While acknowledging that it is better to speak when it is over, Juan Colomina is convinced that this campaign could be described as "very good."
For the CEO of Coexphal, what matters most "is the money that Almeria will have earned by the end;" hence why this agricultural season, despite all the tensions and difficult moments, should be considered among the best, even though there is still information to be collected before the end of the campaign.
At this stage of the development of the fruit and vegetable sector, we must admit that its margins have been reduced, while the production model has reached a palpable maturity; a situation that companies in the sector are facing by maintaining a permanent state of effervescence, according to the CEO of Coexphal.
Beyond the vicissitudes of a campaign with very tough climatological conditions, any analysis must give priority to either increasing productivity or reducing costs. Colomina ponders on this, aware that there are few possibilities to cut costs.
Most of the costs correspond to labour, which offers little room for manoeuvre. There is also the possibility of reducing energy costs. "In fact," he says, "solutions could be devised to reduce the unit costs of the product; however, Colomina insists that the most interesting possibilities in this regard come from increasing the productivity. That is, in his opinion, the daily struggle for the entire sector.
Another very important issue for Almeria's horticultural sector is foreign competition. The CEO of Coexphal acknowledges that the Moroccan competition is intense "and growing fiercer every day."
However, he points out that the main threat to Almeria is the Netherlands. The reason is that "the Dutch model is being exported to other countries, like Belgium, France or Germany." It is a model based on the making of a very high investment to maintain the temperature and the light input required by the crops. The energy source used is gas or biomass and it has public financial support.
This scenario contrasts with that offered by Almeria. The manager of the horticultural industry highlights a revealing fact: only 5% of the energy consumed by the Almerian production model comes from non-renewable energy sources.
Colomina is convinced that Almerian agriculture must explore opportunities, such as the potential of thermal energy generated in Almerian greenhouses, which remains largely ignored.
In his opinion, Almeria's greenhouses are "solar machines with a huge productive capacity."
This potential could be given a further boost by improving agricultural efficiency, but also to generate energy for other uses.
Source: lavozdealmeria.es