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Olive oil production in the province of Lecce

Data on Olive Oil Production in the Province of Lecce and Salento

The province of Lecce belongs to a unique geographical area of Puglia, where the Tavoliere di Lecce and the Salentine Hills can be distinguished. From an altimetric perspective, the entire province is classified as “plain,” and the agricultural lands formed in the province can be attributed to three fundamental types: red soils, brown soils, and soils derived from Lecce stone. The area where Puglia Olive Oil is produced is devoid of surface watercourses, a lack partially compensated for by the presence of basins, caves, and grottos that absorb rainwater, which in turn feeds a complex underground water network due to the highly karstic terrain, though insufficient to meet all needs.

Olive trees for oil in Puglia exceed 9,500,000; traditional olive groves on rocky and very poor land, without irrigation, alternate with regal, irrigated olive groves capable of producing up to 300 quintals of olives per hectare.

The predominant varieties for Puglia olive oil production are Cellina of Nardò (53.3%) and Ogliarola (41.1%), with the remaining 3.6% consisting of recently introduced varieties. Recent plantings cover approximately 9,000 hectares, of which 3,000 are of new varieties compared to the centuries-old presence of Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola. The spacing of traditional olive groves is around 12 x 12 meters, while intensive orchards can reach 7 x 3.5 meters. The cultivation is specialized and is typically done rain-fed, considering that less than 20% of the olive-producing area is irrigated.

The production of olives in brine is limited, as oil is the primary product; the average production of olives per tree is around 45 kg, with an oil yield of about 18%. Most olive groves are trained to grow full-sized, with erect growth habits and large forms, not only due to varietal tendencies but also because, in the past, there was a quest to obtain large quantities of wood from the olive tree, especially before the advent of gas in canisters.

Among the mentioned varieties, Ogliarola is gentler, less resistant to adverse weather conditions, waterlogging, and diseases; it has found its ideal environment mainly in the area from Capo di Leuca to the outskirts of Scorrano, where it is cultivated on rocky soils, providing a relatively consistent product and high oil yield (up to 25%). Cellina, being more rustic, characterizes the “Campo Verde,” the magnificent alluvial plain between Ruffano, Supersano, Collepasso, Noha, Cutrofiano, Scorrano, Carmiano, and Nardò, where it thrives in deep, often moist soils, achieving gigantic proportions and producing truly high quantities of Puglia olives, although often with low oil yield.

The olive-growing businesses, according to the latest agricultural census data, number 56,624.

The economic importance of Puglia’s olive cultivation is significant. Over 75,000 agricultural producers operate in the sector, and about 358 olive oil mills are activated, with labor absorbed in the cultivation and processing phases of olives ranging from 2 to 3 million working days. The Province of Lecce produces 30-40% of Puglia’s oil and 8-10% of the national production. The olive-to-oil transformation industry for the 1999/2000 campaign comprises 358 milling establishments, of which 103 (29%) are cooperative oil mills, while 255 (71%) are private mills, many of which are associated with agricultural companies. The transformation industries processed 490,299 tons of olives and produced 89,276 tons of oil. The types of facilities present in the province are primarily two: traditional (pressure) and modern (continuous).

BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

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The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

FREE ORDER

The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy