The agri-food group Borges obtained a net profit of 27.5 million euros in 2022 and invoiced 701 million, with a net financial debt of 74 million. The company announced the figures this Wednesday as part of the presentation to the media of the group's new institutional headquarters in Mas de Colom, in Tàrrega (Lleida), the estate where it has established its pistachio plantation project.
The forecast is to boost this crop, which benefits from the water from the Segarra-Garrigues canal.Currently,it has 500 hectares and 73 affiliated farmers, but in two years the challenge is to double these figures. The executive president of Borges, David Prats, acknowledged concern about the drought and climate change and highlighted the commitment to the need to reduce irrigation, reports ACN. Prats explained that the net profit obtained by Borges is 8% higher than that of 2021. In a global context marked by the war in Ukraine and the inflation that entails high costs, Prats assured that they try to manage the situation "as best as possible" so that the consumer is not affected. However, they have not been able to avoid the price increase in olive oil, a sector that has suffered generally. With satisfaction for the benefits obtained in the past fiscal year, Prats has announced the goal that in the next 5 years, turnover will reach 1,000 million euros and profits will double, exceeding 100,000 tons of products. In the next 3 years, the Borges group plans to develop in Africa in a model similar to the one they promoted 10 years ago when they landed in India, a country that has now become one of their "main business units." The investment forecast for this project in the African continent, as well as others that the company now has in mind, is 108 million between fixed assets and marketing campaigns. El Mas de Colom-Casa Borges, in Tàrrega. ©Oriol Bosch/ACN The group is "another victim" of the drought, said Prats, who also highlighted that they have been working for years to "drastically" reduce irrigation in the farms of different nut crops. In the 11 countries where they are established, they try to find and invest in areas where there is less evaporation and crops are more favored. For Prats, "it is a necessity and an obligation" to adapt to this in the context of the climate crisis. In this sense, water consumption on the farms has been reduced by 30%, and they plan to reach 100% of sustainable cultivated hectares this year. More than 5 million investment in Mas de Colom With the celebration of its 125th anniversary, Borges will officially inaugurate its new institutional headquarters in Mas de Colom – Casa Borges on April 14, with the aim of demonstrating the role of sustainability that the company highlights as one of its key objectives. 5 million in own funds have been invested in the headquarters, which has allowed the rehabilitation of this historic enclave with the reconstruction of the monument of the old convent, the development of a museum with various immersive audiovisuals, and the agricultural planting and transformation of the estate into an experimental and informative brand center. Located in Tàrrega, the estate has nearly 70 hectares of nut crops, such as almond and pistachio trees, and olive oil. The Mas Colom offer includes an experiential visit that incorporates workshops and seasonal activities for groups, schools, and families.