November 19, 2024.—With a total of 21,000 liters, the shortfall is nearly 80% compared to the previous year. Of the EVOOs produced—Lágrima and Vivarium—only the former will be available for sale.
The Viver Cooperative has concluded the 2024 olive oil season with a significantly lower yield due to a lack of rain during critical periods for fruit set and heavy rainfall during the harvest. In total, approximately 21,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) were produced from 166,869 kg of olives, making this season the second-worst olive oil harvest in the cooperative’s recent history. This decline is nearly 80% compared to the previous season, which was already a modest one with 121,140 liters of oil produced, and is sadly comparable to the catastrophic 2022 season, when the cooperative lost 90% of its usual average production, which exceeds one million kilograms.
Very limited oil production
Due to the scarcity of available olives and the low yield of the fruit, the Viver Cooperative has decided to focus its efforts on producing only two of its oils: the premium EVOO Lágrima and Vivarium. Neither Vivarium Green nor Ohsade Eco will be produced this season, as the limited quantities harvested make their production unfeasible. Furthermore, with only 13,000 liters of Vivarium produced—far below the 76,545 liters from 2023 and even further below the more than 100,000 and even 200,000 liters produced in bumper years— this oil will not be available for sale to the public and will be allocated entirely to producer members, who have been given priority for consumption following several consecutive years of limited harvests. Meanwhile, Lágrima’s production has remained at around 8,000 liters, compared to the more than 30,000 liters it could produce. Approximately half of this volume will be allocated to professional clients in the hospitality industry and retail outlets, and the rest will go on sale on November 20 in half-liter bottles and on November 27 in 2.5-liter and 0.25-liter cans, while supplies last. To meet the entire demand, the Viver Cooperative offers an extra virgin olive oil produced by other cooperatives and marketed under the Benabal brand, available both at its farm store and on its website, as well as at the Charter supermarkets in Viver, Altura, Almenara, and Mora de Rubielos, as well as at the Tiendicas stores in Pina and Matet.
Commitment to Quality and the Local Community
The current situation highlights the growing vulnerability of the agricultural sector. The lack of rainfall at critical stages of olive tree growth and the heavy fall rains have negatively affected both the quantity and the yield of the harvest. Despite the difficulties, the Cooperativa de Viver reaffirms its commitment to producing high-quality olive oils and to its efforts to revitalize the Alto Palancia region. “Our priority remains offering an excellent product to our customers, even though this year we may not be able to match the quantities of previous harvests,” the cooperative stated.
