2. /
  3. Production

PRODUCTION

The production from olive trees of Siurana PDO is carried out through careful and very controlled cultivation with the aim of obtaining a high-quality harvest at the most ideal time, when the fruit boasts its best properties. The fruit is picked manually, directly from the tree, using the combing system with increasingly mechanized procedures in as far as conditions permit, using a vibration system or other systems that do not harm the fruit. The transport to the mill is carried out under conditions that safeguard the quality of the fruit, and the time elapsed until the olives are ground has to be less than 48 hours after collection to obtain the best extra virgin olive oil.

The territory covered by Siurana PDO includes various different types of production methods, which depend on the different techniques and products used in the cultivation.

Integrated farming

Integrated cultivation is an agricultural system for the production of foodstuffs that is based on applying a harmonious combination of biological, agronomic, chemical and biotechnological factors in order to optimise product quality and respect for human health and the environment.

Extra virgin olive oil bearing the mark of having been created through integrated production in Catalonia identifies quality extra virgin olive oils created using methods that respect health and the environment, thereby meeting the food Quality and Safety standards demanded by consumers.

>> Consell Català de la Producció Integrada (CCPI)

Ecological farming

In 1995 Siurana PDO was the first PDO in Catalonia to certify ecological extra virgin olive oil. This is oil that comes from olives grown without the use of fertilisers or pesticides that employ chemical synthesis (fungicides, insecticides and herbicides) and which does not have any trace of said substances; it only employs organic fertilisers and natural minerals, and it is important to handle the soil carefully. This is all ensured under the rules and control of the Catalonian Council for Ecological Production (CCPAE).

Thus, ecological extra virgin olive oil has a certified level of quality and, besides its health benefits, it also provides social and environmental benefits.

>> Meaning of the seals on ecological products

Intensive farming

This type of farming is production-driven. It can be traditional, integrated or ecological. The trees are usually young, no more than 40 years old, with irrigation and machinery for field work. The farms usually have between 200 and 600 trees per hectare and they produce between 8,000 and 10,000 kg per hectare.

Superintensive farming

This is the method that yields the highest amount of olives. It is usually integrated. The trees are between 12 and 14 years old and irrigation and machinery are used intensively. Density is between 1,000 and 2,000 trees per hectare and yield can be up 15,000 kg of olives per hectare.

News