The Provincial Council of Cáceres and the National Agri-Food Technology Center of Extremadura (CTAEx) are analyzing new collaboration formulas, with a view to strengthening research and raising the quality of the agri-food products of the province, in order to promote the economic and social development of the rural setting.
The initiative is based on boosting public-private cooperation, research and innovation as levers to optimize the quality of production, consolidate the business fabric, create jobs, and sustain activity and life in the towns.
In this context, the president of the Provincial Council of Cáceres, Miguel Ángel Morales, has toured the CTAEx facilities, located between Villafranco and Balboa (Badajoz). Accompanied by its director, José Luis Llerena, he was able to learn firsthand about the work of this reference technology center and the opportunities it offers to continue moving forward in the modernization of the agri-food sector.
The cooperation proposal starts from the idea that the province of Cáceres has agri-food products with great quality and potential, such as honey, oil, cheeses, or tomato. Through research, the optimization of production processes, and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, the aim is to strengthen its position in the market and its competitiveness.
It is a public-private alliance that seeks to make scientific and technological knowledge available to farmers, ranchers, businesses, and also to town councils. "Because improving the competitiveness of production means strengthening the business fabric, creating employment opportunities, retaining the population, and contributing to our towns continuing to have economic activity and a future," the Cáceres provincial council reports in a press release.
Technological evolution in the field
Among the examples that illustrate how technology is transforming agriculture is the application of steam to reduce CO2 emissions in the tomato-processing industries. Extremadura concentrates between 70% and 80% of national production in this area and leads Spanish exports of processed tomato.
Another notable case is Perrobot, an autonomous four-legged robot designed to move around vineyards, crops, and agricultural holdings, detect variations within the same plot, and facilitate decision-making regarding the optimal time for harvesting or collecting samples.
Since its founding in 2001, CTAEx operates as a business association offering analytical, research, development, innovation, and training services. Its activity is aimed at improving the competitiveness of agri-food companies and the production of healthy, safe, nutritious, and sustainable foods.
The center brings together various scientific areas that cover the entire agri-food value chain, from agricultural production and biotechnology to food technology and quality control.
To this end, it has an experimental farm dedicated to agronomic research and field trials; an food pilot plant for transformation and product testing; physical-chemical and microbiology laboratories, as well as technical workshops and Foodlab, an acceleration and innovation space that makes its resources available to entrepreneurial projects.
Its work includes both basic and applied research, the optimization of production and processing processes, the creation of new products, quality control, the transfer of scientific results, and specialized training for sector professionals.
The visit of the president of the Diputación de Cáceres has served to learn in detail about the potential of these facilities and to assess ways to bring their technological and research capabilities closer to the province’s agri-food sector.
During the tour, Morales stated that "innovation must be within reach of all municipalities and of those who work and start businesses in them." "Farmers, ranchers, and companies need tools that will allow them to improve their production, adapt to new challenges, and compete in increasingly demanding markets," he added.
Along these lines, collaboration with technology centers such as CTAEx can become "an opportunity to boost the added value of the province’s products, reinforce their quality, and open up new development possibilities," with the goal that the rural environment has "more opportunities, more employment, and more future."