1978

Foundation

  • The Agricultural Cooperative Rachis Pierias “O AGIOS LOUKAS” was founded in 1978 to initially operate as an administrative committee, whose object was to create a cherry orchard for its members.

                         

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1979-80

Development

  • In 1979-80, in cooperation with the Local Departments of the Prefecture, the Cooperative launched a pilot project, involving the planting of a cherry orchard of 35 ha., which offered to the Cooperative a prize by the Ministry of Agriculture.‎

1990

First Exports

  • This pilot project was very successful and the entire area became known for this new and dynamic product. Until 1990, the entire annual crop – 300 to 450 tons – was allocated to exclusive exports in Europe, which improved to the country’s foreign trade balance.

1991-95

Progress

  • In 1991, the Agricultural Cooperative  Rachis Pierias “O AGIOS LOUKAS” was officially incorporated as an Agricultural Organization. In 1994-95 and in the framework of an investment plan under Leader I, the Cooperative built a sorting/refrigeration unit of 600 sq. meters which featured two refrigeration chambers for a total storage capacity of 200 tons. 

2007

Recognition – Investment

  • In 2007 the Cooperative was granted preliminary recognition as a Producers’ Organisation with the designation P.O. A.C. Rachis Pierias “O AGIOS LOUKAS” with the aim to carry out a 4-year investment plan of 3,7 million euros. The investment was involved  the expansion of the building installations, the modernization of the cooling chambers, the installation of a Hydrocooler and the installation of an electronic sorting line per size of cherries by GP Graders – Australia.  The capacity of this equipment was 4 tons/hour. Also, the investment plan included the replacement of the old cerry trees and the intallation of a modern system for the protection of the torrential rain. The new investment not only maintained but also increased the quality of the product, offered new capabilities for standardization, imprroved the organisation of the production, increased the Cooperative’s turnover and made this blessed region popular with visitors in the broader area.

 

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Today

Now

  • Today, the A.C. Rachis Pierias “O AGIOS LOUKAS” numbers 150 members and the orchard have expanded to 250 ha with cherry, apricot, pear and apple trees. In the framework of the expansion and the improvement of the unit, the Cooperative proceeded to modernization of the fruit sorting line by replacing the old calibrator with the – state of the art – Unitec Cherry Vision 3.0 and by installing a sorting line for round fruits Unical 600 (Unitec). Each year, old trees are replaced by new ones, according to the Cooperative plan. All the new cultivars are distinguished for their quality characteristics and their increasing yield.