AUTOL (LA RIOJA, SPAIN), MAY 25, 2021
After negotiations that have lasted more than three years, Eurochamp has reached an agreement with the owners of the Riberebro Group (currently The Real Green Food Company) to purchase the assets of this company linked to the canned mushroom business. The transaction, which amounts to 14.1 million euros, has the approval of Riberebro’s creditor banks and the guarantee of the Government of La Rioja (two million euros).
The constant and progressive deterioration (only minimized by the improvement in sales during the pandemic months) that Riberebro has subjected the mushroom processing activity (manufacture of preserves) since 2015 derived in the conviction of Eurochamp’s Governing Board that, without a plan to regain control of this essential activity of the Riojan mushroom sector, the effort for almost forty years of two generations of farmers could be lost forever.
This deterioration was radically contributed to by Riberebro’s change of criteria regarding the coverage of Eurochamp’s expenses that it was obliged to cover and which it stopped doing so in 2018, putting the economic viability of the cooperative at risk.
Today is a day of celebration for all the people who are part of the great Eurochamp family in Pradejón, Autol and Ausejo.
Only the determination of the members of the cooperative, together with the confidence of the banks that finance it, has made the final success of the operation possible. For us, it was essential that the future of this essential activity for the region should once again be in the hands of socially responsible people, committed to the socioeconomic development of our Community. This commitment will allow us to develop projects that generate or maintain employment in this strategic sector for La Rioja.
The Board of Directors of the cooperative would like to take advantage of this public communication to thank those who have placed their trust in us and in the future of the Riojan mushroom for their efforts and help.