The Sega Route

The planting and harvesting of rice are moments of effort but also of celebration, when the rice harvest season begins and ends for the rice cooperatives of the Ebro Delta. For years, farmers have festively and communally shared the culmination of a year's work. Therefore, this year, the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and the cooperatives Arroceros del Delta del Ebro and Cámara Arrocera del Montsià, in synergy with the local municipalities, are opening the festivities commemorating the rice harvest worldwide and launching the Ruta de la Sega (Rice Harvest Route).

A total of seven towns—Amposta, Ampolla, Camarles, Ràpita, Aldea, Deltebre, and Sant Jaume d'Enveja—have joined forces in this initiative, which links traditions and seeks to recognize the work of farmers who, for generations, have kept this crop alive, blending seamlessly into the landscape and integrating the most fragile and valuable areas of Catalonia into it.

With rice as the star attraction, from September 7 to October 12, visitors to the delta will be able to enjoy the area's tourist attractions: the natural, through the landscape; the historical, with the tradition of rice cultivation; the cultural, touring and discovering the villages of the Ebro Delta; and the gastronomic, sampling the wide variety of cuisines in the area's restaurants.

The main theme will be a hot air balloon flight that covers the entire DOP production area. Visitors will also be able to rediscover the Delta with live demonstrations of how the harvest was traditionally carried out, a way of doing things that has stood the test of time without sacrificing innovation or quality. The Harvest Route is a necessary and strategic commitment to building a future with an awareness of who we are and where we come from.

Rice cooperatives

This initiative coincides with Catalonia's designation as a World Region of Gastronomy and the celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives. It serves as a clear example of how cooperativism is the driving force that guarantees the social fabric through the local economy and a commitment to the environment. It contributes to building a better world for people, ensuring the sustainability of the region and promoting local, quality food.

This is what Arroceros del Delta del Ebro and the Cámara Arrocera del Montsià are doing, the two cooperatives in the Ebro Delta that account for 64% of all Catalan rice. With an average turnover of €42 million, these entities were leaders in two major merger processes more than twenty years ago, when Arrossaires was created from the merger of the four cooperatives on the left bank of the Ebro River, and Cámara Arrossera was created from the merger of all the cooperatives on the right bank.

Both cooperatives are located within the Ebro Delta Natural Park, considered the second most important in the European Union and a privileged location where the Mediterranean meets the waters of the river. This uniqueness and expertise give their rice excellent qualities, such as the pearly white of the grains and their exceptional capacity to absorb and retain flavor.

Marketed under the brands Montsià, Name, Bay either Reapers of the Delta These rices seek recognition of their excellence from consumers.

The strength of agricultural cooperativism

The rice farmers are part of a network of 185 agricultural cooperatives operating throughout the country, with a common goal, principles, and added value led and represented by the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia.

The cooperative enterprises together comprise 32,214 members. Nearly a third are centenary entities, and 73% are over fifty years old, figures that demonstrate their resilience in the face of the difficulties that have occurred since the end of the 19th century.

In addition to rice, Catalan cooperatives produce products such as olive oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, carob oil, wine and cava, sweet fruit, citrus fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk, honey, pork and beef products, live plants, cereals, fodder, and animal feed.

The cooperative movement's share of Catalonia's final agricultural production is 58% in the agricultural sector and 28% in the livestock sector.

Companies with values in the territory

There are agricultural cooperatives in a total of 33 Catalan regions. The largest number is concentrated in the regions of Lleida (58 cooperatives) and Tarragona (56). There are 30 in Terres de l'Ebre; 25 in Barcelona; and 16 in Girona.

By region, where there are the most cooperatives is in Segrià (21), Les Garrigues (18), Baix Camp (16), Alt Camp (11) and Priorat (10).

Furthermore, in recent years, a progressive process of business concentration has taken hold, reaching an average turnover of 12 million euros per cooperative.

Global revenue also grew for the fourth consecutive year, with an increase of €42 million. The most recent fiscal year, corresponding to 2023, reached €2,320.5 million, 1.8% more than the previous year and 21.7% higher than the average of the previous four years.