AC NESTOS
AC NESTOS was founded in 1988 and was the first cooperative in the region of Kavala aiming at the development of asparagus crop as well as its standardization and distribution. In 2004 the cooperative expanded its activity and introduced to its members the cultivation of kiwi while in 2012 added the cultivation of apricots and plums.
The natural site of NESTOS provides optimal environmental conditions as the region is protected under the Ramsar Convention.
The cooperative can, according to its statute, operates as a producer, processor and trader of agricultural products, especially asparagus and kiwi products as well as fruit and vegetables.It can also supply and trade agricultural supplies and it can manufacture, supply and trade means of agricultural production as well as providing relevant services.
In 2006 a Producers Group was founded within NESTOS operating framework involving in various developing projects. In total, the members of the cooperative together with the Producers Group cultivate around 2650 acres.
FACILITIES
The newly built facilities of NESTOS give to the cooperative a comparative advantage within the extremely competitive market of agricultural products.
In 2003, within a privately owned property of 23.144 sq.m situated in the village of Chrisochori, Nestos, begun the construction of a packing / sorting station of fresh fruits and vegetable.
Today, the buildings of this property includes a roofed and perimeter closed building with premises of sorting, processing and packaging, cold chambers of controlled atmosphere, storage and supporting facilities, agricultural supply store and storage and catering areas for company’s staff.
INVESTMENTS
Based on its export oriented policy, AC NESTOS is increasingly invest in new technologies aiming at the quality improvement of its products. Its future plans include the development of new plantations, the extension of the existing storing and preserving facilities and the renewal and improvement of technological equipment.
Besides the investment in new technologies, AC NESTOS has as its priority the investment in knowledge and innovation. Towards this end,the cooperative isin close cooperation with universities in Greece (Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Democritus University of Thrace, University of Patras, International Hellenic University)and research institutions from European countries (Switzerland, Germany, France, Portugal).It participates in a number of research programs gaining a considerable know-howin the optimization of production techniques, the efficient use of agricultural inputs, and the minimizing of environmental burdens.
CERTIFICATES
The products of AC NESTOS cooperative are produced exclusively by its members under the supervision and instructions of its experienced and specialized agronomists. To this end a pesticide store operates since 2012 within the facilities of the cooperative so as to control all the stages of production and guarantees the high quality and safety of products offered to consumers. This is, also, certified by the national and European provisions: AGRO 2.1., AGRO 2.2, GLOBALGAP, BRC, IFS, ISO 22000 : 2005, ISO 9001 : 2008, GRASP, TNC, SEDEX.