Past, Present and Future

Agróptimum is a dynamic agri-food and biotechnological business group founded by the visionary entrepreneur Ángel Minaya from La Mancha. In just five years, it has become Spain's largest supplier of high-quality pistachio plants and seeds.

After initially working with other crops such as vines and almonds, and studying their behavior in La Mancha, Minaya discovered the potential of pistachios in Spain in 2016. This revelation was fueled by the suitability of the soil, climate, and a growing market demand.

Seeds of Excellence: The Beginning of the Agri-food and Biotechnological Dream.  

Historically, the best pistachios are cultivated in Turkey and Iran. However, it was in California where intensive cultivation and fruit standardization were achieved through the use of hybrid seeds. The UCB#1 seeds from ACEMI Inc., certified by the University of Davis in California, resulted from the crossbreeding of two species, known for their rapid production and high yield. 

In 2019, Minaya entered into a collaboration agreement with ACEMI Inc. to import this seed to Spain, considered the world's best pistachio plant seed—resilient to salinity, diseases, and cold.

Agróptimum exclusively distributes this seed worldwide, excluding the United States. Along with the seed, Agróptimum imported ACEMI Inc.'s 40 years of pistachio cultivation experience in California. This collaboration is reflected in the plant, where the UCB#1 pistachio bud graft is implanted in their highly technified 50,000m2 covered nurseries.

More than a Supplier, a Partner in Innovative and Sustainable Agriculture

Leveraging the knowledge acquired by a multidisciplinary technical team, Agróptimum offers 360º solutions for pistachio cultivation. This includes plant sales, turnkey plantation planning and execution, comprehensive pistachio crop management, and technical advice for plantations.

The company can join the process at the most convenient stage for the property, taking full responsibility and providing regular reports. To stay abreast of innovations, Agróptimum experiments with new cultivation management methods and explores the implementation of new pistachio plant development and maintenance techniques. Their commitment to innovation and sustainability ensures optimal results for clients, including major players in the food sector and financial investors looking to enter or solidify their position in bioagriculture through a trusted partner offering swift, consistent, and increased profitability.

To date, under Ángel Minaya's visionary leadership, the group has multiplied its business figure sevenfold in five years, reaching €14.9 million in 2022. Various investment projects are underway to enhance growth capacity, all rooted in the pursuit of excellence permeating the company's services, processes, and final products. Ultimately, it represents a unique entrepreneurial model emerging from Villanueva de la Jara, Cuenca—a town in depopulated Spain where Agróptimum generates 150 direct job opportunities, acting as agents of social change in the rural Spanish environment.

Given the outstanding conditions in the Iberian Peninsula, the pistachio's privileged position could make it a key product in Spanish exports. The upward trend is already evident; global consumption increased by 30% in 2021/2022. With time and investment in research and development, it may be possible to develop a unique variety of pistachio better adapted, with unique characteristics that could make it a symbol of our agriculture and, by extension, a symbol of our gastronomic culture, similar to what traditionally olives and vines have been.

The Spanish pistachio:
a promising future.

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