History
The story of the Group, told by Francisco Helvídio Barcelos, the young farmer who founded Grupo Barcelos.
I started my professional life as a public servant in 1971. In April 1977, having been married for one year, I became a farmer, taking over my father-in-law’s farm, which at the time had 25 cows, 2 oxen, a horse and a cart, on rented land.
A month and a half later, I bought a tractor and, some time afterwards, I realised the significant investment I had made and how difficult it would be to make it profitable. I then identified two possible solutions: sell the tractor or acquire more cows in order to produce more milk and, in this way, pay for the investment I had made.
I decided to buy more animals and, in this way, I gradually began to build my path as an entrepreneur. From an early stage, I sought the support of technicians and specialists in the field, due to the need to improve the genetics of the herd and the pastures.
With the knowledge I had acquired, I sought to encourage the region to invest in genetic improvement and carried out the first import of Holstein Friesian cattle to the Azores from Germany: 990 pregnant heifers transported on a livestock carrier. I still remember the day these animals were unloaded at Porto Pipas in Angra do Heroísmo. I remember the emotion of seeing so many fellow farmers waiting for the animals to be unloaded.
Due to circumstances and while working as an agricultural entrepreneur, I began parallel activities in the import and export of live animals and, later, in the meat sector.
In 1997, Açorcarnes was established (a company that was later replaced by Quinta dos Açores), a company focused on the cutting, packaging, and commercialization of beef. With a clear commitment to adding value to primary production in the Azores, Açorcarnes was a pioneer in promoting and marketing Carne dos Açores – Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).
Despite the interest and appreciation I had developed for the meat sector, I had always had the dream of transforming the milk I produced into value-added products. It was then, in 2004, that my family and I began to think about what the Quinta dos Açores project would be.
Quinta dos Açores, inaugurated in 2012, brought together the Meat and Dairy sectors and also brought us the challenge of entering new sectors: food service and retail.
Today, we are a value-chain project, with 5 companies operating at different stages of the value chain and with the collaboration of more than 100 professionals.
Grupo Barcelos in Numbers
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