The olive harvest from the 2023/24 harvest showed surprising results in the olive groves of the Prosperato olive oil brand from Rio Grande do Sul, located in the Costa Doce region, in Barra do Ribeiro and Sentinela do Sul, and in Campanha, in São Sepé and Caçapava do Sul. good results occurred despite the concern due to the frequent rains over the last year and the expectation of failure.
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Initially, the rains that occurred in September hindered the flowering of the olive trees. On the other hand, precipitation was also important for the formation of oil in the fruit, resulting in a better yield.
“The rains between November and December were beneficial and helped with olive lipogenesis, a process in which the water inside the fruit is transformed into oil. If the olive tree does not have enough water during this period, the fruits will be smaller, as will the amount of oil produced”, explains Rafael Marchetti, director of Prosperato.
Another positive point, in addition to the yield, is the quantity of fruit per olive tree. “The expectations after September were really discouraging. Some producers estimated a reduction of up to 90% at the beginning of the harvest and, despite not reaching the volumes of the previous year, the harvest is exceeding the prospects we had at the beginning. We noticed a reduction of around 30% in our olive groves, less than expected”, says Marchetti.
The brand’s new olive oils are expected to be launched at the beginning of May, but Prosperato has already created a waiting list for those interested in the new harvest’s products.
Olive oil prices on the domestic market have been on the rise since last year, between February 2023 and February 2024, the average prices for a bottle of extra virgin product, measuring 250 ml, rose 51.4%, while those for a bottle of 500 ml, increased by 43%.
*Under the guidance of Marcelo Beledeli
