Sestu inaugurates its first almond processing plant.

The first plant in Sardinia and one of the first in Europe for the processing of organic almonds was inaugurated in Sestu, at the headquarters of the S'Atra Sardigna cooperative in the Magangiosa area.

With an investment of 700,000 euros, it was achieved thanks to the PNRR supply chain agreement. "The almonds arrive here and are processed to make them ready for various products, whereas previously they had to be sent to different factories. This is an important step for us, as we believe in a certified organic supply chain rooted in the local area," said Mario Cirronis , president of S'Atra Sardigna .

The orchard boasts approximately 70 hectares of planted land and a dozen organic producers associated with the cooperative. The Sardinia Region has allocated €15 million to support the development of Sardinian almond cultivation, a rapidly growing sector thanks to the growing demand for almonds and plant-based products.

"For years, we've grown almonds well in Sardinia, only to see them leave the island unprocessed and processed elsewhere, with the added value coming from the island. With the Sestu plant, we're inaugurating a missing piece, managed by farmers, organic ones at that," said Ignazio Cirronis , president of the Southern Sardinia and Sulcis Archipelago Biodistrict . All stages of the process are carried out at the plant, from hulling to drying, shelling, and grading, and there's also a bark crusher to produce biomass and pellets.

The Biofestival, organized by the Southern Sardinia Sulcis Archipelago Biodistrict, was also inaugurated on the same day: "We wanted to dedicate the first weekend to the theme of production," said coordinator Paolo Costa , "the next stops will be in Serramanna, Calasetta, Quartu, Monastir, and Senorbì, to promote local producers."

Mayor Paola Secci was also present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony: "This is a source of pride for us because Sestu's vocation is agricultural," she said. "We mayors also participated in the creation of the biodistrict, launched in 2021 and recognized by the Region in 2023."