Josep Maria Font – Page 7

Giropoma starts planting new apple tree farms, which will last until March

This month, Giropoma has started the planting of new apple farms, which will take 1 and a half to 2 months, depending on the weather. Everything will depend on the rainfall during the next weeks, which could make it impossible to access the worked fields for a few days.

Prior to planting, the company’s producer-partners have prepared the land by working the soil to make it suitable for the trees. When the field is prepared, soil preparation compound is generally applied to improve organic matter and to favor nutrients for the plants.

Subsequent to the soil work, the location of the poles and anchors, which will form the structure of the farm, and the irrigation system are marked.

Subsequently, a trench is opened between the poles where the roots will be buried, and the wires that will support the apple trees are placed, together with the wires that will fix the trees.

Finally, the apple trees are planted and the nets are installed, which are mainly used to prevent hail damage, sunburn and help mitigate the wind.

As for the varieties that are decided to plant, they are chosen according to the needs of Giropoma and the grower, who is advised by the company with the aim of continuing to offer the best apples to consumers.

For Giropoma, teamwork and communication with grower-partners are essential to obtain good results and to guarantee quality and service.

Giropoma’s new commitment to technology: mechanization of the tray packing line

Technology has always been a big bet for Giropoma. Innovation is part of the company’s DNA and, therefore, it is key to mechanize and automate processes as much as possible. Recently, the company has made a new commitment to technology and has mechanized the tray packaging line, which has recently started operating, to streamline the process, reduce packaging time, increase responsiveness and be more efficient, flexible and competitive.

The main objective of robotizing this line has been to minimize handling, reducing processes that do not add value and improving quality, since it allows avoiding possible blows, tray defects…, as well as increasing yield.

As for the process followed by the apples, after storage, they have been automatically selected by means of a machine for this purpose, the precalibrating machine, which classifies them by size, color and quality. Once precalibrated, they are stored in a cold room at a temperature of around 3 °C until they are packed, in this case in trays.

This new line is packaged in sealed trays with a label. Currently, there are many different types, but until a few years ago, we only had one made of cardboard and PVC plastic film, which has been replaced by more environmentally friendly and sustainable options. Thus, we have opted for cellulose trays sealed with a label, the most common 4 and 6 pieces, which differ from the traditional ones because the wings are attached by the label and surround the fruit inside.

Sealed format with label

Reducing the handling of apples has also been a key element of this new line, thus extending their shelf life.

It should also be noted that the fact of automating this process has eliminated the manual handling of boxes, a strategy that contributes to Giropoma’s continuous improvement of the labor quality of the company’s workers.

Giropoma participates in Pink Lady®’s annual technical meeting to share the experience of irrigation based on soil moisture sensors

For the twentieth consecutive year, Giropoma has attended the annual Pink Lady® technical meeting that took place last December 12, 2022 in Bolzano, Italy. This is an event to promote and maintain technical contact at the European level, a space to share experiences and knowledge with people from all over Europe. This edition brought together approximately 200 attendees; Pink Lady® technicians, managers, presidents, producers… from Italy, France and Spain.

This year, Pink Lady®, of the Cripps Pink apple variety, wanted to highlight several topics related to irrigation systems, taking into account the low rainfall and water scarcity in which we find ourselves. For this reason, Giropoma has actively participated through the presentation of Cesar Saiz, technical director of the company, who spoke about our experience in recommending irrigation needs based on soil moisture sensors.

In 2018, Giropoma implemented a system based on soil moisture sensors to indicate the humidity and water available for the plants. It is a composition of 70 sensors spread throughout the productive area which, through the extracted data and a climate forecast, allow us to give weekly irrigation recommendations to our growers. These recommendations are useful for them to know if they have to increase irrigation, or on the contrary, decrease it, or keep it the same.

This system has resulted in a 25% reduction of irrigation water compared to the method previously used and has allowed us to realize that sometimes we have to advance the irrigation campaign, while indicating the optimal time to stop irrigating.

Giropoma’s 7 apple varieties: properties and benefits

Giropoma faces the final stretch of the 2022 harvest, which will end in early December with the Joya variety. Despite the difficulties in coloring some of the varieties due to this year’s hot weather, the harvest will be characterized by good apples, with an optimum level of sweetness and high quality.

