rosstoward

Just I have just weighed the majority of my olives in and so far got 225kg delivered to Agroblan in Ibi. I have calculated my approx income from the from the % press (23%) and I have produced 51 litres so far. Now Agroblan pay 60c a litre = 30 Euros.

Is this about the going rate, if so the olive trees are worth more in wood and replaced with almonds and chilli grow beds.

How the hell does anyone with a small farm who can't afford their own press make money on olives?

Rant over, off to sharpen my axe

Senor Chilli

angiescarr

Is this your first year? I can't say because I only have one fairly young tree (about 7 or 8 years in my garden from a baby tree) My tree gives a different yield on different years. Year before last I got about 5 kilos. Then last year only about 2. This year there must have been at least 10 kilos that we picked and maybe another 10-15 left on the tree. it was a really heavy crop for a fairly small tree. Maybe you just had a 'mean' year? Or maybe you don't have very many or very healthy trees?

snikpoh

The rate you're being offered is about right. Because of that, we tend to take our 'bounty' as oil and then either give any excess to friends or family.


How can you say that - how many trees does he have?

rosstoward

The amount of trees is of no significance, I'm talking about the price per litre / kilo, But I have about 18 mature trees, getting 40kg off the biggest.

I have also 10 immature trees, I think I will remove as they won't be on the house deeds and replace with almonds / hazelnuts / Persimmon, stuff I will get more use out of.

Overall I should end up with 40 euros from the 18 mature trees, I will see if oil is an option and just take that. We use about 2 litres a month so maybe my oil consumption for the year will be addressed.

Will defo make some room for some nice big chilli bushes in the semi shades of the remainder trees, I think these position will provided optimal growth conditions.

Now I know the olives are really worth ef all, I can develop the plot how I see fit and use the land for better use.

I suppose I just didn't now if Agroblan were knicknamed Dick Turpin.

Thanks for your reply Hopkins, (CBA to spell it backwards)

Senor Chilli

olivefarmer

Some observations

This year is generally a bad harvest due to the warmth in late Spring among other reasons therefore the amount paid out is going to be higher than last year. My tip for anyone is buy some oil now! No point in stockpiling as it has a limited shelf life.

Payout varies from co op to mill.

The amount of oil produced depends on harvesting at the right time. I know someone who harvested 225 trees to early to their detriment.

Olive farming only provides a living if you have a large number of trees. 500 or more. But then you start needing machinery.

My mature trees in an average year produce about 80Kg each.

Have you also had to pod out for fertiliser, liquido for tree spraying and liquido for weed control?

Look on the bright side - you have your own olive oil of known provenance unlike the unregulated stuff from North Africa the EU is allowing to be sold . Or the legal Italian olive oil that is mostly Spanish and relabelled after mixing.

rosstoward

Hi Olivefarmer,

This is my first year of taking over the property, the trees are in general bad state, but healthy, so they will get a good trim in the spring and hopefully the crop will increase.

I have spent nothing on fertiliser, only weed killer. A local guy has offered to plough the land for 50E (nice of him )

I can make better use of the land and make it "nicer" by removing the immatures that don't yet crop, maybe 4 years old and replacing with food stuffs we will use...

Am thinking of also building some bed into the orchard as the trees are well spaced for some land planting too.

olivefarmer

Hi, I remember your pruning thread.

I think you would be right to use your land productively for what you want especially if you have irrigation water. You might also consider asparagus under some of the trees. They don't come through till Spring. People also grow broad beans around here without irrigation in their groves away from view. They do really well here.

Just because trees are on the escritura(?) doesn't mean you can't rip them all out. I would keep the productive ones and grub the others out. Unless you have another larger plot with olives ,I don't think you would qualify for any EU subsidies.

Fertiliser. Ideally you would have access to animal manure but there isn't much around. Bought fertiliser from a co op (as a member) is a fraction of the price of the very same product in say a garden centre. maybe you could find another person in the area to buy some off at cost ?

Ploughing. Don't know the area but 50 euros once off to break what might be a panned surface doesn't sound too bad. The trick is to be able to do something for him that saves him time. He might then do your tilling for free when he is finished on his own.

angiescarr

Sounds like a good plan. Snikpoh please don't turn on me for asking pertinent questions not making statements of fact! I asked if he had only a small number of trees which, it seems he has. Obviously there's a point below which it's not viable to try to sell the olives. I have only one tree so I just make preserved olives and tapenade. This year I'm trying dry salt cure too.

Grebo

Thanks for the info Ross, didn't know the rate was so low.
I agree they aren't worth the trouble.
We just pick them so that they don't make so much mess really

Suzi

spainrico

I was in Torrox, Malaga last autumn and there many olive tress have been dug up and replaced with mango trees. Sign of the times?

olivefarmer

Funny up our way people are grubbing out asparagus and planting more olive trees despite the per hecatre return being higher on asparagus(and harder work). Economy of scale? Grants? maybe there is an EU grant for mangoes !

rosstoward

Thanks for all the info, taking the row of immature trees out, this wont effect my yield for next year, but the reminders are getting a good pruning in march and plant nuts trees. Leroy Merlin of all places has the cheapest nut trees I can find!

Got some awesome compost today for starting my seeds, its labelled "Cannabis mix" and has the same perfect ingrediants needed for chillies.

angiescarr

Nice! Almond trees are pretty too. Take a few years to become productive but really fresh almonds are lovely! I didn't realise it but if you get them really fresh from their outer shells when they open, it's not only easier to take the inner shells off but you can also peel the brown skins off really easily.

Grebo

Careful if your planting walnuts ? They contain "juglone" which can kill off other plants if they are to close.

Suzi

snikpoh

Wow, I didn´t know that. We inherrited a field with about 400 walnut trees in. I´m gradually getting rid of them as I am alergic to nuts and no one else seems to want them.

I´ve inter-planted with fruit trees but will look out for their condition given what you´ve said.