explained. “There are many cooperatives and many producers who approach us. And thanks to that, the dimension we have reached,” he said.

In Villarrubiaestablished a pillar for this purpose. Sánchez de Puerta explained that he reverse “around 22 million” in this factory, where around fifty workers currently work – in 2019, there were half a dozen. It was in 2018 that Dcoop began renovating the old Cordoliva facilities and carrying out work.

All these expenses have enabled this agri-food giant to have in this peripheral district of the capital “one of the most innovative industries in Spainwith the maximum technology; for example, for issues such as product cleanliness. This last issue is all the more important as this large cooperative targets a “very demanding industrial clientele” with the almonds it processes. One of these objectives in this sector is to promote the promotion of the Spanish almond in relation to the American almond, which is dominant and which is “easier to work in the industry”, but “with organoleptic characteristics less good. “Our taste, that of the Mediterranean, is better,” said Sánchez de Puerta.

During the media tour of the factories, details were seen like this, despite the enormous machines they house, each almond HE part individually or the existence of different types of camerasinfrared or laser, which allow detect impurities on the product and blow on it to remove the foreign element.

Sánchez de Puerta summed up the path traveled so far by this line of activity, launched in 2017 “at the request of members”, in one sentence: “We have become the first production group from Spain, with a lot of difference. And they want to continue growing.

One of the areas in which they do this is that export. The general manager of Dcoop explained that they sell “in 16 countries. “Almost half of what we produce is exported.” Then he remembered that this plant lived a milestone last year’s shipment of the first shipment of Spanish almonds to China. This the cooperative was a pioneer in our country to open the doors of asian giantwith a “very interesting” market

Sánchez de Puerta pointed out that the opportunity to sell to this country arose from the imposition by China of a customs duty on the United States almond, the great power of this product. The surcharge that Spain must pay is “less”. He indicated that the business volume with the asian giant is always “very small“.

Exporting to this country is not easy, recalled Dcoop, because, for example, certification is necessary in each farm. “With Chinathe evolution will depend on the evolution of the market and prices. If there is enough margin, the complexity is worth it, we will surely bet.” “We have also been pioneers in exporting to another country, India,” he said.

This senior manager also expressed the discomfort of this large cooperative due to the obstacles to selling in Morocco“a very interesting market because Arab countries are quite big consumers of this food.” This country has imposed a customs duty on EU almonds, while Morocco can sell them in Europe without said duty.

He recalled that in the range of dried fruits they also have a “much smaller” business segment than that of almonds. It is that of pistachio. Dcoop has a processing plant for this product in Villa del Río and four reception plants. This agri-food giant, as its general director explains, plans to exceed 45 million sales in its fruit sector division. Growth will remain close to double the figure reached in 2023 (23.5).

It’s been a year, explains this manager, “we had a good harvest “In general, after two years of drought and lack of water.” “And there has been a fundamental relief in prices, after two years when they were very, very, low,” he noted.

Dcoop reached a sales record in 2023

Dcoop, within which there are a significant number of Cordoba cooperatives, is a giant in the agri-food sector which, in 2023 realization save of billing. Its sales reached 1,409 million euros in 2023.

This figure implied a increase over one year of 13.9% compared to the figure reached in 2022 (1,237). The 2022 oil euro at 1,409.26 last year. Dcoop has a significant number of cooperatives in the province of Córdoba. Its main activity is oil.