On May 29, 1904, the agricultural workers’ cooperative of Castiglione di Cervia was established. 120 years have passed since then: a goal achieved thanks to the effort and commitment of thousands of people and following mergers with other local Cabs (such as those of Cervia, Savio di Ravenna, Savio di Cervia and Castiglione di Ravenna). To celebrate the history of this reality, a day of celebration dedicated to the cooperative spirit, the defense of the rights of male and female workers and the values of collaboration was organized on Saturday 1st June at the Casa delle Aie, another symbolic place of the area , solidarity and sociality. Today the cooperative extends over 1,050 hectares of land, of which 850 are owned, and has 38 worker members active among labourers, tractor drivers and employees.
Last year was disastrous for Cab Comprensorio Cervese, as for the whole of Romagna. The difficulties linked to the flooding of over 600 hectares during the flood (the drop in sales revenue of 1.3 million euros and the loss of soil fertility), the structural damage caused by the water and that caused by the tornado The air (with very serious repercussions on many crops and nursery production) have dealt a severe blow to the cooperative. Despite it all the 2023 balance sheet closed on a positive note. The impact of the catastrophic events was strong but some entrepreneurial choices made previously created capital gains that made it possible to achieve this result.
“2023 put us to the test but it didn’t break us. We have completed the projects previously undertaken and continued to invest as already decided”, said the director of Cab Comprensorio Cervese Paolo Rosetti. There are many references: in the last 12 months the Bagnarola company was acquired and the purchase of another portion of land adjacent to the company center in Castiglione di Cervia was formalized. Two photovoltaic projects were undertaken, thanks to Pnrr funds, and one for the renewal of the machinery fleet taking advantage of the Sabatini law and industry 4.0.
“A few weeks ago – added Rosetti – the first renewable energy community (Cer) in Emilia-Romagna was signed together with seven other cooperatives, based on the new ministerial directives. Finally, Cab has become the sole shareholder of Coviro, a nursery company with which we have been collaborating for several years now”.
“I want to thank all those who, directly and indirectly, participated in the production process. In particular, I thank the members, workers and employees for the seriousness and professionalism maintained during such a difficult period, characteristics that have allowed us to achieve unthinkable results. I also thank Coviro with whom we have had a consolidated collaboration for years”, commented the president Andrea Carotiwho thinking about the future concludes: “2024 will not be a simple year, the negative effects that occurred last year will certainly affect the next budget. I trust in everyone’s professionalism and in the ability demonstrated in past years to always question ourselves in order to continue to grow and improve.”
