One hundred tons of olive oil more production will be produced this year compared to last year, in the Regional Unit of Trikala, according to estimates of the Directorate of Agricultural Economy, a development that shows in practice the dynamic involvement of Trikala residents in recent years with olive cultivation. Although the total production cannot be compared with other regions of the country, where it amounts to thousands of tonnes, it is nevertheless indicative of the shift of producers to the olive tree. In 2019, the production of olive oil amounted to 192 tons and the estimate of the competent Directorate of the Regional Council of Trikala will be 280-300 tons in 2020. In fact, according to data from the same Directorate, which sent to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food in 2019 the olive groves are developed in 12,940 acres, while in 2020 in 13,912 acres. Impressive are the figures of the increase of productive cultivated areas with olive groves in the prefecture of Trikala in the last two years, resulting in an increase in the production of not only table olives for fresh consumption, but mainly in the production of high quality olive oil, Alexander Papachatzis, professor of Horticulture at the University of Thessaly, stresses to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
According to him, it appears that on the one hand the search for a permanent, perennial, traditional, traditional, tree cultivation and on the other hand the «climate change» with warmer winters, pushed many farmers to turn to olive cultivation. According to the latest data from the «Horticulture & Soil Resources Laboratory, HORTLAB» of the University of Thessaly and its director, Professor of Horticulture, Dr. Alexandros Papachatzis, in a communication we had with him, recorded a rapid increase in cultivated - declared areas in the prefecture of Trikala as within a single year olive cultivation expanded by about 1,000 acres, according to the official statements of the growers.
This, of course, he explains, has resulted in a corresponding increase in the quantities that can be milled, which will increase by about 100 tonnes this year from almost 200 tonnes in 2019 to 280 to 300 tonnes.
High quality olive oil that, due to the varieties from which it comes from, such as mainly «Megareitiki» and secondarily «Conservolia» (or Amfissis or Pelion as it is called) since the latter is mainly used for the production of the well-known black (or brown) large table olives. For the production of the well-known «green» very large olives, the other variety cultivated in the prefecture is also used and is none other than the well-known «Halkidiki» (or Karydolia), which is the most resistant to the low temperatures observed in the area.
Apart from these varieties recorded by the Laboratory as being cultivated mainly in the areas of Chassia and Antichassia and in villages such as Platanos, Rizoma and Aura, the proposal of Professor of Horticulture, Dr. Alexandros Papachatzis is to plant varieties even more resistant to cold (low temperatures) such as the variety «Maronia», which is cultivated in the area of Komotini and gives olive oil of excellent - awarded worldwide quality, but also «Lefkolia Serron», the most resistant not only to low temperatures, but also to the breaking of its branches by snowfall, since it is «crested» (the branches hang down) and generally the branches are flexible under the weight of snow, without breaking, and they come back after the snow is removed.
Another revolutionary proposal of the professor is the cultivation of «Agrielia», since the Laboratory he runs evaluates various «clones» (we mean choices that are not genetically modified) that are resistant to low temperatures (Agrielieves are mainly found on the hills) and give excellent quality olive oil that can be sold for 60 to 70 euros per liter!
