Conserve Italia has achieved growth under the banner of innovation and integral sustainability (economic, environmental and social), recording positive performances in the last financial year (turnover at 1.2 billion (+5%)) in all the main markets in which it operates, both in Italy and in over 70 countries abroad. The plan of almost 90 million Euros on the plants comes into action. Maurizio Gardini confirmed as president for another three years.
Conserve Italia is a consortium of 39 cooperatives made up of 14,000 direct producers of fruit, vegetables, legumes and cereals, mostly processed fresh; a complete supply chain that guarantees rigorous controls from the seed to return a good, safe product that bears ethical values. A very competitive industrial reality also on an international level: the 2022-2023 turnover was 1.14 billion Euros with a growing trend, 50% of the production goes abroad, in over 70 countries, both with company brands including Cirio - emblem of Made in Italy - and with private labels.
The Shareholders' Meeting held on 25 October at the headquarters in San Lazzaro di Savena (in the presence of 150 people, including many producers representing the 36 agricultural cooperatives currently adhering to the Consortium of the Valfrutta, Cirio, Yoga, Derby Blue and Jolly Colombani brands), unanimously approved the financial statements for the 2023-2024 financial year ending on 30 June. The consolidated operating turnover of the Group (led by the parent company Conserve Italia Soc. Coop. Agricola and consisting of 7 other companies) stood at 1.2 billion Euros, with an increase of 5% compared to the previous financial year. Profit is 12.3 million Euros. The consolidated net financial position reaches 150 million Euros, improving by a further 15 million and confirming the progressive downward trend that has now persisted for 20 years. Ebitda amounts to 86 million Euros.
These positive results were primarily driven by the overall growth in net sales revenues of the parent company Conserve Italia Soc. Coop. Agricola (+6%) and its subsidiaries Juver Alimentaciòn in Spain (+4%) and Conserves France (+7%). In particular, the parent company's sales increased both in value and volume on the domestic retail market (large-scale retail trade and organised distribution), as well as on the HoReCa and foodservice channels dedicated to out-of-home consumption in Italy. Sales abroad also increased: +5% at Group level, driven in particular by the Cirio brand. To date, exports represent approximately 47% of the Conserve Italia Group's sales.
“This balance sheet confirms the financial and equity strength of the Cooperative Group, together with the resilience demonstrated in the face of the many challenges we have had to face,” declared the president of Conserve Italia Maurizio Gardini in his speech at the Assembly, underlining “the constant commitment made to best enhance the agricultural production supplied by the producer members”. “In the last financial year,” added Gardini, “we processed 518,284 tons of fruit, tomatoes, legumes and cereals grown on almost 14,000 hectares in Italy , producing excellent food products in our increasingly technologically advanced factories, sold all over the world with the strength of our historic brands.” “In the last financial year,” added Gardini, “we paid out over 100 million Euros in severance pay for the production supplied to our farmer members, essential resources for the stability of thousands of agricultural companies, resources that contribute to redistributing wealth in the territories.” “But we didn't stop there,” Gardini stressed: “We implemented premiums in tomatoes by incentivizing ethical certifications for agricultural companies, we increased the prices of all crops, and during the summer of 2024 we committed to withdrawing more fruit than expected to avoid an excess of supply in the fresh market.”
In the photo, from left: Maurizio Gardini and Pier Paolo Rosetti
“The 2023-24 financial year highlights the Group's sustainable growth at all levels, with positive performances in almost every market in which we operate and a balanced account that is constantly reflected in the trust of financial and credit institutions,” commented the general manager of Conserve Italia, Pier Paolo Rosetti, "and the three-year investment plan of 86.6 million Euros, which has entered its full implementation phase, is oriented precisely with a view to leading the Company towards a future of sustainability, efficiency and innovation". “We are working in all the plants to improve production with new highly efficient machines, which allow a significant reduction in energy consumption and to obtain higher product quality, significantly reducing our impact on the environment also thanks to the use of renewable energy,” explained the general manager Pier Paolo Rosetti. “The 2024-25 financial year will be particularly affected by the interventions planned in our main plant, the one in Pomposa in the lower Ferrara area, where a new tomato concentrator was recently installed and a second one will be implemented, the automated warehouse is planned to be expanded, the logistics organization will be reviewed with greater automation and digitalization. All this to put our factories in the best conditions to produce excellent products, in line with market demands". "We will continue - added Rosetti - in our action to strengthen exports, in particular with the Cirio brand products, a true ambassador of Made in Italy in the world, which we have supported in Italy over the last year with significant investments in communication. For the Italian market, we have also introduced important innovations especially in the Yoga, Derby Blue and Valfrutta fruit juice ranges, continuing to consolidate our leadership in the Horeca channel, while the innovations introduced also in the foodservice ranges have driven sales. We are also committed to increasing Valfrutta's presence in vegetable preserves, where it is the leading brand (second only to private labels), and we aim to explore new markets such as ready-made vegetable dishes and ready-made side dishes".
The Shareholders' Meeting concluded with the renewal of the corporate bodies, which had expired after the last mandate. Maurizio Gardini was unanimously reconfirmed as president of Conserve Italia for another three-year term.
Ecological and digital transition
”The supply chain is guaranteed and aims to represent a modern and competitive production model, but respectful of tradition - says Pier Paolo Rosetti, General Manager of Conserve Italia - On the shelf we want to tell with transparency an integrated supply chain focusing on product quality and consistency, and today also on the story of the production chain. In fact, for some references, a QR-code on the label identifies the batch and refers to the territory and the local producer, also giving advice on consumption or on food and wine tourism experiences. Technology also assists us in the field, with ground sensors and artificial intelligence for increasingly controlled production”.
Safeguards for members and a new investment plan
Protecting the work of consortium members is also part of the virtuous supply chain theme: “In the fruit sector we stipulate long-term contracts to guarantee quality production and ensure that many small member companies collect the raw material at a guaranteed minimum price, which has always been revised upwards over the last five years, without being affected by market fluctuations. The new investment plan then provides for an expenditure of 86.6 million Euros to address the ecological and digital transition in order to make factories, logistics, automation more efficient, reducing consumption and emissions”.
Sources: corriereortofrutticolo.it, Conserve Italia
