Groups Work to Improve Viability of Table Olives in Andalusia
Agricultural orgaÂniÂzaÂtions and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture are colÂlabÂoÂratÂing to improve the strugÂgling table olive indusÂtry in Andalusia by modÂernÂizÂing the secÂtor and increasÂing its role in the Rural Development Plan. The workÂing group in Sevilla aims to address the profÂitabilÂity issues faced by the Manzanilla and Gordal variÂeties, which have led to the uprootÂing of thouÂsands of hectares in the region over the past 15 years.
Agricultural orgaÂniÂzaÂtions and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture are workÂing together to creÂate a workÂing plan to improve the viaÂbilÂity of the strugÂgling table olive indusÂtry in the autonomous comÂmuÂnity of Andalusia.
The Andalusian Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training, Agrarian Association of Young Farmers, the Coordinating Body of Farmers and Ranchers, Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers, Andalusian Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Companies and Asemesa, the assoÂciÂaÂtion of table olive proÂducÂers and exports are workÂing with the Spanish govÂernÂment to modÂernÂize the indusÂtry. Together, these groups hope their secÂtor will play a larger role in the Rural Development Plan of Andalusia.
The workÂing group is meetÂing in Sevilla to disÂcuss how to return the crop to profÂitabilÂity. Over the last 15 years, proÂducÂtion costs of the Manzanilla and Gordal variÂeties have exceeded income from its sales, accordÂing to a 2010 study by the Department of Agriculture. Over the last five years, over 8,000 hectares of these variÂeties have been uprooted in Andalusia alone, due to their profÂitabilÂity probÂlems.
Sevilla, a province within Andalusia, proÂduces 80 perÂcent of Spain’s table olives, and 25 perÂcent of the world’s total. In the meetÂing, repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives from the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers stressed the imporÂtance of the secÂtor on the econÂomy, with 20,000 farms engaged in culÂtiÂvaÂtion of table olives. 400 proÂcessÂing comÂpaÂnies in the region employ 8,500 peoÂple.
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