COLOMBIA BUSINESS NEWS — U.S. multinational Dole will open in November a us$28 million plant west of Bogota to supply Colombian consumers with produce, the company said.
The new plant will be located in Madrid, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of Bogota where Dole bought 152 hectares (375 acres) of land to cultivate vegetables and tubers for the Colombian market.
The 8,500-square-meter (81,500-square-ft.) facility will provide jobs for 450 people use cutting edge technology to turn out produce that does not require washing and is ready to eat, according to Dole’s press release.
In November, Dole will start shipping products certified under international HACCP standards for food safety.
The Dole products will be distributed to retail stores and wholesalers representing 80 percent of Colombia’s market for fresh produce. This, according to the company, will make Dole the largest processed fresh food supplier in the country.
