The Cooperative
Always at your side
History
O. P. AGRISICILIA is a ltd cooperative company created on June the 4th, 2003, and it is based in Paternò (CT), via Pietro Nenni 17. It has been recognized by the Sicilian Regional Administration by decree D.D.S. 1673 of 08/10/2003, pursuant to art. 11 of EC Regulation 2200/96, for the category "I") fruits and vegetables.The O. P. was created to concentrate the product of its members, handle it at its centres and place it on the market through a specific business coordination managed by the same O.P. Given the recent establishment, its membership is growing rapidly both in terms of producer-members and lands with relating production. The perspective which led to the establishment of the O.P. was to centre upon the same organization:
- companies with entrepreneurial potentialities, both in terms of storage potential, processing and conditioning, and in terms of commercial channel designed to absorb massive amounts of product suitable to match market demands;
- a diverse package of products which are guaranteed throughout the year.
- the experience, equipment and know-how of steady entrepreneurs capable of staying on the market;
- lthe production capacity of farmers able to make products likely to quali/quantitatively match markets.
At present the O.P. consists of 7 members, whose 5 corporations, 2 natural persons, for a total of 210 producers on a whole of about 1500 hectares. In 2009 the turnover was of about 7,000,000.00 euros.
Sectors
L'O.P. AGRISICILIA primarily operates in the citrus and fruit-bearing sector, producing, packaging and marketing citrus fruits (blood oranges, mandarins and lemons), melons, watermelons and prickly pears, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and persimmons.
The whole of production, conditioning, packaging and marketing process allows the O.P. AGRISICILIA to be one of the most updated and dynamic emerging companies in the Sicilian citrus and fruit and vegetables sectors..
Why join us?
It is a clear O.P. policy to overcome the lifeless - merely commercial - view to focus on occasional relations with markets, chasing the peaks of profit,or concentrate on a niche, uncertain by definition, supply, to favor solid and lasting relationships with subjects likely to guarantee great product absorption over the large campaign at predetermined prices, leaping over, as much as possible, each additional segment of the chain, and directly arising before the supermarket chain, whose individual business realities are already interlocutors for years.This structure allows to reduce fixed costs and provide a range of products geared to the market trends.
Why choose our products?
Our products represent the best fruit and vegetable production, as a result of a careful and scrupulous monitoring over the production by our agronomists, in accordance with the product specification, in order to ensure food safety, which is our goal and that of our customers.
Quality Management
In addition to sales and production management, the O.P. has been also provided with a technical structure that:
- addresses the production, controls the types of processing according to inspected and certified production specifications;
- establishes, monitors and implements a system of product traceability which has also a valuable external certification;
- interfaces with external entities in charge of certifying the quality systems which the O.P. is provided with or intends to achieve.
- address the production according to the market guidelines;
- control quali/quantitatively the products according to the production specification;
- implement a processing quality system;
- implement a system of productive chain traceability.
O. P. AGRISICILIA trades only the members' products, which are supervised by a qualified staff of experts.
Our clients
Our products are mostly designed, directly or indirectly, to the mass retail market and partly to the fruit and vegetable markets. It is a specific company policy trying to shorten up the chain, avoiding intermediate actors between the producer and the consumer.
Identification of companies
The citrus companies liaising with the O.P. AGRISICILIA are mostly based in the heart of the Piana di Catania, and on the hills in the north of the province of Siracusa,areas highly suited for the fruit and citrus production, all included in the area of the PGI SICILIAN RED ORANGE.
Certifications
The O. P. AGRISICILIA pays particular attention to ensuring the quality of its production.
The continuous search for the best standard is performed by a team of agronomists who follows the product since its production in countryside,applying the standard GlobalGap.
Companies are able to offer the maximum guarantees on the hygiene of the production processes and, consequently, the packed product. In the phase of conditioning, in fact, the O. P. AGRISICILIA counts on a highly qualified staff that, due to its long professional experience,to the business plan of HACCP, and the BRC and IFS standards, guarantees a high level of hygiene to protect consumers.
What we have
The O. P. AGRISICILIA has different, modern and efficient plants with cold storage cells and cells sorting the finished product, this allows the company to work according to criteria of efficiency and flexibility aimed at the total customer satisfaction. The packaging of our fruit and vegetables product is realised through automated and traditional production lines.
We have Flow-pack, Girsak, Vertbag packaging machines, Networks and Heat-sealed bags from 1 to 4 kilograms, as well as bulk or packaged cardboard boxes.
The member companies have properly certified packaging systems. All products are achieved in accordance with a strict internal production specification on the traceability and quality of productions and in compliance with the rules of integrated farming.
The O. P. AGRISICILIA, thanks to agreements with qualified national carriers, ensures rapid and punctual delivery of its products, transported only by dedicated vehicles.
The largest export market is represented by the Italian one, where the O.P. AGRISICILIA works with established firms of Italian retailers, who in recent years have appreciated the quality of our fruit and vegetables, the punctuality in delivery, the modern and efficient organization. Abroad the main markets are Germany and Belgium, USA and Canada.
How the O.P. works
The single productions are conferred to the O.P. that manages their processing and shipping, issues invoices to external customers identified by the sales managers, collects the proceeds of sales invoices, holds the costs and membership fees and retreats to members invoices for the fees provision. Note that according to a provision of EU law as well as the consortium bond, it is a specific obligation of the members:
- to give the whole of their production to the O.P.;
- to market the same production by the O.P. which is called on to issue invoices to external customers;
- to contribute, in the manner and time prescribed by law, to the implementation of the Operational Programme;
- to contribute to the consortium fund to carry out social activities, for how to deliberate and to the dictates of societal norms regulating the sector.
