The Provincial Technical Agricultural Institute (ITAP) of the Diputación de Albacete will hold this Thursday, November 12, in Tobarra, a technical session titled "The future of olive groves in the Campos de Hellín district. Tradition, profitability, sustainability and quality," aimed at agricultural professionals, producers, technical staff, and anyone interested in learning about the prospects of one of the most emblematic crops in the area.
The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Old Franciscan Convent of San José de Tobarra and will bring together specialists in olive growing, quality of extra virgin olive oil (AOVE), varietal improvement, cultivation systems, and commercialization strategies.
Throughout the morning, the transformations that olive groves are undergoing will be analyzed, both due to the introduction of new varieties and the coexistence of traditional plantings with intensive and superintensive models, as well as the technical and economic decisions that these trends force farms to make.
The latest data place the area of olive groves in Spain at around 2.87 million hectares. In Castilla-La Mancha, about 474,000 hectares are reached, already surpassing the vineyard, which historically had been the crop with the largest extent in the region, according to what the Diputación has stated in a press release.
In the province of Albacete, olive groves add up to about 40,950 hectares, of which around one quarter belong to irrigated farms.
This growth scenario coincides with a profound change in production systems and in the varietal map, which makes it necessary to consider aspects such as agronomic adaptation, yield, oil quality, handling costs, and sales possibilities.
The Campos de Hellín district, where the olive tree has a long track record and a prominent role in the agricultural landscape, thus becomes the chosen setting for this technical exchange and experience session.
Program of the session
The program will start at 9:30 a.m. with an institutional welcome in which the participation of the mayor of Tobarra, Estefanía Escribano is planned; the provincial delegate for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Ramón Sáez; the head of PAC and agricultural aid at Globalcaja, Rafael Mendoza; and the managing director of the ITAP and provincial councilor, José Antonio Gómez.
At 10:00 a.m., Fernando Mañas, in charge of the Research and Advisory Service in Woody Crops (SIAL) of the ITAP, will give the technical introduction to the event.
Subsequently, Ramón Pulgar, an oilologist and expert in olive cultivation, will address the factors that determine the quality of extra virgin olive oil, and Rafael Mendoza will present "Globalcampo", a decision-support tool. Next, Vicent Vila, from Agromillora, will explain the new varieties and the key points for managing the olive groves of the future.
For their part, Felipe Perpiñán and José Garijo, from the Provincial Delegation of Agriculture, will delve into the future and the particularities of traditional varieties.
The conference block will close with the intervention of Nuria Villanueva, from Cooperativas Agroalimentarias, focused on the challenges faced by the olive oil producing sector during the 26/27 campaign, with special attention to marketing and the new quality requirements.
Visit to the experimental site and closing
One of the practical sections will be the visit to the olive variety experimentation field located in Mora de Santa Quiteria. This space is part of a trial driven by the Research and Advisory Service in Woody Crops of the ITAP to analyze the behavior of different varieties and generate useful technical information so that farmers can plan their plantings.
At this farm, varieties adapted to hedgerow cultivation are tested, such as Arbequina, Arbosana, Coriana, Lecciana or Oliana, along with other traditional ones such as Cuquillo, Gordal de Hellín or Picual.
During the visit, attendees will be able to directly observe the characteristics of each variety and discuss their agronomic particularities with the participating technical team and with Fernando Mañas, a technician from the ITAP.
This second part will make it possible to take the topics covered in the presentations to the field and to learn first-hand about the lines of varietal experimentation that are being developed in this area.
Those who wish to attend may formalize their registration through the Provincial Technical Agronomic Institute (ITAP), by calling 967 190 090, or through the online registration option included in the event program.
The initiative is promoted by the ITAP, the Diputación de Albacete and the JCCM, with the collaboration of Cooperativas Agroalimentarias, the Ayuntamiento de Tobarra and Agromillora, and has the sponsorship of Globalcaja.