“Farmers are boosting our growth"

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Staggering growth, backed by the extensive professional experience of its members, has transformed CAP into one of the most important potato vendors. The company, located right in the heart of the Seville growing region, started operations in 2002 and since then, the volumes it moves in the market have not stopped growing. Currently they sell more than 22,000 tonnes of potato.

Iñigo González, Miguel Cárdenas and José Luis Benítez, three of the four associates all agree that they feel very proud of what has been achieved in the short time and that part of their success lies in the fact that they have the trust of a group of growers with ideas very similar to their own.

One of the more unusual features of CAP is that it does not hold exclusive sales rights with any grower but works with various of them. “Farmers are happy to work with us like this because when we consider a particular type of potato good for something, we will distribute it because we are not obliged to work with one company in particular. In this way, they can minimise their risks and are more closely tied to us”.

They work together very closely with Van Rijn, who supplies them with the Inova variety which is very well suited to boiling and is used mainly for export although it is also appreciated in the domestic market. Another of the Dutch company’s varieties that they especially favour is Labadía, destined for the washed sector. Van Rijn grows around 100 tonnes of this, a figure they would like to increase.

They have a particularly good relationship with Patatas Beltrán and cooperate with them especially for the Bellini variety. This season they will sell 400 tonnes of seed. “The results for Bellini are very good, especially in 25kg sacks destined for wholesale markets. This variety could well replace the former Spunta and in sacks it is very easy to sell for a consumption sector that for several years now has been in decline and is beginning to recover. This is not to say that Bellini is not a potato variety that is suitable for washing and this will be our next objective.”

Europlant supplies them with Marabel amongst other varieties and the company Distrisur with Agatha and Almera.

The current season got underway some days earlier than normal and “it is not at all like last season where there was a real shortage of potato and prices were very high, but we believe that we can talk about a season that is going to be moderately good seeing as new potato now has its niche and consumers are increasingly appreciative of it. The only thing that could affect us are the unpredictable Seville springs, but with the good quality that this year is bringing, results may be very good.”

In addition to all their business relating to potato, CAP also sells citrus and asparagus.