Farming cooperatives in Granada calculate that olive production has dropped by 80,000,000 kilos in the province.

The rains back in March raised the hopes of farmers, thinking that more would follow in the spring, but it didn’t. During March and April the total rainfall was 300 litres per square metre whereas the average for that period is around 600L per sq/m.

Then on the 23 of August the water reserves in the province’s reservoirs were calculated as down to 383 hectometres.

This drop in olive production represents a los of 250-million euros with respect to previous years, according to the Chairman of the Cooperativas Agroalimentarias de Granada, Gustavo Ródenas.

This loss is shared by the 40,000 families in the olive-growing sector,

Where water shortages for crop irrigation is most felt is in the areas of Salar, Loja, Alhama, Montefrío and Íllora.

Editorial note: the ratio of litres of oil per kilo of olives is five kilos per one litre, so those 80-million kilos represent 16-million litres of olive oil. More kilos of olives are needed to produce an equal amount of oil as the refining quality increases; i.e., Virgen Extra.

(News: Granada, Andalucia)