FIVE QUESTIONS & FIVE ANSWERS WITH CID FUENTES OF HORTIFRESH (FARM WORKER AWARENESS ADDITION)
For this month’s 5 for 5, we sit down with Eduardo Cid Fuentes of Hortifresh. Originally from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Eduardo’s passion is his family. He’s been working with Hortifresh for the past 10 years as the operations manager. Let’s take a look at some questions we asked him and why he is dedicated to agriculture.
Q1: In your opinion, how important is agriculture in Mexico and why do you think Mexico is an important country for growing fruits and vegetables for international markets?
Eduardo Cid: I see agriculture as a fundamental activity both in Mexico, my country, and on the world scene. It is a tool that, in addition to helping with food, generates employment and opens the doors to development at the national and international level.
Mexico is a country that is very rich in soil and climate; these factors put it in an important position to be able to participate in all markets. Which leads us to endless varieties or types of crops and I believe that Sinaloan farmers have enough tools to be able to produce and compete with the quality and freshness that is required to enter any international market, be it fruit, vegetables or grain.
Q2: Why are farmworkers an essential part of producing fresh produce and why is it so important to have a strong and dedicated workforce?
Eduardo Cid: For me, the most important part of a farm is: the workforce, since it is the key to be able to produce with the best quality and the greatest volume.
The agricultural worker is characterized by being a good, kind, intelligent person, one as an administrator recognizes his dedication for that.
Day by day we work to strengthen that relationship and that it grows healthy and with integrity.
For us as a company, it is very important to manage social responsibility with our employees, apart from the fact that it is something that goes directly with production, it brings many benefits so that employees value their work, and it is easier for them to stay.
This means that our labor force is stable and a vital factor for the operation of the business. Therefore, the treatment given to them is very important. I personally like that it is human, I like to put on the Hortifresh shirt and work by example, that people see that I enjoy my work.
Q3: In your experience, what are the most important factors in being a successful agricultural business today?
Eduardo Cid: Workforce, that your employees can be part of your growth as a company. Having a good work environment opens many doors for you to form a good team as a company and grow together.
– Experience, that day-to-day learning is reflected in decision-making.
– Infrastructure and work tools, have everything you need for your work team to be effective enough to be able to produce with freshness and quality.
– Technology and innovation, it is increasingly important to be present in updates, it gives you a competitive advantage, for example, being aware of new varieties in order to increase productivity and also helps to be more efficient in all human activities.
These 4 factors that I mentioned, backed by a good sales team, should help you to be a successful agricultural company.
Q4: If you had the opportunity to tell a consumer about the vegetables you grow, what would you say? What is something you think they need to know?
Eduardo Cid: I would say to them that you have the certainty that at Hortifresh we work every day to be the best in our field and that we take care of every detail of our production chain to offer you the best quality and safety of our product. That our commitment to them is the care of the fruit added to a constant search to be better. That the result of each day is the sum of decisions made together with the best experts so that the fruit with the best quality freshness reaches your table.
Q5: What do you like most about your job and what is your passion?
Eduardo Cid: I really like dealing with people, I appreciate that my work is very dynamic and very operational, that new challenges and new horizons arise every day. It is a job that with factors such as climate and soil, make it a job that is passionate, where decision-making is a constant challenge in which you cannot miss any detail; that requires being, learning, participating to propose better decisions for the following season and in the future.
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