Although the five founders
of the Dones Arrosseres cooperative of the Delta de l’Ebre were already known for their links with the rice sector of the Ebro delta, who put them in contact was Jaume Vidal Arasa. The artist, who is also a native of the Ebro Delta, proposed that they participate in an artistic project and as a result of this collaboration they realized that between the five of them they bring together all the phases of rice production. Susana Castells Queral runs a certified seed company; Marcel·la Otamendi Escoda owns arable farms; Adela Tomàs Ferré has agricultural machinery; Lourdes Gisbert Porres keeps the accounts of a large rice company, and, finally, Olga Cid Cortés is the administrator of a farm in the sector.
At the beginning of this year they came together to found the Dones Arrosseres del Delta de l’Ebre cooperative, a project outside of their respective jobs. They cultivate about three hectares
(11 days in the jargon of the sector), located in Sant Jaume d’Enveja and Amposta. Since it is such a unique project, they wanted the variety of rice grown to be unique as well. “It is arodelta, an aromatic long-grain basmati-type rice, possibly the first created and cultivated in Europe,” says Castells.
Also unique is the drawing on the packaging of the rice package, which has been designed by Ignasi Blanc Gisbert, an illustrator originally from Roquetas (Baix Ebre). In it you can see six women, who represent the five founders plus another partner who will join the project later. Through this illustration, the entrepreneurs want to “give visibility and pay tribute to all the rice farmers who have preceded us and who fought so that we could live better,” explains Otamendi. On the other hand, they also claim the fight of their beloved Ebro delta against the advance of the sea.
Dones Arrosseres del Delta de l’Ebre is a limited production, which in a few weeks will be available in gourmet stores in the area under the Essència del Delta brand. For the marketing phase, the entrepreneurs have the help of the PepsiCo Foundation, whom they contacted thanks to the Federation of Rural Women’s Associations (Fademur). This year, they plan to collect between 6,000 and 8,000 kilograms of rice, between three and four times more than in 2022.
