After the winegrowers some time ago, it is the turn of the olive growers to draw the first outlines of their season report. If for them too the harvest had to face a very rainy climate, the fruit and the trees fared a little better.
In question, a more resistant product and more widely anchored in its territory.
2024 olive season: a short year
In Estézargues, at the Pierredon estatewe actually observe a “little year”. Nothing alarming though, because olive enthusiasts know, the product meets what we call the alternationmeaning that with rare deviations, one year out of two is always weaker for producers (a ratio between 40 and 50% less on average).
“What we see above all is that in the face of this exceptionally rainywe end up with a waterlogged product, heavier, but whose quality has not been particularly altered. We're doing a little less, but it's still OK. On my estate, I am even rather satisfied with the harvest, I should reach 12 or 13 liters per 100kg. In terms of aromas, few alterations, the quality is present“, comments Gilles GranierArea manager.
A “safer” product according to professionals
Furthermore, if the producer wants to be reassuring about the harvest itself, he also emphasizes the gap that is widening with its fellow wine growers around a national issue: consumption.
“For the moment, the olive is a slightly more sheltered product. PDO oil remains a pleasure, a more niche product, already expensive, on which we make a small margin. There is a stability there in the face of inflation that others do not have. Olives have been working on the land for hundreds of years“, comments the producer this time as president of the Syndicate of protected designations of origin olives and olive oil of Nîmes.
Finally, even with regard to the climatethe olive tree seems to have a head start. “Our trees are not afraid of becoming the new Andalusia, it would even benefit them as long as it does not burn. Climate change, although very real, will affect our production less than that of other fruits. Uzègein the Gard, the real question that must be asked is around the vines. How to revive wine consumption in a world less and less inclined to buy (inflation, difficult export with the United Stateslifestyle…)? And also, how can we adapt crops to this increasingly hot climate?”calls out the president, who also admits that he is forced to consider uprooting two of his hectares of vines to replace them with olive trees.
“Adapt, again and again. This is the key word of our profession”he concludes.
