Eugenio Cabezas
Vélez-Málaga
Tuesday, 18 November 2025, 11:23
The Junta de Andalucía regional government has recognised the Vélez-Málaga based subtropical fruit company Provelpack, run by two sisters, in this year’s Premios Andalucía de Agricultura, Pesca, Agua y Desarrollo Rural (Andalusian agriculture, fishing, water and development prizes).
Alicia and Ana Belén Rodríguez are at the helm of the company, founded in 1998, which has received the award in the “Women’s Initiative” category, in recognition of their management model “based on female leadership, innovation and commitment to rural development”.
The sisters still remember that farmers in the Axarquía area of Malaga province “thought it was strange to sell avocados and mangoes to women”. Almost three decades later, they continue to run a business specialising in the production and sale of tropical fruits, mainly mangoes and avocados and other products including avocado oil.
The award will be presented at the official gala to be held in Huelva on 25 November, where the work of companies and professionals who stand out “for their contribution to sustainability, the modernisation of the sector and the promotion of equal opportunities in the Andalusian agri-food sector” will be recognised.
“Receiving this recognition is a source of pride and a huge responsibility. It represents an opportunity to highlight the work of so many women who are part of the Andalusian agri-food industry,” the co-directors of Provelpack S.L. told SUR.
The Junta de Andalucía is awarding nine other distinctions this year to recognise the work of those who have excelled in agricultural and fishing activities and to encourage society’s interest in professionals in these sectors. The jury, made up of representatives from the Junta and the Andalusian agricultural and fishing sector, analysed almost 40 nominations submitted and selected the ten winners from the two categories and six sub-categories.
The highest distinction in the “Agriculture” category was awarded this year to the Costa de Huelva Cooperative Society (CoopHuelva). Founded in 1980, this company has become over time ‘a benchmark for innovation and development in the Huelva agri-food sector’. In the “Fishing” category, the award was given posthumously to Juan Vázquez Méndez, founder of Unión Salazonera Isleña (Usisa), a company based in Isla Cristina, Huelva, which revolutionised the salting industry, positioning itself as the most important canning company in Andalucia.
In the Promotion of Quality category, this year’s award goes to two entities linked to fishing. On the one hand, the award is given to the Organisation of Artisanal Fishermen of the Strait (OPP78) ‘for being an example of resilience, innovation, excellence and sustainability in the sector’. On the other hand, recognition is also given to the “Gamba Roja de Almería” quality mark, launched in 2023 to differentiate the catches of the 15 vessels belonging to the Provincial Association of Fishing Entrepreneurs of the Extractive Sector of Almería (Asopesca).
In the Sustainability category, the jury selected two companies. In the case of the Cordoba-based olive oil company “Luque Ecológico S.L.”, the award recognises its ‘pioneering commitment to adapting an emissions measurement tool to the agri-food sector with the development of the “CO2 Verificado” protocol’. The Santa María Magdalena Irrigation Community in Jaén is recognised for its work “in efficient and sustainable water management in the Guadalquivir basin, while promoting the equitable distribution of resources and loads”.
This year’s Innovative Initiative award went to the La Palma Cooperative, located in the province of Granada. The company is a leader in the production and marketing of cherry tomatoes and specialty mini-vegetables in Europe and also stands out “for its commitment to research, modernisation and internationalisation”.
In addition to these awards, Alberto García García received the award in the Communication and Rural World category for his work as director and editor of the radio programme “Más de Uno Agricultura”, broadcast on Onda Cero El Ejido (Almeria). Now in its eleventh consecutive season on the air, this programme continues to offer regional, national and international information of interest to professionals in the Andalusian sector.
Finally, in the Efficiency and Water Commitment category, Margarita Bustamante Sainz, president of the Lower Guadalquivir Irrigation Community from 1996 to 2010 and of the federation of irrigation communities of Andalucía (Feragua) from 2008 to 2014, was recognised. This recognition highlights her role “in the modernisation of the irrigation community’s infrastructure”, an initiative that replaced the traditional open-air water distribution model with a pressurised pipe system that improves water management, savings and efficiency.