Cereal processing centre Flaurling of the Tyrolean Seed Cooperative.

Short description

The grain processing centre is the first professional facility for drying, storage and processing of organic and conventional grain in Tyrol.

The processing comprises the following steps: taking over the goods, pre-cleaning, sorting, cleaning and aeration.

A system hall with 36 funnel silos in modular design offers a flexible and gentle storage of 500m³ of grain. This provides a powerful and modern processing and storage technology for cereals, which enables the cooperative to implement cooperation- and sales projects with a wide variety of partners. Increasing cultivated areas and growing demand for regional specialities are opening new customer segments. The self-sufficiency of cereals in Tyrol is only 1-2%.

Point of departure

The Tyrolean seed cooperative eGen (founded in 1947) currently has 54 members and its headquarters in Flaurling. Its main business is the production and trade of potato seeds and cereal seeds.

Furthermore, services such as cleaning, sorting, storage, husk removal and packaging are provided to the members. Up to now, grain processing has only been carried out to a lesser extent and with very outdated equipment on the premises of the potato storage. The cereal processing plant project will create a professional cooperative facility for drying, storing and processing food grain in organic and conventional quality, which will enable the cooperative to implement cooperation- and sales projects with partners in the baked goods sector.

The targeted marketing and exploitation of regional cereal varieties leads to higher added value and enables more than 100 farmers to earn an additional income. Consumer cereals of this size represents a new product line for the cooperative.

Targets and target groups

The increasing cultivated area and the increasing demand for regional specialities are opening new customer segments. For the future, it is intended to also enter the German market. Due to their favourable composition of ingredients, the old regional varieties are of particular interest to potential customers.

Through various initiatives to strengthen alternatives in agriculture an expansion of regional self-production can be expected. In the future, this can be prepared by the cooperative itself. In commercialization, Bioalpin, a marketing cooperative of the Tyrolean organic farmers, is involved. The cooperative structure will be maintained and the number of members will almost double to around 100.

Project implementation and measures

Thanks to the implementation of the Flaurling grain processing centre project, state-of-the-art processing and storage technology is already available for the 2017 harvest. An improvement of the hygiene, cleaning and storage conditions with adequate capacity was achieved so that the cooperative members and their cooperation partners can be served with the highest quality of cereals for consumption.

Results and effects

The self-sufficiency of cereals is increased. New cooperation- and sales projects can be realized. Cereals for consumption are a new product line of the cooperative.

The gene bank of the province of Tyrol is involved in the work on reviving regional varieties. Brewing barley of the "Fisser Gerste" brand is offered for a new type of beer. Further tests for the cultivation of old regional varieties will be carried out as part of an InterReg project with South Tyrol.

Increase in energy efficiency: The use of new e-motors and the reduction of yard transports through the new conveyor technology reduce energy consumption. The (existing) photovoltaic system covers 55% of the electricity demand. The remaining electricity comes from renewable sources of energy.

Erfahrung

The structure of the cooperative ensures broad involvement of the project participants. Consistent implementation of the project steps was necessary, as completion of the grain processing centre for the 2017 harvest was the clear goal.