First drought reduced the potential olive harvest then widespread rain washed much of it to the ground — causing the loss of up to 70 percent of production and more than €27 million ($36.6m), a farmers’ union in Catalonia reports.
The Unió de Pagesos said many plantations in Catalonia had been lashed by last week’s downpours. While the rain bodes well for the next harvest, this year for many producers “it isn’t worth harvesting the few olives left on the trees now that the majority of production is on the ground.”
In a press release, the union called on the Catalan Department of Agriculture to expedite direct aid for the worst-affected producers, to prevent them abandoning their plantations, and in the longer term to help put irrigation within their economic reach.
Three advantages of drip Irrigation
Meanwhile, drip irrigation of its olive hedgerows is a key plank of the super-intensive cultivation system used by Innoliva to produce EVOO in Spain and Portugal, reports La Razon.
Innoliva head Miguel Rico said this type of irrigation had three main advantages.The first was environmental — a 45 percent saving in water, the second economic — it allowed year-round production, and the third benefit was social — “It creates employment throughout the year.”
While traditional cultivation usually involves a density of 75 – 125 trees/ha and intensive up to 300, Innoliva says its super-intensive cultivation of up to 2000 shrubs/ha poses no additional stress to the land.
Another major goal for Innoliva is to build olive oil processing plants as close as possible to its olive estates, ideally so the olives reach the mill within six hours of harvest.
The first was inaugurated last month by the company at El Carapetal, in the Alentejo, in south-central Portugal, and has capacity for 50,000 tons of olives per season.
Rico said that he’d next like to build a biomass plant to take advantage of waste such as pruning and pomace.
Related Articles
Jul. 29, 2024
Researchers Introduce AI Tool to Help Olive Farmers Predict Harvest Timing
Using machine learning to analyze a range of data points from model farms, researchers were able to predict the timing of the olive harvest with 90 percent accuracy.
Mar. 6, 2024
US Surpasses Spain as Second-Largest Olive Oil Consumer
Experts predict the U.S. will overtake Italy to become the world’s largest consumer of olive oil.
Jan. 2, 2024
Olives Bring Sustainable Development to Pakistan
Pakistan continues to deepen ties with Italy to bring the necessary hardware and technical knowledge to the fledgling olive oil sector.
Aug. 7, 2024
Hazara’s Olive Oil Boom Lays Roadmap for Pakistani Sector
Systematic grafting and planting programs, new mills and efforts to educate farmers and millers have resulted in a rapid rise in production in one critical Pakistani region.
Apr. 16, 2024
Award-Winning Catalan Producer Bets on Growing Demand for Arbequina
Two heat-hampered harvests have not deterred the producers behind Gaudea, who are betting that demand for Arbequina extra virgin olive oil will keep growing.
Aug. 20, 2024
Leveraging AI to Enhance Olive Oil Quality, Efficiency and Trust
AI has been improving olive farming for a decade, enhancing efficiency, decision-making, traceability, and sustainability. Recent advancements include predictive pricing, pest control, and personalized marketing.
Oct. 1, 2024
Egypt Aims for Significant Increase in Olive Oil Exports
Officials are developing a strategy to increase exports by expanding production.
Jul. 15, 2024
Xylella Fastidiosa Identified in Extremadura
Extremadura joins the Balearic Islands and the Community of Valencia as the Spanish regions with active Xylella infestations.