The apple producing and marketing company kicked off the 2022 harvest at the beginning of August with the Gala variety, followed by Golden and Red Delicious during the month of September. In October, it was the turn of Granny Smith and Fuji, followed by the Cripps Pink variety marketed under the brand name Pink Lady® in November and Joya at the end of the same month and beginning of the following month.

These are the main characteristics of our varieties:

– Gala: red striated apple on a creamy yellow background. It is crunchy, sweet and has an acid point that gives it a very good taste balance.

– Golden: soft-skinned apple with a greenish-yellow color. It is crunchy, sweet, with very little acidity and white flesh.

– Red Delicious: deep red apple, usually of large caliber. It has a whitish flesh, sweet flavor and is very aromatic.

– Granny Smith: deep green apple, very round with whitish lenticels. It is crunchy, has a whitish flesh and a very characteristic acid taste.

– Fuji: light red apple on a green-yellow background. It is very sweet, crunchy and juicy.

– Pink Lady® (Cripps Pink variety): apple that stands out for its bicolor tone between reddish pink and pale green. It is crunchy, juicy and combines sweetness and acidity in a balanced way.

– Joya: an apple with an intense red color. It is crunchy, sweet and with a touch of acidity.

Each of the varieties with its own characteristics, apples can be considered the queen of all fruits. They are an indispensable part of a natural and healthy diet and are balanced and nutritious.

They help prevent cardiovascular problems and inflammatory diseases, as well as helping to digest the fats we consume. They provide a large amount of fiber that helps the digestive system to function properly, are rich in vitamins and minerals and have antioxidant and vitalizing properties.

Giropoma is committed to energy self-consumption, thanks to an installed capacity of 550 kW of solar panels

At Giropoma we are committed to green energy and sustainable production. Currently, we have 550 kW of photovoltaic solar panels that generate approximately 22% of the company’s energy. These panels take advantage of the energy from sunlight, through the photovoltaic effect, which generates electric current.

We are committed to this type of energy because it is renewable, unlimited and abundant. In addition, it is the cleanest and greenest energy available, since it does not generate greenhouse gases.

According to data from the Register of Self-consumption in Catalonia, in September 2022, there were 208,376 kW of installed photovoltaic self-consumption power in Catalonia, 130% more than at the end of 2021.

Source: Regsiter of Self-consumption in Catalonia

In terms of Territorial Services, Girona is in second position in terms of installed photovoltaic self-consumption capacity with 36,116 kW, behind Barcelona, with 118,554 kW.

Source: Regsiter of Self-consumption in Catalonia

In addition, at Giropoma we have replaced most of the company’s lighting with LED lighting, which means significant energy savings for the company, longer bulb life, is environmentally friendly and produces low light pollution.

We also have an electric car charger for our employees, vehicles that have been on the rise in recent years thanks to greater environmental awareness and their increasing popularity.

We are very aware of sustainability in the field. We use biological control methods to reduce the use of chemical products, we promote biodiversity in the fields to deal with possible pests, we minimize water consumption through specific irrigation systems and we reduce waste.

In the coming years, we plan to increase the number of photovoltaic solar panels to increase the percentage of green energy produced.

Pink Lady®, one of the varieties produced by Giropoma, organizes the initiative ‘Adopt a tree’

On Saturday, November 5, the day ‘Adopt a tree’ took place in Tallada d’Empordà. The Pink Lady® group, promoter of this initiative, organized an outing to one of the fields of Giropoma so that all the people who had previously adopted a Pink Lady® tree, of the Cripps Pink variety, and had followed its evolution throughout the production cycle, could get to know the farms, the producer and harvest their own apples.

The objective of this initiative is to bring the world of agriculture closer to the people, making known the production cycle of apples and how they are harvested, and discovering the process that apples follow from the field to the plate on our tables.

A total of 160 apple trees were harvested by their godfathers and godmothers, taking advantage of the Pink Lady® harvest, which begins at the end of October and lasts throughout November.

