30,000 Crates Distributed to Olive Producers in Izmir
· Tarım Pusulası
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is delivering 30,000 plastic crates to producers to prevent post-harvest product losses and reduce the acidity rate in olive oil.
Comprehensive Crate Distribution in Izmir
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has launched a comprehensive material support initiative for producers to prevent harvest-time yield and quality losses in olives. Within the scope of the application, which started in the Menemen and Menderes districts, a total of 30,000 olive crates are being delivered to farmers across the city. To support joint production and marketing activities, 500 large crates with a carrying capacity of half a ton are being allocated to cooperatives. Officials from the Department of Agricultural Services emphasize that this step completes the chain following previous support for Bordeaux mixture, harvest covers, and DAP fertilizer against the olive fruit fly.
Post-Harvest Quality and Ventilation
In traditional harvesting methods, olives packed into sacks face the risk of heating and crushing due to lack of air circulation and stacking. Agricultural Engineer Berk Ünal from the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Department of Agricultural Services, in his technical assessments, pointed out that physical damage, accelerated fermentation, and oxidation in products transported in sacks increase the acidity rate in olive oil. Stating that the crates provide air circulation, Berk Ünal explained the purpose of the logistical support with the following words:
"As the Department of Agricultural Services, we aim to prevent yield losses and increase the quality of Izmir's olives and olive oil with the crates we distribute."
Market Assurance for Table Olives
Ali Rıza Ercan, the Headman of Buruncuk Neighborhood in Menemen and a producer for 18 years, shared the importance of the approximately 15 crates, each with a capacity of about 25 kilograms, delivered by the municipality during the transportation process. Ercan stated that the Trilye variety olives, widely grown in the region, are presented to the table olive market as whole fruits, and that the crushed olives in sacks lose their table quality, leading buyers to classify them as oil olives and reduce prices to the detriment of the producer. He noted that thanks to crate transportation, the products can be stored for 3 to 5 days without damage, and that the distribution protects producer income.
Waiting Period for Oil Olives
In Çatalca Neighborhood of Menderes, where approximately 90 percent of the population earns a living from olive cultivation, crate distribution has also eased the work of producers. Neighborhood Headman Süleyman Üstüngüler noted that farmers need to reach a batch size of at least 400-500 kilograms to press their olives under their own name, and that waiting for this period in sacks leads to spoilage. Referring to the durability provided by the crates, Menderes Çatalca Neighborhood Headman Süleyman Üstüngüler expressed the benefits of the application with the following words:
"Olives placed in crates can remain healthy for a longer period. Thus, our citizens can take their product for pressing within a week and obtain their own oil. This support is truly very beneficial for our villagers."
| Value | Measure |
|---|---|
| 30000 units | Total olive crates to be distributed to producers |
| 500 units | Number of large crates to be given to cooperatives |
| 0.5 tonnes | Capacity of cooperative crates |
| 25 kg | Capacity of standard crate for olives |
| 90% | Percentage of the population in Çatalca Neighborhood engaged in olive cultivation |
| 400 kg | Minimum amount of olives required for pressing |