The Netherlands-based company Agro Care is considering expanding in Soria, Spain, with a macro greenhouse project for tomato cultivation. Agro Care currently operates in the Netherlands, France, Morocco and Tunisia, and has not yet made a final decision, but has presented its plan in Soria. It's a five to six year project that would require an investment of more than 300 million euros and would lead to the creation of approximately 1,000 jobs.
Agro Care specializes in growing tomatoes for the retail sector in the European Union, collaborating with specialists and producing in an environmentally-friendly way. Founded in 1997, it's currently active in four countries and has 1,500 employees. The Soria plant would be the company's first in Spain. Agro Care focuses on respect for nature and people, aligning itself with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The company has a wide range of tomatoes for different uses, aiming for excellence in product quality. It supplies snack tomatoes, including orange and brown-colored ones, yellow cherry, mini cherry on the vine, regular cherry on the vine, cocktail on the vine, cocktail plum on the vine, regular on the vine and beefsteak tomatoes. Tomatoes are promoted as an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, both nutritious and versatile.
Agro Care is part of Harvest House, an organization of fruit and vegetable growers in the Netherlands, and collaborates with seed companies in the optimization of the range. The company would need water, energy, workers and housing to set up its new facilities in Soria, and would occupy between 140 and 160 hectares in the Parque Empresarial del Medio Ambiente in Garray. In Soria, they have guaranteed access to water and energy through the Enso plant in Garray. As for work, they are looking to recruit local and Eastern European labor.
During a meeting at the Diputación de Soria, Agro Care looked into available land in nearby municipalities to build housing for workers. The decision on the location has yet to be made, and Soria will have to compete with African countries where Agro Care is already present.
Source: heraldodiariodesoria.es