A COMPANY IN CONTINUOUS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

The OLIVE GROWERS' COOPERATIVE OF CABRA was established on January 18, 1949, by a small group of farmers convinced of the social and economic benefits that union could provide them.

Its first bylaws were approved in a General Assembly on January 31 of the same year. Twenty-six members signed their names on the corresponding minutes, ratifying the establishment of the Cooperative and approving its operating rules.

The official constitution of the Cooperative was approved by the competent authorities on May 25, 1949.

Construction works of the Cooperative. Year 1947.

Unloading yard, weighing area, offices, and barrels for bulk sales.

Unloading yard and weighing area, and Cooperative offices.

Unloading yard, at the back, feeding augers area.

Its facilities were inaugurated by the Honorable Mr. Civil Governor of Córdoba, accompanied by various authorities related to the cooperative field, on December 8, 1949, with its first president being Mr. Julián Aguilar Linares.

It began its operations in the facilities of the old Molino del Duque in El Junquillo. The olive oil mill consisted of a set of four rollers, two presses, and two mixers, with a daily milling capacity of 25,000 kg of olives. Additionally, there were oil storage tanks with a total capacity of 350,000 kg of oil.

Ancient facilities of the Olive Growers' Cooperative. Source: https://www.cabraenelrecuerdo.com/"

Decantation system through small pools

Decantation system through small pools and oil storage tanks

The Cooperative expanded by acquiring adjacent land and significantly increasing its number of members to the point where it became necessary to undertake the project of purchasing new land and constructing new facilities in a different location.

In Hazas de Belén, on the Baena road, the new land is acquired, and the construction of the new facilities to house the cooperative is undertaken. In the 1966/67 season, the cooperative's operations begin in these new facilities

Inauguration of the new facilities of the Cooperative (Current Location)

Around this time, some land is also purchased, and the installation of an olive reception point in the village of Gaena is undertaken, which has been closely linked to the cooperative's activities over the years.

As the years go by, the cooperative does not slow down its desire to modernize and stay up-to-date, becoming one of the first cooperatives to set up a continuous milling line.

Campaign 90/91. First olive cleaning lines.

In the year 2004, the Cooperative joined the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin BAENA, the oldest D.O.P. in olive oil, receiving great recognition for the quality of our excellent product.

In February 2014, the Tourist Association Aceites de Cabra was established, comprising the five local producers-packagers, with the cooperative holding its presidency.

In September 2015, during an Extraordinary General Assembly, the cooperative's bylaws were reformed, and the company's name was changed to "COOPERATIVA OLIVARERA VIRGEN DE LA SIERRA DE CABRA S.C.A.," with Don Manuel Osuna Lopera as the president. The change was officially registered in 2018.

In December 2016, the cooperative embarked on another exciting project by opening a new olive reception point in the neighboring town of Monturque.

With over 70 years of history behind us, but still with the same enthusiasm as the first day, we at the cooperative continue to strive to maintain the excellence of the liquid gold that nourishes our fields.

We carry on the tradition of producing our extra virgin olive oils, MONTEOLIVA, using the finest olives from our members.

Logos for different types of Monteoliva oils.

Cultivated with care and dedication, our olives from the Subbética Cordobesa are harvested at their perfect degree of ripeness and transformed into natural olive juice with the highest health and quality guarantees.

Each year, this work is increasingly recognized with the receipt of awards, such as the Gold Medal of the D.O.P. BAENA in 2017, finalists in the awards of the Diputación de Córdoba in 2017, the Silver Medal in the Mezquita Awards 2020, or inclusion in the "TOP 100 AWARD 2020 EVOOLEUM," which features the 100 best oils worldwide, ...

Since that January 31, 1949, when 26 members signed their names on the Ratification Act of the Cooperative's constitution, much has happened, ... Today, we have more than 1,800 members, of which more than 1,000 contribute their olives.

Currently, we have a milling capacity exceeding 500,000 kg of olives per day, 7 continuous milling lines, and a storage capacity of 6 million kilograms of oil, with more than half in stainless steel to protect the highest quality oils.

Every day, we wake up with the enthusiasm to serve our members and customers in the best possible way and provide them with all the services that we can offer. We have a gas station with A diesel, B diesel, and gasoline service, tax and labor advisory service, agricultural technical advisory service, water supply for phytosanitary treatments, phytosanitary and fertilizer storage, hardware store, credit section, physical store, and online store, ...

All of this is possible thanks to the work carried out by our staff, a small family, but our greatest asset.

All directed by a committed Governing Board elected in 2023 and in office until 2027:

Francisco de Paula Navas Gómez President

Francisco Medina Camacho Vice President

Antonio Rodríguez Villatoro Treasurer

Manuel Sánchez Villar Secretary

Juan L. Casimiro-Soriguer Escofet Member

Enrique Navas Cubero Member

Francisco Navas Padillo Member

Javier C. Jiménez Revilla Member

Manuel Montes Gutierrez Member

Mª de los Remedios García Toro Member

José Ruiz Sánchez Representative of the credit section

José Antonio López Castro Manager