The municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana He placed the primary sector again in the center of social and cultural life with the celebration of the Tomato and Gastronomic Fair "Tomatera Heart", An event that filled the Canary Islands Avenue for Children's Workshops for two days, gastronomic tastings, musical performances, Costumbristic recreations and, as a climax, An emotional act of recognition to the protagonists of one of the strongest pages of insular agriculture.

That recognition was for the SAT NICOLASES COMPANY, A name that encloses more than six decades of effort, Innovation and commitment to the cultivation of export tomato, South Grancanario's identity. The surprise remained until the last moment, because the organizers decided not to reveal the identity of the honorees until the curtain opened.

The presentation was in charge of the Doctor in History for the ULPGC, Manuel Rebollo López, Author of reference works as Tomato in Gran Canaria and The English House. In his speech he drew a semblance from the Nicolases family, whose origins date back to the figure of Juan Nicolás Pérez, Patriarch of the saga.

His story began with a trip to Cuba, where he worked hard until he gathered enough savings to settle the debts contracted with the neighbors and buy some land in Santa Lucía. That gesture of responsibility and vision laid the foundations for an agricultural adventure that would consolidate with the arrival of their three children.

At first, The crops were modest: alfalfa, Popes and some vegetables. However, The decisive turn came in the early years 60, When they bet on the Export tomato culture, that in a short time it became the economic engine of the municipality. Such was the success that one of the brothers moved to London to directly manage the marketing of crops, opening market and guaranteeing fair prices.

In 1986, Antonio, Cristóbal and Salvador Nicolás They took another step and founded the SAT Nicolases, consolidating a family business model that placed its tomatoes in the United Kingdom and Netherlands markets, achieving a prestige based on quality and constancy.

Today, The company continues in the hands of the second generation, represented by Juan José, Manuel, Antonio and Salvador, Children of Antonio and Salvador. They manage more than 37 hectares dedicated to export tomato and six bushels of banana trees for the peninsular market. In a context of recoil of the sector, The Nicolases have managed to stand firm, resisting with the same surface and production volume that a decade ago, an extraordinary fact at a time when many farms have had to close.

The tribute not only recognized the labor, The determination and humility of this family, but also its role as the last bastion of an agricultural model that held the local economy for decades, of a municipality that came to concentrate the 35% of the production of tomato from all of the Canary Islands, And that today remains an example of resilience and commitment.

The act also included an emotional recognition of Saro López Caballero, company worker for more than 40 years, who was direct witness to his evolution, of difficulties and the ability to adapt to new times. His personal history is intertwined with that of the SAT Nicolasses, demonstrating that behind each cultivated hectare there are people who have dedicated their lives to keeping the agricultural tradition of the Canary Islands alive.

After the act of distinctions, the Community Development Project of the village, He made an emotional recreation that transferred the attendees to a traditional tomato packaging warehouse, Key piece of the collective memory of the Canary Islands. The staging revived in detail the role of women, indisputable protagonists of this work, covering each tomato with silk paper before placing it in the export boxes, While the person in charge organized and supervised the activity. There was no lack of "spicy" and jocular songs that the workers sang to break the monotony and give life to such a repetitive and essential job, recalling the human and cultural dimension of a sector that was much more than an economy: It was a way of life.

The "Tomatera heart" fair was not just a party; was, above all, A reminder that the future of the Canary Islands cannot be understood without caring and valuing the primary sector. And in that future, Names like SAT Nicolases occupy a place of honor.