we are aware of our heritage and we maintain the traditional batea or raft farming cultivation system. Over 3000 floating platforms of eucalyptus wood, with long ropes hanging down for the mussels to attach to.
Mejillones NIDAL farms only Mytilus Galloprovincialis, the Mediterranean mussel. The species is traditionally farmed in the Rías Gallegas area, where our factory is located.
is a totally natural process, as the mussels efficiently feed on the naturally nutrient-rich waters of these inlets. It is also an example of sustainability, as it is economically viable, fosters social equity, and is environmentally friendly.
Galicia, with approximately 1200 km of coastline and ideal weather conditions, has become Europe’s biggest producer of mussels, and one of the leaders worldwide.
is divided into various stages: from December to April, the bateeiros or farmers collect seed mussels from the rocks, which then attach to the ropes with the help of a fine biodegradable mesh; approximately five months later, these ropes are split into thinner, less densely placed ropes.
The warm temperature and high levels of phytoplankton in our rias produce the larger, commercially attractive sizes typical of Galician mussels.
of growth, the ropes, over 10 metres long and now weighing 200 kilos, are removed from the water with the help of a crane and hoisted aboard the boat.
Once on the deck, before they arrive at the factory, the mussels are cleaned and put into bulk containers as the boat returns to port.
At the dock, our lorries pick up the harvest and take it to the processing centre, located just a few minutes away.