Despite drought, Croatia enjoys fruitful olive harvest

Published Nov 14, 2022

Tridge summary

Croatian olive growers have experienced a successful harvest season despite the challenges of drought and high temperatures, with some areas seeing record yields. Edi Druzetić, an agronomist in western Istria, expects a 30,000-liter production, more than double last year's average. However, the high yields do not necessarily indicate better oil quality, as the lack of moisture has led to a higher concentration of phenolic compounds but diminished aromas. Experts suggest that irrigation during the early part of the year and sufficient water in late spring and early summer can help reduce uneven annual yields and promote higher yields and quality. They stress the importance of irrigating olive groves, as without it, olive cultivation is not sustainable.

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Original content

Croatian olive growers are rubbing their hands together in satisfaction. Except for the islands of Hvar and Vis, the harvest across the rest of the country was better than expected. The bumper harvest comes despite the challenges of prolonged drought and scorching summer temperatures. “The drought started at the end of spring,” said Edi Druzetić, a well-known local agronomist. “Fortunately, fertilization was good, so the branches are full of fruits. They are smaller than usual, and they ripen more slowly, but the fruits are healthy since there were no diseases or pests due to the high temperatures.” For more than 40 years, Druzetić has been professionally and passionately engaged in olive growing. As part of the Agroprodukt company, he takes care of 12,000 olive trees, mainly the domestic Buža, Istarska bjelica, Rosinjola and Rosulja varieties, on 45 hectares in western Istria. The harvest began a little later this year and is still going on, especially insouthern Istria, where ...

Source: Olive Oil Times