Sustainable high-density olive groves, an efficient production system
Sustainable high-density olive groves, an efficient production system
The global area under olive plantations continues to increase. In 2018, worldwide, there were more than 11 million hectares dedicated to planting this crop. 2.6 million of them are located in our country.
Effective olive plantations
In Spain, the traditional system of olive cultivation continues to be the predominant one, representing more than 75% of the total. Super-intensive olive groves account for 2%. However, over the last few years, the growth of this new form of cultivation has increased spectacularly.
Although the cost of establishing super-intensive olive plantations is higher (around 6,000 €/ha), the amortisation is much higher, as the mechanisation of the tasks allows harvesting costs to be reduced by up to 50%. This system allows 2,500 olive trees to be planted per hectare, harvesting up to 12,000 kilos of olives.
Super-intensive olive groves, some data
According to a study carried out at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, "The high productive efficiency of hedgerow cultivation makes it possible to consume less water and nutrients, as well as a higher fat content in the fruit". In addition to highlighting that "hedgerow olive groves make it possible to anticipate the harvesting of the olive, improving its organoleptic properties".
In Andalusia, hedgerow olive plantations are around 1,600,000 hectares, with a harvest of up to 1,300,000 tonnes. For its part, in Cordoba, the figure in 2018 stood at 358,915 hectares planted.
Globally, the growth of super-intensive olive groves is even greater. Today, it already accounts for 5% of total olive plantations. Countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun to develop this type of crop, despite the fact that they are not the usual areas where it was previously grown. In fact, it is in Tunisia where we can find the largest olive grove estate in the world, with an extension of 18,000 hectares. The largest super-intensive olive grove estate in the world is in Saudi Arabia, with 7,335 hectares.
According to strategic consultant Juan Vilar, the arrival of these new countries has meant a major change, causing prices to fall and making the Spanish olive grove suffer. For this reason, he states, "We have to look for competitiveness in a different way and at a different level. There are different strategies to continue being leaders, but one of the most profitable is to go for excellence. To seek to make our oils unique. There is no other way".
The future of the olive grove
Faced with this situation, most farmers are asking themselves the question: what will the future of the olive grove be? According to an article by the Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA), it is estimated that by 2030, traditional olive groves will occupy 55% of the world total, while intensive systems will reach 22% and super-intensive systems 23%. Therefore, everything seems to indicate that, in the future, the traditional olive grove will gradually lose importance in favour of intensive and super-intensive systems.
Faced with this situation, olive farms will have to adapt, little by little, to these changes that will allow them to improve and modernise their agricultural work and obtain greater profitability from their crops. This will require financial aid to enable them to make the initial investments and to ensure the viability and sustainability of the new projects. Always respecting and making the new mechanised farms coexist with the traditional olive grove systems.
Reference to the original article: BALAM
