Josep Solé, elected as Avianza's new president

• Avianza's Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment to replace Antonio Sánchez, president of the institution since 2019.

• Jordi Salvador (APPE) will become vice-president and Pelayo Hidalgo (AMACO) will become treasurer, while Jordi Montfort will continue as secretary general of the interprofessional association.

• The Spanish Interprofessional Association of Poultry Meat brings together more than 65 associated companies and represents more than 90% of the companies linked to the chicken, turkey and quail meat sector.

Madrid, January 26th, 2023. The Board of Directors of the Spanish Interprofessional Association of Poultry Meat (Avianza) has unanimously elected Josep Solé as the new president. Solé replaces Antonio Sánchez, president of Avianza since 2019.

Likewise, Jordi Salvador, from PADESA, has been elected vice-president representing APPE (Association of Spanish Chicken Producers) and Pelayo Hidalgo as treasurer, representing AMACO (National Association of Poultry, Rabbit and Poultry Cutting Plant Processors) and CEO of Grupo Avícola Hidalgo. Jordi Montfort will continue as secretary general of the institution.

Josep Solé Rocaspana, son of cattle farmers, studied Agricultural Engineering. He has an extensive career of almost 30 years in the Vall Companys Group, where he started in the swine area. Currently, and for the last fifteen years, he has held the position of general manager of the Poultry Area. "He added that "we need a powerful and visible interprofessional and for this the formula is continuous work, proactivity and, of course, to be able to count on the institutional support that the meat sector in general, and the poultry sector in particular, has earned".

The current president of Avianza and his new team will continue working for the poultry sector with the clear objective of promoting the consumption of poultry meat, focusing on the internationalization of the sector (where agreements have been reached with the European Commission and relations have been opened with the United Arab Emirates, among others) and guaranteeing the quality and safety of poultry from Spain through a quality seal that will be launched in 2023.

A consolidated interprofessional

The Spanish Interprofessional Association of Poultry Meat brings together more than 65 associated companies and represents more than 90% of the companies linked to the poultry sector, both chicken, turkey and quail meat. This translates into more than 5,000 farms and production centers, 281 cutting and processing plants, which directly employ more than 40,000 professionals.

Avianza provides support to its associates in all matters relating to relations with European, Central and Autonomous Administrations, foreign trade and legislative issues, both at Spanish and European level. But it also develops for the sector promotional campaigns and dissemination of all products related to poultry, promotes R & D programs that promote innovation and sustainable production processes, among others.

Likewise, the association has become a spokesperson and a means of transmitting to society the critical situation of the sector due to a series of events that during these months have affected all the members of the poultry production chain, such as the increase in energy costs, the war in Ukraine with the consequent increase in feed prices and inflation.