Voion Land Legumes (voion land products)
In order to revive and preserve the traditional lentil cultivation in Voio, on the borders of the Prefectures of Kozani, Grevena and Kastoria, Voion Land Products brings to our table top quality legumes with high taste and nutritional value
It was at the beginning of the crisis when six young people decided to combine their strengths, knowledge and experiences in order to create something that would combine all of the above. Thus, the company Voion Land Products was founded in 2008 with headquarters in Voio, Kozani, and specifically in Tsotili, with the object of production, processing, standardization and distribution of legumes. Today the shareholders of the company are Giannis and Alexandros Zimbilidis, Alexis Kotoulas, Vassilis Metaxas and Giannis Tsialtas.
The vision
From the beginning of its operation, the company followed the model of contract farming, with the partners-farmers reaching up to 90. The monitoring of the crops and the guidance of the producers are continuous, from sowing to
the harvest. The soil-climatic conditions of Western Macedonia are ideal for the cultivation of legumes, however, special emphasis is given to the selection of fields with such features as to produce high quality products. Care is taken for the application of crop rotation (alternation) of legumes with cereals, in order to limit any problems of enemies and diseases.
The production cycle
The cultivation starts from the selection of the field, which will be plowed in the summer or early autumn. The soil is then prepared, as soon as the autumn rains allow, so that it is ready for sowing in late October to early November. The crop must germinate and be established before the prolonged and strong frosts of the area occur. The young crop stops growing due to the low winter temperatures and when the weather warms up in March, it starts growing again at a strong pace. The mild temperatures, and not their sharp rise, are desirable for the slow ripening of the seed, so that it fills well, becomes boiling and with special aromas during cooking. In mid to late June the products are harvested and processed - cleaned. The products are stored in big bags and packed according to the orders.
The factors of quality
The goal of the company is the production of high quality, but also safe products by minimizing the preparations (eg fertilizers, pesticides) used during cultivation and always in accordance with good agricultural practices. As Mr. Kotoulas concludes: "The production of legumes in Stohora is a difficult case and the producers deserve a lot of congratulations, especially those who produce in semi-mountainous and mountainous areas where the yields are lower, the cost is higher, but the quality is excellent. This, I believe, is our comparative advantage. We selected people with a productive culture and strong motivations who try to develop the declining areas productively. We believed in these people, we owe our course so far to them ".
