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Sedigep Ltd. is a co-operative grower’s union established in 1964 with the purpose of treating, packing and marketing the agricultural products of its grower members. Nowadays the company has more than 440 members and is the biggest packing and exporting organization in Cyprus handling more than 30% of the island’s total export trade in Citrus, Potatoes and Pomegranates. The company is involved in the Citrus trade since its foundation, in the Potato trade since 2005 and since 2011 in Pomegranate trade.

Our long time co-operators and customers are wholesalers, packers and large supermarket chains in Europe such as Belgium, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK and more. Outside the European borders we trade with Canada, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, Bahrain and others.

Due to years of experience we are able to offer quality products and services throughout the supply chain. We are able to successfully control and handle all processes from planting and harvesting up to the final destination as requested by our customers. Always together with our growers and our loyal co-operators we efficiently deliver what is desired and required to all destinations.

Our main products are:

• Citrus fruits: Lemons, Grapefruits, Mandora and Oranges
• Potatoes: Yellow, Whites and Reds
• Pomegranate: Wonderful

Our vision is to grow the cooperative union idea stronger in our line of industry, gather more qualified growers and develop further the current and future Cypriot fresh produce as of premium quality in the international market.

Our Mission is to keep our growers and customers equally satisfied and happy as well as growing profitably together

• 1,100 hectares under cultivation
• Sophisticated and efficient BRC and IFS certified facilities
• Main packing plants for Citrus and Pomegranates are in Limassol & Paphos and for potatoes in Vrysoulles (Famagusta area)
• All company’s growers are registered members of the GLOBALGAP scheme
• 35 persons as permanent staff and 300 as seasonal
• The pooling system is used for deriving to the final payment for the grower
• Approximately 1,000 containers with the company’s products are exported each year
• Trading Network in over 26 countries

The Company’s products are marketed under the main brands of Cyprina, Cyprofresh and Tango

Back in the early 1960’s and even before that the limited agricultural production of the island and the hard labour of the farmers were mostly being exploited by people who were able to act as the ‘middleman/intermediaries’ between the final customers and the growers by fixing the prices of the products and controlling the income of the farmers.

The Co-operative movement was founded with the purpose to end this phenomenon and protect the Cypriot farmers enabling them to increase their earnings and progress.

In 1964 local farmers of Limassol area decided to found a company for themselves under the name ΣΕ.ΔΙ.ΓΕ.Π the Greek initials which mean exactly: Cooperative Union Supply of Agricultural Products. Later these Greek initials were translated as they were in English SEDIGEP. The company was founded as a regional cooperative company with limited liability and was based in Limassol. As the company grew bigger it got involved not only in citrus fruits but also in table grapes, melons, watermelons and many other products which were popular in the local market and abroad.

The tragic events of 1974 and the Turkish invasion resulted in the great shrinkage of the company but despite the facts it did not dissolve. It actually played a leading role in the post-war era in the marketing and sales of its member’s products and helped the farmers to recover and start all over again. It is one of the main reasons why cooperative unions share great respect and appreciation in the local community until today.

Sedigep picked up the pace once more and managed to secure its foundations deeper into the ground. With its main plant in Limassol and together with a number of regional plants all over the island it became the leading and most important organization of exporting the Local Citrus fruit into the international Market.

In 2004 with Cyprus’s entrance into the EU as a full member, Sedigep was given the opportunity to expand its operations and create its own potato-grower team and get involved in the trade of Cypriot premium potatoes. Until 2004 the commerce of the Cypriot potatoes was solely controlled by a governmental body. The company already had at its disposal the biggest packing house facilities for potatoes on the island in Vrysoulles (Famagusta area) and served as the main packer for the Cypriot potatoes before the new legislations of 2004.

In 2008, several actions were made by the company’s managers to promote new initiatives leading to the engagement of new operations concerning the cultivation and trade of Pomegranates. Advisors, new plant and packing technologies were the commitments that the company made and delivered to its members securing the new product’s success and sustainability.

Today the company counts 50 years of history, experience and valuable knowledge which enables it to manoeuvre and overcome any obstacles of the local and global market but also to meet any international requirements of our Industry.

Sedigep has 550 registered Citrus growers, 60 Potato growers and 20 Pomegranate growers.

