The history of the founding of the Valente Marques company merges with that of the water mills that existed in the Oliveira de Azeméis region more than two centuries ago. It all began with a small water mill on the riverbank, with traditional and rudimentary production processes where the family developed its activity in the rice husking business. Valente Marques built his first rice production plant in UL in the 1970s, and thus began the story of Valente Marques and CAÇAROLA Rice, which conquered the Portuguese food market, becoming the benchmark rice to this day. In 1980, a parboiled rice production unit was installed, which is still unique in the country, and in 1991 the factory underwent a complete remodeling.
In order to expand its product range, the Valente Marques company began marketing dried and cooked pulses in the early 1990s. The next step was in 1999, with the introduction of pasta into the company's portfolio. One of Valente Marques' current concerns is to bring the company closer to the origins of its main product, rice. To follow the value chain from the selection of seeds (in collaboration with farmers), sowing, harvesting and drying, to the reception at our facilities of the already dried and ready-to-peel rice. In accordance with this philosophy, Valente Marques doubled the capacity of its silos in 2013 to meet the need to store rice in husks and qualitatively improve its storage.
The know-how acquired during the 45 years of existence and the in-depth knowledge of the market provide Valente Marques with the tools that allow it to grow, innovate and offer its customers high-quality, healthy and rigorously controlled products.
