The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Julián Martínez Lizán, has congratulated the Santa Mónica Campo Cooperative on its 60th anniversary, «a celebration that highlights the work of its members over all these years and demonstrates the importance of cooperatives in the rural area of Castilla-La Mancha.»
In statements to the press, the Minister has stated that agri-food cooperativism is fundamental for villages because it maintains and creates employment, offers services, and promotes rural development, making it an active element in the fight against depopulation, as reported by the Junta in a press release.
«The Santa Mónica Cooperative is an excellent example of this because in its 60 years of existence, it has made Balazote a town recognized worldwide for the quality of its garlic and has provided employment, directly or indirectly, to almost all families in the municipality, settling the population and boosting the economic development of the entire region,» said Julián Martínez Lizán.
Along these lines, he has praised «the entrepreneurial spirit of this town and the group of farmers» who, aware of the high quality and demand in the market for their product, decided to join forces «in favor of a common project that has given more strength and solidity to cultivation in the area.» Thus, the Santa Mónica Campo Cooperative was born in 1965, named after the town’s patron saint, initially formed by 45 members and commercializing 300,000 kilograms of garlic that year.
Since then until today, he has noted that «they have progressed a lot and well,» as evidenced by the fact that they have built more and better facilities; produce more garlic varieties; provide more services to their members; market 15,000 tons of product; and generate 250 jobs in the peak season and around 70 permanent ones, which, overall, has made them one of the largest garlic operators nationally.
It should also be added that in 2007, the cooperative was recognized under the figure of Producer Organizations of Fruits and Vegetables (POFH) for garlic, which is also an advantage in improving marketing, reducing costs, or strengthening the bargaining power of farmers. «In summary, we are seeing a sample of what cooperatives have historically done, helping to improve crops, unify members, and bring our villages together,» in the words of the Agriculture Minister.
THE STRENGTH OF THE SECTOR
The garlic sector is a reference for Castilla-La Mancha, as the main producer nationally with 70 percent of the area and 64 percent of the production. Garlic cultivation, along with the rest of the productions, «are part of that important engine that is the agri-food sector for the economy of Castilla-La Mancha, representing 18 percent of the regional GDP.» Other data attest to its strength, such as the approximately 2,300 agri-food industries in the region, a business volume close to 10 billion euros, or its importance for foreign trade.
In fact, «in terms of exports, we have started the year very strongly as our sector was a leader in January with almost 340 million euros, 14.5 percent more than the same month of the previous year. This represents 38.3 percent of the total exports of Castilla-La Mancha in this month and almost doubles the second sector. For all these reasons, the commitment of President Emiliano García-Page’s government is to continue supporting it.»
This event was attended by the president of the Santa Mónica Campo Cooperative, Miguel Ángel Serrano; the mayor, José Antonio Simón; the president of the Provincial Council, Santiago Cabañero; the delegate of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development, Ramón Sáez, and the director general of Agri-food Cooperatives of Castilla-La Mancha, Juan Miguel del Real.
REFERENCE OF «WELL DONE» WORK
The president of the Cooperative has stated that they are facing this 60th anniversary «with great pride and enthusiasm,» highlighting that they are currently going through a generational change process.
The mayor has considered the cooperative to be «the hallmark of Balazote» and has shown great pride in its 60 years, considering that the vast majority of the city’s residents have been part of the cooperative.
On the other hand, the president of the Provincial Council of Albacete has congratulated the entity for these six decades of existence, in which it has become «a development engine for Balazote,» and has thanked the work they do for this locality «and for the province, as we are also known for this garlic.»
Cabañero has pointed out that the ‘garlic from Balazote’ brand would not be what it is today «without that collective work for so long by its members,» and has ensured that they are a reference of well-done work and of the benefits that cooperativism has for this territory and its people, highlighting the growth that this organization has experienced by betting on quality, sustainability, and R&D, as reported by the Provincial Council in a press release.
Finally, he has presented himself as «a staunch defender of cooperative systems and what they have meant for our land,» becoming a magnet for opportunities, employment, and development for our rural world, and has publicly expressed that in the Provincial Government, the Santa Mónica Cooperative has «an ally» to progress in key issues for the agri-food sector such as research, innovation, and advice, favoring improvements in the quality and performance of crops, and making a competitive difference with other markets.