Macro investment by the Almendro Origen Group in Mont-Roig del Camp

BarcelonaThe supermarket group Ametller Origen has announced the creation of a new hub The project will be the first agro-food company in Mont-Roig del Camp, Baix Camp, with an investment of 50 million euros, the largest in Catalonia in the horticultural sector. The project will cover 100 hectares, half of which will be greenhouses for fruit and vegetable crops and the other half will be used as the new headquarters for the research, development and innovation (R&D&I) area, which is expected to consist of specialised laboratories, tasting rooms and a team of 500.

He hub The agro-food company will grow hydroponic crops, which only need 10% of the water compared to conventional systems, and it is estimated that 50% can be irrigated with rainwater as it does not use the Mont-roig aquifer, according to Joan Simó, director of innovation and sustainability of the Ametller Origen Group. In addition, the company will guarantee the traceability of the plantations and will carry out the entire production process in the hub, which will allow transportation emissions to be eliminated and the possibility of pests and diseases to be reduced almost completely.

Josep Ametller, CEO and co-founder of the family company, has pointed out that the new centre "will allow the growing demand for fruit and vegetables, the real protagonist" of its stores, to be met through "local production". With this project, the company wants to increase productivity by more than 40%, as well as improve the working conditions of the profession and promote new profiles. The objective is for the works of the first phase to begin in 2026 and last between five and six years, and for the first products to begin to be grown in 2027 in an area that is currently unproductive. The mayor of Mont-roig, Fran Morancho, has assured that they are "very happy" that a local company that is a leader in innovation and food production has chosen their town for a project that has "the vocation of being a spearhead in the agro-food transformation in Catalonia".

Catalonia has lost more than 57% of its horticultural surface area in the last 25 years, going from 20,700 hectares to just 8,800, and the number of farms has decreased by 32%, from 71,000 to 45,000. For this reason, it is necessary to rely heavily on imports for some types of crops, such as tomatoes. This situation "will be further aggravated in the coming years, once many of the farmers who are still working today have retired," says Simó.

The project is in line with the Agroparc Penedès, the company's other major project, which will be built in Gelida, where Almendro Origen has its headquarters and where it wants to build a new workshop to replace the current one in Olèrdola. The town council approved the project for the preliminary works in the summer. The Agroparc will produce food with the Net Zero seal, which will be based on the use of renewable photovoltaic energy, the reuse of water and a waste management plant.

Ametller closed the last financial year with a turnover of 681 million euros, which represents a year-on-year increase of 23%, and also expects to grow by a similar percentage in 2025. It also expects to maintain a similar pace with regard to the opening of new establishments. Almendro Origen has 146 establishments between Catalonia and Andorra, with an average market share of 3.6%, 14% in fruit and 11% in vegetables.