BENIHORT learns about the problems of Latin American citrus fruits in a trip of Agriconsa to Colombia.
Benihort, as a member of Agriconsa, was part of the trip to Colombia that took place from July 8 to 16, on the occasion of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of this business project of Anecoop and its farmer cooperatives.
The Benicarló Agricultural Cooperative had the opportunity to get close to the citrus varieties grown in the Latin American country, as well as to learn about the pests that affect them and the treatments used to combat them.
As representatives of the Benicarlanda cooperative, the president, Sergio Ortiz Bueno, and the general manager, Guillermo Edo Barreda, attended. Among the places of interest they visited was the ICA in Cali (Colombian Agricultural Institute), where, according to Edo, "we saw the different varieties of citrus grown in Colombia, as well as the pests and diseases that affect them and the treatments they are using to combat them. It is expected that in two years these diseases could reach citrus fruits in Spain. This agency, which protects the Colombian countryside, is developing plant material that is free of these pests, since citrus from Latin America and Florida have also been affected by diseases such as HLB.
As Colombia is a country that produces a large supply of tropical and exotic fruits due to its excellent geographical location in the equatorial zone of the American continent, the Agriconsa expedition also visited tropical fruit plantations, such as avocado and pitahaya.
Agriconsa and Anecoop
The Agrincosa company was founded in 1990, and Benihort is a founding member. It currently has 47 associated farmer cooperatives, with more than 40,000 members as a whole. Agriconsa processes 160,000 MT per year of fruit for canning and fruit juices, with a turnover of 50 million euros. For its part, Anecoop is the leading fruit and vegetable company in the Mediterranean, the Spanish leader in the marketing of fruit and vegetables, and the world's leading exporter and second largest citrus fruit trader. The Anecoop Group markets some 750,000 MT with a turnover of 600 million euros.
Stand 3E07.