Patatas Meléndez has doubled its sales in the last five years, reaching 104 million euros.

This increase was mainly due to the rise in consumption of this product during the last pandemic year and the increase in the client portfolio. In recent years, the company has maintained a constant growth in sales. Specifically, in the last five years, it has doubled its turnover.

The positive evolution of sales has also been reflected in the employment field, last year ending with an increase in the workforce of more than 60 people, favouring the incorporation of young people and women into highly qualified positions. It should also be noted that most of its professionals come from the municipalities around Medina del Campo, which is a commitment to stop the depopulation of rural areas.

As for the foreign market, Meléndez has also increased its presence in other countries. In the last year, sales of potato abroad have increased by 1%. The most important thing is that, in the last year, new countries have opened up for the marketing of their product.

Digitalisation

In the last year, “Patatas Meléndez” has been immersed in a process of digitalisation of all its facilities and processes. This is a global transformation of all processes. The company’s objective is to build a ‘blockchain’ for potato production. This project, with a global investment of 32 million euros, involves the digitalisation of the crop, the use of green energy, the reduction in the use of plastics in containers and packaging, as well as an efficient use of water, reducing the water footprint.

This process will culminate, in the last quarter of 2022, with the start-up of a new 21,000 square metre factory next to its current facilities in Medina del Campo. This new plant will incorporate all the technological innovations available on the market, robotisation, process automation through the Internet of Things. The application of all the improvements made possible by Big Data. As well as the incorporation of new potato selection possibilities through Artificial Intelligence and Learning Machine.

“The challenge of this digitalisation process, from the field to the distribution shelves, is to commit to greater professionalisation of potato cultivation. The aim is to offer the highest quality potato and for the consumer to know the full traceability of the production process”, Javier Meléndez, CEO of the company, emphasised.

Fresh potato

Since the middle of May, Patatas Meléndez has been in the middle of the marketing campaign for its fresh potato grown by Spanish farmers. The company, via its R+D+i department, has planned various harvests throughout Spain, selecting, from an agronomic point of view, the most suitable potato varieties for each plot of land which offers a higher yield for the Spanish farmer and guarantees the consumer a fresh, natural and Spanish potato all year round.

“This plan allows the consumer to enjoy a new potato that has been harvested just 24 hours before reaching their table, the Spanish farmers benefit from its sale, and we are also collaborating with the maintenance of the planet, by reducing the movements of the product, CO2 emissions are reduced and with this, the carbon footprint”, Meléndez affirmed.