Press
AGRICULTURAL EXCELLENCE 2014 ALREADY HAS ITS WINNERS
The XII Edition of the Prize organized by Banco Galicia and the newspaper La Nación was again the meeting point that brought together the best in the sector. • With the presence of entrepreneurs, managers, politicians and rural leaders, the various activities of agricultural work were distinguished. • This year the Golden statuette was won by the Best Fruit Horticulturist, El Parque Papas, from the Buenos Aires town of Nicanor Otamendi.
The event that year after year brings together those who stand out in the sector had its great night at the central restaurant of the Rural in Palermo. Entrepreneurs, producers, politicians and rural leaders were the protagonists of an emotional ceremony in which the winners of the 16 categories of the Award for Agricultural Excellence 2014 were recognized, distinguished by their work, quality and innovation within the national agribusiness. The highest award, the precious Gold, corresponded to El Parque Papas, a company specializing in the cultivation of potatoes, based in the Buenos Aires municipality of Comandante Nicanor Otamendi, province of Buenos Aires.
Juan Sarquis, Manager of Wholesale Banking at Banco Galicia, was the one who offered the words of welcome to the 200 guests, at which point he detailed the essence of the Award: “We seek to give visibility and public recognition to the effort and achievements of people and companies endorsing originality, quality and competitiveness.” In turn, he highlighted the potential of the sector, for its human and natural resources, “increasingly professionalized and with a long-term view” which characterizes “family businesses”, he summarized.
After thanking the support of the Institute for the Promotion of Argentine Beef (Ipcva) and the Toyota automotive company for the realization of the event, José Claudio Escribano, member of the board of La Nación SA, congratulated the competitors and expressed his gratitude to the work of the jury that had an “arduous task of evaluating the 211 projects presented”, which evidenced the excellence in the field. He assured that the “prize is inconceivable if it does not fulfill the double purpose of stimulating the recipient and provoking emulation on the part of those who contemplate participating in an act of awarding prizes”. At the end he said that “if these examples occur and if they learn from them, the country will win”.
The event, led by Oscar Gómez Castañón and Eleonora Cole, had among its assistants Julio Cobos, who after greeting the organizers and some of the candidates, said as a presidential candidate for UNEN that “the field needs institutional security, clear rules and improve the public-private articulation. ” There were also the president of the Rural Society, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, and executives of Banco Galicia and the newspaper La Nación.
Before knowing the results of the selection of the best among the best, Daniel Llambías General Manager of Banco Galicia gave the special mention to the consignee house of Hacienda Colombo and Magliano, in recognition of the 75 years of activity.
The culminating moment was when the El Parque Papas establishment, previously crowned as the Best Fruit Horticulturist, received the Gold Award for Agricultural Excellence. The interdisciplinary jury integrated by Fernando Vilella, of the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires (Fauba); Gustavo Oliverio, of the Fundación Producir Conservando; Rodrigo Bunge, consultant in agroindustry; Marcelo Mc Grech, of Banco Galicia, and Félix Sammartino, of La Nación, justified such a high distinction in the commitment, work, effort and responsibility of the winner to promote new projects that propose a continuous improvement.
Thanking the highest award, Walter Hernandez of the Buenos Aires town of Nicanor Otamendi, said that “this is part of the effort of the entire company, which seeks to work in the most sustainable way possible for the 35 families linked to El Parque Papas with a strong social commitment”. The establishment started its activities in 2002 and went from producing 1300 tons of potatoes to the current 37,000 tons, incorporating precision agriculture and technological advances in all its productive processes with the least environmental impact.
All winners, by category:
BEST SWINE PRODUCER: Cabaña Argentina / Pacuca SA – Carnes Porcinas Seleccionadas SA
BEST FARMER: Alberto L. Marchionni SA
BEST FRUIT HORTICULTURIST: El Parque Papas SRL
BEST EDUCATOR: FEDIAP Association
BEST WINERY: San Pedro de Yacochuya
BEST RESEARCH WORK: CEPEA and Agribusiness and Food Program of the Faculty of Agronomy – UBA
BEST MANUFACTURER OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY: Pla SA
BEST FORESTER: Novartis Argentina SA and GMF Latinoamericana SA
Winner: Sebastian Fragni, Cristian Perez, Bruno Cheminade, Germán Rossi and Federico Moyano.
BEST AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY: La Moraleja SA
BEST INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Agroceres Pic Argentina SA
BEST LIVESTOCK PRODUCER: Ganadera La Paz
BEST DAIRY PRODUCER: The Ramada SA
BEST AGRITOURISM PROPOSAL: Cultivos y Cosecha SA
BEST CATTLE RANCHER: Alberto Guil
BEST AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION: School of Veterinary Cs UNLPam (Univ Nac de La Pampa) // Center for Reproduction and Transfer of Biotechnology in Small Ruminants.
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: Ovis XXI SA