The head of the Ministry of Rural Development, Kostas Tsara, described the new rice receiving, storage, and drying unit of Agrino in Kleidi Imathias as a landmark project and a pivotal point in the agri-food pathway of our country. The investment, amounting to approximately €8 million, was inaugurated today with Tsara emphasizing that such investments enhance the supply chain, strengthen social cohesion, and create wealth for everyone. According to the ministry, this investment not only adds another link to the processing chain but serves as a benchmark for investing in innovation, extroversion, and quality. It reinforces a project with multiplier benefits for the local community, farmers, and the national economy.
Agrino, praised by Tsara, holds a leading position in its sector due to both its production capacity and overall storage capability, making it a pioneer in the Balkans. Highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting healthy entrepreneurship and innovation in rural Greece, the ministry stated that backing such investments is not just agricultural policy but also regional development, social cohesion, and balanced progress. The new unit creates stable jobs and offers better terms for hundreds of local farmers.
Furthermore, Tsara emphasized that the new investment fosters collaborative models, contract farming, and a new production standard linking production with quality and market demands. He noted that strengthening the agri-food sector keeps the Greek countryside alive and gives hope to young people to stay and create. The ultimate beneficiary of all these efforts is the human factor, upon whose cooperation every successful enterprise in the primary sector relies.
The new ultra-modern unit at Kleidi Imathia, part of Agrino’s five-year €18 million investment plan, spans 25 acres with installations covering 10,000 square meters. Approximately 100 producers cultivate around 12,000 acres of rice in the surrounding area. The facility includes three independent silos, six small silos for receiving wet rice, and 12 large final storage silos with a capacity of 20,000 tons, along with two technologically advanced dryers capable of simultaneously drying up to 20 tons per hour of different rice varieties.
During the inauguration ceremony dedicated to rice producers, Anastasios Pistiolis, president and managing director of Agrino, reiterated the company’s commitment to enhancing collaboration for mutual benefit and a better future for Greek rice. Since its establishment in 1955, Agrino has been a trailblazer, securing the top spot in consumer preference since the 1980s and introducing innovative practices like Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification in 2007.
Today, Agrino processes about 30,000 tons annually, equivalent to roughly 15% of Greece’s total rice production. Despite challenges from imports, Agrino continues to support long-grain varieties that might otherwise disappear. Producer Vasilis Tegos expressed gratitude for Agrino’s ‘human touch’ and praised the new unit as a symbol of successful collaboration.