The potential of the Mexican horticulture industry is noticed all across the world. Also in Almeria, where an increasing amount of Spanish suppliers receive an international demand for their horticultural technology. One of these companies is Criado & López, a Spanish horticultural supplies company that in addition to its branches in Chile and Morocco is also more often sharing its knowledge and experience in the Mexican industry.
Criado & López was founded 27 years ago in El Ejido, Almeria. At that time the regional Almerian horticultural industry was still in its infancy. "We have seen the industry develop from a basic agricultural industry to what it is nowadays; an advanced produce sector that utilizes many efficient technology and cultivation systems", explained Salvador López, the managing director of Criado & López.
Francisco Falcón (responsible of our brand in Chile), Víctor Gamboa (responsible of our branch in Mexico) and Salvador López (managing director of Criado & Lopez Group) with colleagues from the sales team in Mexico and Spain at the Expo Agroalimentaria Guanajuato in Irapuato, Mexico last week.
Growing portfolio
Criado & López manufactures all kinds of agricultural textiles to protect crops from climate influences, pests and diseases. As well as this the company offers a broad catalog of other crop inputs such as twines, clips and other cropping essentials. López said that his company has been serving the growth and development of the local industry in Almeria with tailor made supplies over the years. "Our product and services grew along with the demand from the agricultural sector, which was transforming from simple open field cultivation towards basic cultivation under plastic and eventually advanced protected cropping and greenhouse growing as we know it nowadays."
This transformation is currently also taking place in developing economies in Central and South America where a lot of investments are being made in the field of protected cultivation of crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, berries, papaya, avocado and chillies. "A lot of these projects rely on the knowledge of companies from Spain. We are therefore often seen as a technological counterpart because we have gained a lot of experience with a similar transformation in our own country."
Salvador López with colleagues at the Expo Agroalimentaria Guanajuato in Irapuato, Mexico last week.
Export
It is therefore that about 40% of the turnover of Criado & López nowadays comes from export. "We still are a main supplier to the Spanish industry, but we have seen our export to foreign countries increase over the last few years. This is also why we now are present with companies in four different countries and we export to 22 countries all over the world."
López is confident that his business will grow even more over the coming years. "There is a lot of development taking place in this region and the demand for protected cropping keeps increasing due to a growing demand for healthy food, year round, climate change and the need to grow more responsible with less chemicals and pesticides. We are looking forward to take part in this transformation, just as we have been part of the similar revolution in our home country".
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Criado & Lopez