Italy: De Rica bought up by the Consorzio Casalasco

The Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro continues to grow and develop: at the very beginning of September, the group reached a final agreement for the acquisition of the De Rica brand off Generale Conserve SpA. 
 
This transaction brings the brand back into the fold of the tomato processing industry and signals also the return of a major Italian brand into the hands of the agricultural world, expressing the strength of the link between the Italian industry and its territorial roots.

Launched at the end of the 60s, the De Rica brand has always been associated with authenticity and high quality. Thanks to a relaunch in 2013 carried out by Generale Conserve, the brand's products enjoy a solid reputation, both in Italy and in a number of foreign countries, and are now positioned among the premium range segments of the canned vegetables market. "With this acquisition, explained Paolo Voltini, president of the Casalasco Consortium, the Cooperative is going to further enhance the value of its members' products, in an approach that continues to see itself as prospective. It is a good example of the way the Italian agricultural world is investing to develop and reinforce the industry in order to protect its companies and its consumers."

 
"De Rica is an historic Italian brand that perfectly matches our company values," added Costantino Vaia, General Director of Consorzio Casalasco. "The traditions, the origins, the deep-rooted regional links and the quality of the products are characteristic features, which we will be using as we seek to strengthen our presence on the premium tomato products segment, where we have already positioned our Pomì brand."

The Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro is the biggest Italian group involved in growing and processing tomatoes, and currently brings together 370 farms with 7 000 hectares of land planted with tomatoes in the region of the Pô Valley, in the provinces of Cremona (based in Rivarolo del Re), Parma, PIacenza and Mantua. The Consorzio Casalasco currently handles 550 000 tonnes of raw tomatoes, which are processed at one of the three plants of the cooperative. Production is then exported to about 60 countries throughout the world.