The 11th Olive Harvest took place this Thursday (9) at the headquarters of Biome Pampa, in Encruzilhada do Sul (RS). Authorities, producers and the general public gathered to celebrate a growing market in Brazil. The expectation is that at least 500 thousand liters of olive oil will be produced this year.
In his speech, the president of the Brazilian Institute of Olive Culture (Ibraoliva), Renato Fernandes, celebrated the results of olive growing. “The satisfactory production indicators in recent years, resulting from a collective sum of efforts, are material proof of this. At the top of the pyramid, as the main actors in this scenario, we are producers who are dedicated, who are permanently qualified and who spare no effort to produce a very high quality oil, with labels that have been winning important awards around the world. There are already more than 400, ”he noted.
The leader also mentioned, as sector achievements, the implementation of the Ibraoliva Origin and Quality Award seal, an initiative of the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation, with the support of Ibraoliva, which highlights producers who are concerned with quality. “But, above all, in protecting the consumer in the face of this constant hard fight against the counterfeiting of extra virgin olive oil”, emphasized Renato Fernandes.
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, said that the celebration of the beginning of the harvest is a celebration of overcoming challenges, obstacles and conquests, the progress made in olive growing with all its results.
“I would just like to add and highlight that, in addition to everything, in addition to what agricultural production means in terms of processing, industrialization, what this means in terms of employment and economic impact for the State, there is an aspect in olive growing and in the production of olive oils extra virgins, an additional aspect, an additional impact, which is what we are seeing here,” he said.
Currently in Rio Grande do Sul there are 321 producers of extra virgin olive oil. The State has 6 thousand hectares of planted area, 4 thousand hectares of which are already productive and olive oil production represents 80% of the national scenario.
