FSO Garrigues is a cooperative federation formed by 1,300 members with 8,359 hectares of olive trees and 4,211 hectares of almond trees.
FSO Garrigues was created as a way to unite our oil and nut production under a single, distinguishable, local and innovative brand.
We provide our members consulting services to better manage their farms, work with them on the implantation of new irrigation and fertilization systems, and we market and sell their products. However, our experience can be traced back for decades.
Fruits Secs de Les Garrigues
FRUITS SECS DE LES GARRIGUES, SCCL, a secondary cooperative with headquarters in Maials, was founded in August 1989 by three primary agricultural cooperatives: Coop. Del Camp Foment Maialenc, Pla d’Urgell, SCCL, and Coop. Del Camp de Cervià de les Garrigues.
Seven additional cooperatives have since joined the federation: Coop. Agrària d’Almatret, Coop. Del Camp Verge de Loreto, Agropequària de Sant Martí de Tous, Coop. Comarcal Agropequària d’Igualada, Coop. Del Camp de La Floresta, Coop. Del Camp d’El Cogul, and Coop. Del Camp de Vinaixa.
Ten cooperatives driven by the need to bring together their almond production under a single fruit and vegetable producer organization in order to facilitate both product sales and the processing of aid for nut producers. The cooperative’s sales correspond exclusively to what the partners produce:
Approximately 3,000,000 kg of shelled almonds – 2,000,000 kg of extra virgin olive oil
1990, Support Plan to Improve Nut Production – The aid, co-financed by the Spanish State and the EEC, was initially planned for 10 years, but was eventually extended until 2003.
1992, Rotation Fund – The Rotation Fund was established in 1992 to aid product marketing; the fund, through a contribution from the cooperative, the EEC and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, was allocated to help fund almond sales by member cooperatives.
1993, Regulation change – As a result of this change, plot redesign and varietal conversion were also subsidized, which made it possible for many farms to modernize and adapt to market demands.
1994, Pest control – In response to the need to carry out pest control and implement a warning system of phytosanitary treatments to be applied, the cooperative was registered as a Plant Protection Association (ADV) in 1994. Given that the main crop of the farmers associated with Fruits Secs de Les Garrigues is olive trees, in addition to almond trees, the ADV services covered both crops from the start.
1997, Creation of the Operational Fund – The Operational Fund provided for a series of necessary investments for primary member cooperatives: acquisition of lifting machines for warehouses, a tractor, a shaker for harvesting almonds, etc.
2001, The great frost – There was a great frost in December 2001 that affected the cultivation of the olive tree in Catalonia. The cooperative’s technical service, in collaboration with Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Natural Environment (DAAM) technicians, carried out a study to assess the impact of the damages and the costs required to repair these damages and restore the trees to full production.
Today, the cooperative’s technical service performs the comprehensive production management of 200 farmers, who cultivate 3,800 hectares of olive trees and 1,400 hectares of almond trees.
Likewise, as a result of the aid received for organic farming, the cooperative’s technical service manages 950 hectares of organic olive and almond tree farming for 70 producers.
2004, Joint aid ends – As a result of this change, each producer must apply for aid through the Single Agricultural Declaration (DUN); the operational rigidity of the region’s Organizations of Fruit and Vegetable Producers (OPFHs) was loosened, facilitating partner mobility, resulting in several cooperatives joining Fruits Secs de Les Garrigues.
Today – Through its system of agricultural consulting services, the cooperative has recently managed the processing of improvement plans and the incorporations of young farmers.
We also created a Plant Protection Association (ADV) to collaborate with the Administration in joint efforts to fight agents that harm plants, in line with the principles of integrated pest management and the rational use of plant protection products and other means of phytosanitary protection. We implement these aims through an action program and by contracting technical consulting experts in integrated pest management.
We are in constant collaboration with the Agricultural Training School and the Institute for Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) in Catalonia and we have experimental fields of pistachios and almond trees.
Likewise, as a member of the Single Agricultural Declaration (DUN) service of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC), we facilitate DUN processing for cooperatives whose infrastructure makes them unable to offer the service.
In summary, at the cooperative we work to deliver outstanding service and to cover our partners’ needs as farmers, and strive to provide information and the technical and personnel resources to adapt to new developments in the sector.