The cooperatives of Castilla y León achieved a turnover of 3,962 million euros during the 2022-2023 financial year, or 2.6%; highlighting those of herbaceous crops which billed 1,077 million euros; animal feed, with 678.6 million euros and supplies with 717 million, according to data from the Socio-Economic Observatory of Cooperatives (OSCAE) produced by Urcacyl. Only 10.3% of members are under 40 years old.
By province, the one with the highest turnover was Zamora with 678.9 million euros, followed by Valladolid with 715.4 million euros and Palencia with 642 million euros.
In this study carried out by Urcacyl, we observe that The number of members belonging to cooperatives is currently 35,670knowing that many of them participate in several cooperatives in different sectors. In any case, the number of members gradually diminished as the region’s farms became smaller, but their cooperative activity grew. Among these partners, 79.9% are men and 20.1% women, a reflection of what is happening on the ground. On the other hand, 89.7% of these farmers and breeders are over 40 years old and 10.3% are under this age. “There is a generational change but it is rare; although it is true that those who join cooperatives do so with farms of more hectares or with a greater volume of livestock,” they say from Urcacyl .
Concerning the number of workers in agri-food cooperatives, it is estimated at 4,037 direct employees to which several thousand more should be added in transport, maintenance and services. The degree of professionalization of these workers and the fact that 8.2% of them hold advanced degrees in engineering and veterinary medicinewhich highlights the effort made by cooperatives to provide services to their members with field and agricultural technicians.
Last 25 years
If we broaden the scope, we see that in 2000 the global cooperativism of Castilla y León achieved a turnover of 865 million euros, compared to 3,962 million euros today, which has more than quadrupled its business volume.
At the beginning of the new century, we had in the Cooperatives of 51,000 farmer and breeder members, and we currently have 35,670 members, 30% less, following the trend that has occurred throughout the agricultural sector in terms of the number of farms. However, the members integrated into the cooperatives, during this period, went from an average of 16,960 euros of activity with the cooperative in 2000 to 110,073.
Regarding the number of employees, in 2000 they had 1,450 workers and today they have 4,037, with a high percentage of higher graduates.
Urcacyl considers that during this period, cooperatives have become more professional, they have diversified their activities and services towards their members and many of them have started processing their products, which has allowed them continued growth.
This contributed the incorporation and growth, among members and among cooperatives, of innovation and new technologies, which have enabled the former to obtain higher production per hectare and per head of livestock, and the latter to launch new activities, open new markets, provide differentiated services to their partners and to address the transformation processes of their products. All this has allowed them to be more efficient economically, socially and environmentally.
Growth has also been a consequence of greater formal training in member studies and participation in continuing education, often with the collaboration of Urcacyl. It should be noted that over this period analyzed, the entity provided an average of 52 courses per year, with 1,674 students attending each year.
This growth was also influenced by certain policies conducive to cooperativism, carried out by the administration. Aid from former APAS, Aid from OPs and OPFH, Aid to Priority Associative Entities and above all aid to cooperatives, which in 2000 exceeded three million euros, and through them the hiring of technical staff, the implementation of IT systems, the carrying out of audits and investment analyzes, the publication of catalogs and promotional material, incorporation of members into cooperatives…
