Catamarca currently has 12 thousand hectares under cultivation, mostly for oil

On May 24, the National Olive Growing Day is celebrated, commemorating that, on this date, in the year 1591, the first Spanish settlement was established in the city of Aimogasta (La Rioja) where there is an olive tree declared a national historic tree. In the province of Catamarca, currently the surface area is around 12,000 hectares, concentrated in departments that make up the Central Valley (Capayán, Valle Viejo), Pomán and also Tinogasta and Andalgalá. The distribution by destination is in general 86% oil and 14% preserved.

At the beginning of that first Aimogasta olive tree, history also tells that it was from this tree that olive growing activity began its expansion in Argentina, Chile and Peru. For this reason, this tree is called the “Father of Olive Farming”, also declared a National Historical Monument in 1980. Olive farming plays a very important role in regional economies. According to FOA (Argentine Olive Oil Federation) there are currently 67,000 hectares planted throughout the country. 33,000 tons of olive oil and 76,000 tons of table olives are produced. The industry uses 75% of its olives to produce virgin and extra virgin olive oil.

The most important producing provinces are La Rioja, Mendoza, San Juan and Catamarca due to their cultivated area and production.

Another no less important fact, which speaks clearly of the importance of the industry for the economy, is that between 75 and 80% of the total oil produced by these provinces is destined for export. In addition, Argentine olive oil is recognized in the United States and in countries of the European Union as a high quality product.

At the same time, the regular presence of local companies in international competitions allowed the country to position itself in the world market. Argentina remains, according to the most prestigious rankings, in seventh place in the world in obtaining quality awards for extra virgin olive oil. And between first and second place in the southern hemisphere.

Catamarca

In the province of Catamarca, currently the surface area is around 12,000 hectares, concentrated in departments that make up the Central Valley (Capayán, Valle Viejo), Pomán and also Tinogasta and Andalgalá. The distribution by destination is generally 86% oil and 14% preserved.

INTA Catamarca, with the objective of technologically accompanying the consolidation of the sector, carries out innovation plans in relation to: obtaining varieties adapted to local conditions through its breeding program, the conservation of germplasm in a bank and collection with more of 100 materials, extension and transfer of irrigation technologies, studies for the modernization and mechanization of management in terms of the management system of intensive plantations, search for genetic material tolerant to diseases, characterization and enhancement of the quality of the oils local, quality improvement strategies based on the management of critical points in the process from harvesting to olive processing, obtaining and preserving oils. The bioeconomy approach is incorporated into this with the use of waste from the olive industry.