“We want to continue growing along with San Miguel”

Roberto Salerno, Director of Salerno SA, describes the company's alliance with San Miguel as a strategic partner grower.

How did Salerno start as a citrus company?

We are a family business set up more than 60 years ago by my grandfather in Entre Ríos, Argentina. My father inherited 2 hectares of the farms my grandfather had and was the person who gradually grew this company into what it is today. We are really proud to see the fruits of my father's labor, who achieved everything despite the adverse contexts sometimes experienced in our country.

What is Salerno's operation like?

We have 1,000 ha of farms, where we produce different varieties of oranges and mandarins. In our two packing plants, we pack around 800 thousand boxes of fruit per year. The human factor is also very important. Combining harvest, packing, farms and management, we have a fixed structure of around 200 associates and, depending on the year, we hire 800-1000 temporary workers from different cities of the province.

What is the relationship with San Miguel?

We sell San Miguel all our fruit for exportation. We are very comfortable working with them. We see a very transparent business, they help us with our needs, they support us and provide advice.

What are the distinctive values of San Miguel that you consider remarkable?

Their market knowledge and their load and volume capacity are differentiators. Additionally, the financial aspect —i.e. that they comply and always pay on time— is very important in a business like this one where labor is one of the major costs.

What are Salerno's prospects for the future?

We believe that citriculture has good prospects for the future in our country. We want to continue betting on the progress of our company, just as my father did. We want to continue growing along with San Miguel. We are very happy with the project they have, in which we are also involved.