Spain’s research and development  agrifood company Planasa is celebrating its 50th anniversary with excellent financial results, as the firm forecasts more than 70 million EBITDA in revenue for this fiscal year.

Fifty years ago, the Darbonne family together with Caja de Navarra founded a small agricultural company in Valtierra, in the northern Spanish region of Navarra, an area traditionally known for its excellent vegetable crops. 

Over the decades, Planasa increased its products and locations, and moved from breeding and developing new strawberries and asparagus varieties to include blueberry, raspberry and blackberry research and development (R&D)  programs.

In 2010, the company took its operations to new markets such as the U.S. and Mexico. Today, Planasa has evolved from a small, family-run enterprise into a global company with more than 225 varieties registered, presence in 25 countries and over 4,000 employees.

Related articles: Salmonella outbreak: Deaths rise to 8, cases reported in Canada

Seeking to produce more and better with less, sustainability and innovation have always been part of the firm's DNA. Proof of this are its four R&D centers, located in Spain, France, USA and Mexico, where they inaugurated a brand-new facility in Michoacán last February for 80 engineers dedicated mainly to plant breeding programs for strawberry and blackberry with a total area of 42 acres.

Planasa has now joined forces with EW Group, a German family-owned company in the life sciences sector with presence in more than 50 countries and more than 19,000 employees worldwide.