Anta del Dorado is today one of the main agro-export companies in the province of Salta. It produces beans, chia, chickpeas, pisingallo corn and cotton, among other specialties. Also bet on the pecan nut.
They say that crises are also an opportunity. That’s what happened to the Anta del Dorado agricultural company, located in the province of Salta. Fifteen years ago, when the profitability of soybeans was not the best, made a drastic decision: to stop being dependent on soybeans and turn to special crops, such as beans, sesame, chia, safflower and chickpeas.. He bet and won because in a short time, and after heavy investments, It managed to become one of the main agro-exporters in the province and today it is moving forward with more projects.
“The beginnings of the company date back to the late 70s when my grandfather began to exploit a field in Salta, initially to raise livestock. As the years went by and technological advances, agriculture was added and my father continued with the business that was always focused on livestock and traditional agriculture. Then I joined the company, but The real change of course happened in 2012 when we decided to leave soybeans aside a little.. At that time International prices were falling and it was also a crop that was highly punished politically. We understood that we could not continue with such tight margins. 80% of our area was destined for soybeans and if we continued there we would collapse.. At that time we already had some area dedicated to growing beans and We decided to add specialties such as chickpeas, chia and pisingallo corn, among others.. It was hard work, but it finally paid off because today we are directly exporting our production with an orderly and economically sustainable business model,” he explained in dialogue with Ámbito. Lucas Elizalde, president of Anta del Dorado.
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The truth is that, according to the company, This change was not easy because each crop demands different agronomic characteristics and that took years of work and experimentation in the field.. On the other hand, heThe commercialization of specialty crops is totally different from what happens with commodities and this is how Elizalde explains it: “when we produced soybeans it was much simpler because you had to be in contact with the four or five most important agro-exporters to whom you directly sold the grain and they, in turn, exported it. With these crops it is totally different, we had to integrate vertically and go out into the world directly to look for clients and complete exports. “It was not easy because, in addition to training and time, it required heavy investments.”.
Another key issue is that The firm processes its specialties in two plants selection and process, both in the province of Salta, in the towns of Coronel Mollinedo and Las Lajitas. These plants have HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) certifications; BRCGS (global standards for food safety); kosher and organic.
“The investment per hectare is greater in this type of crops and the same happens with the processing plants that we had to install in order to export and reach markets, such as the European Union, which is very demanding. For all this we had to access working capital and fortunately we had a very good experience both with banks, where we are borrowers, and in the capital market where we launched Negotiable Obligations under the SME regime. With a clear horizon and an organized business plan, we have many possibilities to leverage expansion.“, details Elizalde.
The company, which today has only 10% of its area dedicated to soybeans, also raises livestock with a herd of around 9,000 heads, produces cotton that it processes in third-party plants and is carrying out an ambitious project with the cultivation of pecan nuts. “At this moment we have planted about 250 hectares and we aim that by 2030, this crop will represent around 30% of our income. The pecan nut is a product with which we must have a long-term vision because from its implementation, only after five years, it begins to bear fruit, but we also wanted to get into the nuts business, which also has a great growth potential. We are only going to collect the first fruits next year, so the bet is big,” Elizalde said.
By way of closing, the agricultural businessman explains that what follows for his company is the consolidation of its businesses, but not the search for scale “in an excessive manner.” “We want to continue being constant and reliable suppliers of our products in the international market and the focus will continue there, always taking care of the agronomic issue and the commercial leg that we managed to develop,” explains Lucas Elizalde of Anta del Dorado.
Source: Ambito
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