The programme is the biggest of its kind in the EU, with an budget of €50mn million and annual aid totalling €27mn
Unica has closed its most recent campaign with a turnover of €822mn from fruit and vegetable sales, an 11 per cent increase over the previous season. Total consolidated business volume for the year – which includes the cooperatives’ comprehensive activities such as supplies, fuel, services, etc – reached €902mn.
As it embarks on its 18th season since its creation, the second-tier cooperative said it has reached the business scale that enables it to embark on a new phase of growth.
Unica recently approved Spain’s first “total” Operational Programme, with an annual budget of almost €50mn and annual aid of almost €27mn – equivalent to 5 per cent of the value of the group’s marketed production. This will be used to fund production improvements, warehouse processing, relationships with key clients, R&D and other projects.
“This is the first programme of its kind in the European Union and also the largest, as it consolidates the operational programmes of all cooperatives associated with Unica,” the group said. “The programme will enhance our ability to generate value for our clients and, above all, for our farmers.”
At next month’s Fruit Attraction, Unica will showcase its “total” operational approach, which spans the entire chain from client to farmer. This involves understanding market dynamics, analysing new consumer habits, and identifying opportunities in collaboration with retail and distribution partners.
“All of this is backed by greater investment capacity through our new operational programme, enabling us to boost member profitability by enhancing customer satisfaction,” the group said.
At the heart of the company’s product development pipeline is the Centre for Innovation and Farmer Knowledge Transfer (CITA) and its experimental farm – both of which form part of the Unica Agribusiness Centre (UAC). This the hub of the group’s work on new varieties, cultivation techniques, and commercial concepts. These can be evaluated under real-world conditions before plans are made to roll them out to the cooperatives.
Fruit Attraction will showcase some of the first examples of this approach to product development. These include Popits, a single-bite cucumber measuring 4–5cm, which was developed to offer consumers a healthy, convenient snacking alternative while improving production efficiency for farmers.
Other new offerings include the Tatayoyo pepper, berries, and smaller-sized formats, and a range of ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat solutions. These include fresh grated tomato processed using High-Pressure Processing (HPP) technology, pre-cut fruit, and a gazpacho mix developed in collaboration with a leading retail chain.
“It is not simply a matter of adding new items to the product catalogue. The goal is to identify new consumption occasions for fruit and vegetables and to develop categories that allow fresh produce to gain greater prominence in the shopping basket,” Unica said.
