The olive grove campaign for organic oil has ended with prices higher than 33% of those settled in the mills for conventional oil.
According to data from the Almazara San Cristóbal de La Cañada (Alicante), one of the first cooperatives in the province to obtain the certificate from the Committee of Ecological Agriculture of the Valencian Community (CAECV), and one of the main producers of organic olive oil of the Valencian Community, the prices paid to its members have ranged between € 2.50 / kg and € 2.90 / kg for conventional oil, and € 3.40 / kg and € 3.80 / kg for organic, with an increase in prices throughout the campaign.
“We are talking about an average of 33% more for producing by the organic method, which means that in addition to obtaining higher income and profitability as farmers for doing organic farming, we produce more sustainable products and take care of the environment,” explained the president of the Ecological Agriculture Committee of the Valencian Community (CAECV), José Antonio Rico.
A corp in constant evolution and higly recognized in the markets
In recent years, the increase in the area dedicated to the cultivation of olive groves for certified organic oil has not stopped growing, until it has become one of the productions with the largest certified area in the entire Valencian Community, with more than 5,600 hectares and a production close to 5,000 tons. From 2015 to 2020, the certified area has increased by 47%, while organic production has done so by 20.1%.
The main producing areas of certified organic olive groves are located in Alto Vinalopó, in the province of Alicante, and in Baix Maestrat (Castelló), followed by Utiel -Requena, El Comtat, L’Alcoià, La Vall d’Albaida or The Canal de Navarrés, although with less production capacity.
For the president of the CAECV, “we are talking about areas in the interior of the Valencian Community, so we can affirm that this type of agriculture is favoring activity in disadvantaged rural areas, helping to establish population and economically revitalize these regions.” The organic extra virgin olive oils of the Valencian Community have a great acceptance in the markets due to their excellent quality and their innovative capacity. In recent years, in addition to having been part of the main reference guides in the world olive sector, they have garnered a large number of national and international recognitions in competitions such as the Olive Oil Competition in Japan, ESAO Awards (Germany), Olive Oil Award Biofach , New York Olive Oil Competition, among others.
