Vicasol with 150,000 tons of produce

The Vicasol company from Almeria continues to grow every year, with a trading volume of 150,000,000 kg in the last campaign and forecast growth of 15% to around 170,000 tons for this season.  Vicasol has 1,200 ha of crops and 550 producers. 
Tomato is the main category, accounting for 65% of volume, with the rest spread between pepper, aubergine, cucumber and melon. Among their successful new varieties we find vine cherry, pear cherry and black pear cherry tomatoes. Meanwhile, their main salad items are cocktail tomatoes, black tomatoes, loose tomatoes and Canary.  Most notable among their pepper lines are the many varieties in different colours and sizes 
Vicasol’s commercial strategy is still focused on growth, with more farmers, more kilos and more quality products to reinforce their position in the market. Their main clients are located in Germany, France and Spain. Meanwhile, negotiations are still underway in the UK, Russia and the Baltic States, mainly with supermarkets, studying the best way to position the company to reach them directly.
Vicasol CEO Jose Manuel explains that his job mainly consists of forging closer ties with customers, directly anticipating each client’s needs in the most personal way possible. “Knowing our customers, with their individual specifications and needs, is crucial to us, but our most distinguishing feature is our great quality and personalised service”, adds José Manuel. They also plan to improve working systems while investing in workforce and machinery to continue their upward trend.
Vicasol’s quality system is based on certificates such as GlobalGAP, BRC, IFS, Tesco Nurture, ICE and QS. The latter covers all participants in the food chain and certifies their safety rating, ensuring consumer confidence. The co-operative also collaborates in the “Bayer Food Chain” programme, developing better and more closely monitored plant health control strategies to meet the specifications of a large-scale distribution sector that is increasingly demanding on issues such as pesticide residues.  “The European distribution requirements are 30 to 50% more restrictive than the MRLs set by the EU. The Bayer initiative will bolster our credibility and bring peace of mind to our customers”, declares Juan Carlos Urrea. Bayer helps to improve pest monitoring with more rational use of pesticides compatible with biological control. Juan Carlos recalls how the Vicasol farmers started up biological control 7 years ago in all their crops: “For the past four years, bio control has been applied in 100% of our tomato, cucumber, courgette, pepper, melon and watermelon crops.” Bio control practices also entail the use of bio-stimulants, even for soil-borne pests such as Trichoderma.