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Pink Lady® is an apple that stands out for its bicolor tone between reddish pink and pale green, it is crunchy, juicy and combines sweetness and acidity in a balanced way. It contains natural fiber that helps to improve intestinal transit and reduce cholesterol levels, is an antioxidant, provides the daily vitamin C needed by the body and contains 80% of water.

In addition to this one, Giropoma markets other varieties such as Gala, Golden, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji and Joya, each with its own properties and benefits. Balanced and nutritious, the apple can be considered the queen of all fruits, an indispensable part of a natural and healthy diet. A bet for health and well-being.

For the fourteenth consecutive year, Giropoma participates in Fruit Attraction, the main meeting point for fruit distribution

For the fourteenth consecutive year, Giropoma has participated in the Fruit Attraction 2022 that took place from October 4 to 6 of 2022 in Madrid. This is the reference event of the international fruit and vegetable trade, organized by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX.

Giropoma has been present at the fair since its inception, and since then, it has been an ideal space to strengthen relationships with its customers, create synergies, establish business relationships and share impressions. In the company’s own stand, you could find corporate information and boxes of apples, as well as the company’s manager, Àlex Creixell, and sales representatives, among others.

This successful edition has had more than 1.800 companies from 55 different countries and more than 58.000 m2 of fruit and vegetable supply, which represents an increase of 38% over the last edition, according to data extracted from Fruit Attraction, very positive figures that indicate an increase in interest in the sector.

As for the impact on international participation, the fair has had companies from around the world; France, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Serbia, Colombia, United States, South Korea, Peru, Chile, South Africa, India and Africa.

One of the novelties of this edition was the incorporation of the figure of the Guest Region, which aims to give visibility to different autonomous communities and highlight the diversity of Spanish production. This year, the new figure has been accompanied by Andalusia as Guest Region.

From Giropoma, we face the next edition, which will take place from October 3 to 5, 2023, looking forward to new challenges and new opportunities.

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Giropoma’s integrated production guarantees a sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture

All apple trees of Giropoma’s producer-partners are grown following the principles of integrated production. We understand this type of production as an agricultural production model of high quality food that uses natural methods and means of regulation, respectful with the environment and human health, guaranteeing a sustainable agriculture in the long term.

Currently, in Catalonia, 38.451,51 hectares are under integrated production, of which 3.095,80 are in Girona, according to the statistics of integrated production in Catalonia in 2022, published by the Catalan Council of Integrated Production, the entity that works to ensure an integrated production model of quality through methods that respect human health and the environment in Catalonia.

Regarding seed fruit, we detected 5.772,17, of which 2.387,87 are in Girona, positioning it as the second demarcation, after Lleida, with more hectares of seed fruit cultivation produced following the principles of integrated production.

Regarding apple trees, 3.440,43 hectares are destined to this agricultural system, of which 2.384,71 are produced in the Girona area and 1.055,72 in the Lleida area.

In Giropoma, we are certified by the Catalan Council of Integrated Production and, therefore, all our products follow the technical standards and regulations in force that regulate this agricultural production.

The ladybug is the logo that identifies the products of integrated production, certified by the Catalan Council of Integrated Production and is for the exclusive use of producer operators.

One of our main objectives is to obtain high quality products, as well as to guarantee the health of the producer and consumer. Our commitment is to prioritize biological control methods, reducing the use of chemical products; to favor biodiversity in the field to face possible pests; to minimize water consumption through specific irrigation systems; to guarantee traceability from the field to the client or consumer and to reduce waste.

At Giropoma we work to offer good products, always following the values that define us: the defense of the territory, respect for the environment, proximity, commitment and commitment to people.

Giropoma collaborates one more year in the charity initiative Gala Pro Baix Ter 2022

For the second consecutive year, Giropoma has collaborated in the organization of the II Gala Pro Baix Ter 2022, together with the Auditori Teatre Espai Ter, which took place last Saturday, September 17 in these facilities. This is a solidarity initiative to support and raise funds for projects of social interest in Baix Ter. This second edition was dedicated to the Montgrí and Puig Segalar Forest Defense Associations, which throughout the year ensure the prevention and extinction of fires in the Montgrí and Baix Ter forests.

