Olive Growing
Orchard Management - Harvesting and Handling of Fruit
Table olives are picked separately and carefully by hand and placed in picking bags or buckets, while oil olives are usually stripped off the trees onto nets placed on the ground. Harvest date depends on the cultivar and the purpose for which the fruit is intended and normally stretches from February to July in the Western Cape. Fruit which is intended for green processing is picked at the stage when they have turned from bright green to yellow green and the first fruit show a light pink or purple blush.
Only that fruit which is of the required size is harvested while the rest are left for later picking. Those fruit intended for processing as ripe black table olives are picked when they have turned completely black, but before they become overripe and soften.
Oil olives are harvested when most of the fruit on the tree are ripe enough and then the entire tree is picked. The oil content rises initially with colouring and ripening, then remains relatively constant, but delay in harvest will result in lowered oil quality.
News Flash
News
Field day CD (DVD format) incorporating presentations from the last and also previous field days as well as a number of photos of technical interest on sale.
CD's can now also be ordered with new information.
Cost: R150 for non members, R100 members
(postage incl. South Africa only)
Contact The Secretariat at elouise@hortgro.co.za
Choosing SA Olive Oil With ConfidenceOver the past few years olive oil has become a key ingredient in every kitchen and vital to the success of every meal.
For more information on the olive industry, click here.
SAO summary, click here.
SAO results, click here.
SA Olive Award Function 2009
