Less olives, but a quality harvest

Reporting on the 2009-2010 olive harvest of last year on Majorca, Mateu who runs the company with her cousin Cati Mateu, said that “there were 1'200 tonnes harvested from which 204'000 litres of olive oil were produced.” She added that although the volume of crop harvested this year will be less, “the olives will give a better yield and flavour.” Mateu, her cousin, and other Board members were speaking at the official start of this year's olive harvest which was attended by around 200 people yesterday. As is the case each year at the outset of the harvest, there were traditional songs and celebrations paying tribute to the fruit of the olive trees. Yesterday's picking session finished with a great feast held in the old church of Caimari, hosted by mayor Pere Segui.

Quality product
The “Oli Caimari” company is part of the trade association which monitors the quality of olive oil produced on Majorca. Similar bodies govern the standards of wine with original trademark produced in grape growing areas such as Binissalem. The importance of olive oil to the region has recently shifted up a gear through its being marketed as a typical quality product along with other food items such as the Majorcan sausage, sobrassada and the ensaïmada pastry.

Street fairs and agricultural festivals promote such goods as being representative of Majorcan products which are manufactured without damage to the environment.