From Giropoma, the manager Àlex Creixell considers that initiatives like this demonstrate the link and commitment that the company has with the territory. “The values that define us are the defense of the territory and proximity, that is why, for Giropoma, it is so important to collaborate in the organization of this gala, since it is in line with our raison d’être”, he considers, “it is a pride and a privilege to participate in the Gala, which this year dedicates all the benefits to the ADFs, and contribute to the protection of our surroundings and environment“.

Antoni Roviras, director of the Auditori Teatre Espai Ter, confesses that they are very excited to work with local companies to create cross-cutting projects like this: “We agree with Giropoma as a company with added value, with its social responsibility, with the values it defends that are linked to our peasantry, which has modulated and created the landscape that surrounds us and which has made us and makes us the way we are. Co-organizing this activity is a clear sign that the public sector and private initiative can find common ground and develop projects where the sum generates very important expectations”.

The celebration began with a sample of the activities developed during the year by the Associations of Forest Defense Montgrí and Puig Segalar in front of the Auditori Teatre Espai Ter and where people could collaborate with the purchase of solidarity apples.

The gala continued with the great show ‘Sardanova’, created 25 years ago but renewed and adapted to the present. The show combined copla music with contemporary copla, jazz and rock music, and pop and funk with Santi Arisa and the Lakatans. The dance was accompanied by the Sardanista Continuïtat Agrupation, and the choirs, La Coral Nit de Juny and Els Virolets.

An extraordinary event open to everyone, to enjoy different disciplines of popular culture in the same show. According to Roviras, “the Pro Baix Ter Gala is important because it brings social value to the cultural activity of the facility with a very clear objective: to raise funds to improve the quality of life of the people and the landscape of the Baix Ter“. He adds that the Gala is much more than a cultural activity: “It generates complicity with the territory and culture becomes a tool for transformation. It closes the circle. We are a project aimed at citizens that returns in the form of resources for the improvement of the management of our forests to the citizens in a project that is carried out in the territorial scope of the Baix Ter, where the public of the equipment resides”.

This second edition has been accompanied by very positive results. The amount raised during the II Gala Pro Baix Ter 2022 will be used to purchase a vehicle, in the case of ADF Montgrí, while ADF Puig Segalar will buy a trailer-pump with a capacity of 3,500 liters of water.

Giropoma boosts its digital presence through new social media channels

Giropoma starts a new stage in the digital sphere, boosting its digital presence by relaunching new social media channels. The apple producer and marketer makes a clear and firm commitment to online communication, thanks to renewed channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and a clear strategy in line with the company’s raison d’être.

The objective is to strengthen, improve and dynamize communication, as well as a fluid and direct interaction with all stakeholders: partners-producers, workers, customers, consumers, suppliers, distributors, etc. A meeting space and a door open to dialogue will be made available to them, in order to make the brand visible.

Immediacy, a fresh image, a friendly and approachable tone and a content strategy based on audiovisual formats, infographics and creativities will be promoted in these social media channels.

Thus, the user will be able to find information about Giropoma’s objectives, mission, vision and values; the different varieties of apples produced and commercialized; the production and techniques used in the crops; the sustainability actions carried out to protect the surroundings and the environment; the innovation and technology systems followed by the company to guarantee the quality of the products; trends and news of the agri-food sector, etc.

Aware of the relevance of social networks in a hyperconnected world, Giropoma wants to offer quality information and move towards the demands, updates and novelties offered by the new digital formats.

Giropoma’s website

The social networks that Giropoma has launched complement the digital presence that the company already had until now, thanks to a website created over the last few years. The user can consult the information in three languages (Catalan, Spanish and English).

The page shows a visual, dynamic, intuitive and attractive image, promoting an agile user experience, good navigability and more comfortable access so that users can have all kinds of information.

The space has several sections that project the company’s DNA: ‘Environment’, ‘Company’, ‘Production’ (with two subsections: ‘Quality’ and ‘Technology’), ‘Products’ (with two subsections: ‘Variety’ and ‘Formats’), ‘News’ and ‘Contact’.

Giropoma also has a specific e-mail address for communication issues (comunicacio@giropoma.com) in order to promote direct contact and attend to users’ requests.