The majority of our Citrus growers have small orchards with small outputs ( 80-100 tons)  where the minority or our main growers have larger orchards which can produce about 1,300-1,500 tons of citrus fruit each. The company exports on an average about 14,000 tons Citrus yearly

In our potato team again the same is happening where the bigger growers have a production of 1,100 -1,300 tons each and the smaller growers supply an output of 100-150 tons. The potato yearly production can reach 9,000-11,000 tons which will be increased significantly over the next few years as the company has set it as one of its main goals.

Our youngest team with the pomegranate growers is still developing since the product and the orchards are rather recent. At the moment the total production reaches about 400 tons but a yearly increase of 25%-30% is expected. Some of the volume remains in the local market in which we are also active due to size specifications.

Sedigep is a not for profit organization and was founded by growers. It is recognized and appreciated for its efforts to support its members by delivering to them the highest possible sales returns. For this reason we get new growers signing up every year!

The company evaluates its growers on a yearly basis depending on the quality and quantity that they deliver.

As a company we take pride in our long lasting relationships with our customers and co-operators some of them being with us for more than 30 years!

We appreciate and value their continuous support, experiences and knowledge which we also gain through them.

The majority of our Customers are mainly packers, wholesalers, fruit service providers and big supermarket chains in Europe and across the globe.

The continuous development of our clientele helps us to keep improving our products and services and enables us to deliver with consistency and quality to near and far destinations.

Sedigep is always interested in exploring new opportunities and new markets and looking to establish trustworthy and profitable relationships.

MRL is the acronym for Maximum Residue Limits. Most of the countries have established their MRLs for pesticides used in the control of pest and diseases not only to safeguard consumer health but also to minimize the presence of these residues in the environment.  Sedigep Ltd conforms with the scientific basis for all existing EU MRLs of this active substance with particular attention to the MRLs that might be of relevance for international trade. For this purpose, Sedigep Ltd considers all data for EU and Cyprus relevant authorities. Sedigep Ltd tries to keep lowering the maximum residue levels MRLs for all pesticides, which are authorized in the EU.  In case that Sedigep Ltd concludes any failure to comply relatively with acceptable bounds, it follows some operations of recalling the products before or after the product reaches the customers. In this way, it avoids any diseases to spread and keeps its high value in the market.

Firstly, the analysis of hazards of residues takes place during harvest and occurs with the date of maturity of the fruit. We do hazards analysis to check if the producer has made use of registered pesticides, if he has used the right dosage and if he obeys the instructions about security time needed, as it is written on the product’s label.

The sample taking for the detection of residues takes place on the day of cutting the fruits or the day before. The collection of a sample takes place by creating a Z line in the fields which means that we collect 9 samples from 3 spots, 2 from the edges of the field and 1 from the middle (figure 1)

Figure.1

Each sample contains 12-14 fruits taken only from the lowest part of the tree and its external area. The agriculturist takes the 9 samples (of 12-14 fruits) and puts all fruits in a designated bin. From this designated bin we will take maximum 15 fruits.

The fruits are then placed in a plastic bag with a label identifying the producer along with his code number, an identification of the field and the fruit variety. The plastic bag will be sent to an Analysis Lab which is accredited with ISO 17025 in all the range of analysis pesticides.

For a more objective result, the sample sent must have similar characteristics like origin, producer and variety. The minimum weight for a sample is 1 kg.

In case that, residues are found in a level higher than the allowed one or in case that non-approved active substances are found then, depending on the case, the product recall procedures are immediately activated.

Sedigep is an active member of Sedex organization which stands for Supplier Ethical Data Exchange.

This is a not for profit Organization dedicated to driving improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains.

Our company’s reference number is S000000027629

For us Sedex provides an efficient and cost effective way of sharing ethical information with multiple customers.

More information about Sedex can be found here

http://www.sedexglobal.com

Over the last 50 years Sedigep has adopted and respondent successfully to the challenges and needs of the modern market environment. The company is equipped with modern technology machines for sorting, grading and packing. The Packing houses are approved by the BCR and IFS regulations and Sedigep is also engaged in a program of introducing new packing and plant technology.

Sedigep's members/growers are registered members of GLOBALGAP scheme and our main concern is to ensure that the final consumer will not only get the highest quality but also the highest food safety standards.