The Participating organization in the program is Kozani Saffron Producers Cooperative

The Cooperative

The Compulsory Agricultural Cooperative of Krokos Growers was funded in 1971 and in consited of 1000 members, all od which come from mulicipalities of Kozani Prefecture. The of the Cooperative is located 5 kilometres south from the city of Kozani, in the Krokos village.

The founding of the Cooperative created a body that has the complete responsibility of collecting, processing, packing and distributing the product in order to ensure its quality and to avoid the adulteration that was done by the traders in the past, resulting in the degradation and negative image of the product.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION - NAME

Saffron is cultivated in the region of Kozani since the 17th century. All these years, considerable experience on the production of the product has been gained. By 1966 the transportation and the trading of the product was through rings of wholesalers who were getting the product from individual producers at low prices.

The lack of bargaining power as well as the inability to explore the international market, lead the producers in 1966 in establishing the Free Producers Cooperative, which was renamed in 1971 to Kozani Saffron Producers Cooperative. Since then the official name of the Cooperative is: "KOZANI SAFFRON PRODUCERS COOPERATIVE".

In its international trades the Cooperative uses the name:
"COOPERATIVE DE SAFRAN / CROCOS - 50010 KOZANI" 
The Cooperative consists of roughly 1000 members while on the cultivation of saffron are employed around 5000 people. Each producer has the obligation to give the product to the Cooperative for joint management.

LEGAL FORM

The legal form of the Cooperative is governed by the Legislative Decree 818/1971 "establishing Kozani Saffron Producers Cooperative of the Kozani district" which gives the Cooperative the exclusive right to collect, pack and distribute the product.

HEADQUARTERS – ADDRESS

TThe Cοoperative has its headquarters in Krokos village of Kozani Perfecture, within which the agricultural operations of its members take place.

STATUTORY AIM – ACTIVITIES

The aim of the Cooperation is to:

• Coordinate the cultivation of the saffron plant to increase production and improve quality.
• Collect and distribute the product.
• Standardise and uniform in appearance that same product.
• In order to achieve its aim, the Cooperative develops any legitimate actions it sees fit and more specifically the following:
• It sees to the scientific study of the cultivation of the plant.
• It sees to the training of the farmers and the distribution of specialised and related information and directives.
• It provides its members with agricultural items needed for the cultivation of the plant, especially with superior seed.
• It collects, processes, standarises, packs and distributes the product on behalf of the partners.
• It participates with a percentage of 55% in the newly founded company Krokus Products Kozanis S.A. along with the company Korres Natural Products S.S. This new company produces organic beverages with Kozani saffron. The series includes 7 different flavours.

PRODUCTION FACILITIES

The Cooperative is housed in a three-storey building (owned by the Cooperative) with a total area of 612.40 m² and a volume of 2,152 m³. The building is located in a plot of 477.20 m² (also owned by the Cooperative) within the settlement of the borough of Kozani’s Krokos.

More specifically the building includes:

• A basement area of 240.7m² used as a storage room for storing raw material as well as packaged products.
• A ground floor area of 240.7m² where the machinery for packaging the product is installed.
• A floor area of 131m² where the offices of the Cooperative are located.