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“Olive cultivation in Tuscany faces a challenge that can no longer be deferred: we need to significantly increase the olive oil production, while maintaining the high quality reached in recent years”.
These are the words of the Regione Toscana council member for agriculture Marco Remaschi, in his speech at the 4th Convegno Nazionale dell’Olivo e dell’Olio, held in Pisa by the universities of Pisa, the Sant’Anna High School and the Società di Ortoflorofrutticoltura Italiana.
Remaschi stressed the need to revive production: “We want to reverse the trends of recent years,” he said, “where many factors (especially climatic) have limited the potential of our oil on the market”.
He pointed out the priorities which should be concentrated on to optimise the whole production and supply chain: safe and local raw material, new olive cultivation systems with innovative growing methods, introduction of irrigation systems, proper mechanization in the field, appropriate transformation, logistics and marketing structures, marketing strategies (in Italy and abroad), support for organic farms, sharing of innovative methods, aggregation of micro-enterprises.
“Our short term goal- concluded Remaschi – is to restore confidence to the olive growers, especially the professional ones, to relaunch investments in new olive-growing facilities. By doing so we’ll be able to satisfy the” hunger for Tuscany “, which the markets show daily”.
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