Together with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, she has toured the mill guided by the owners of the facility, Cristòfol Rosselló, and its manager, Juan Alcaide.

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Marga Prohens visits Son Mesquidassa

The campaign of the DO Aceite de Mallorca already exceeds 2.5 million kilos of olives collected and more than 350,000 litres of oil produced.

The President of the Government, Marga Prohens, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, visited today the Son Mesquidassa olive mill in Felanitx, to see how the current olive harvesting campaign for the DO Oil of Mallorca is progressing. Together with the owners of the exploitation, Cristòfol Rosselló, and its manager, Juan Alcaide, they have made a tour of the facilities and have been able to assess the situation of the sector in a context in which the price of olive oil at the national level continues its upward trend.

Prohens explained that the data of this oil campaign already exceeded 2.5 million kilos of olives collected and more than 350,000 litres of oil with the designation of origin produced: “We are facing a clear example, if not the best, of a living primary sector, which we want to accompany and support because it is key to our islands”. For this reason, the president of the Government has indicated, that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment will have a budget of 152 million next year, 24 million more than in 2023, 18.7% more. “We bet for the primary sector, for our countryside, for our farmers and producers and for the local product,” said Prohens.

The president of the executive has stressed that the primary sector “is not for us a decoration, but it is an economic sector, which we want to make profitable.” Prohens has insisted on the fact that, despite the difficulties of this sector, especially those linked to insularity, “the product of proximity and quality that is produced in the Balearic Islands is a guarantee of success, and one of the best proof of this is the oil”.

“The countryside, the agricultural sector and products such as oil are a sign of identity of the islands, which connect us with our roots, with our way of being and with our history, which is a heritage that we have to preserve,” said the president of the Government.

For his part, Simonet emphasized that “the oil of the DO Aceite de Mallorca is a high quality and differentiated local product that, in addition, has not suffered the price increases that other oils have had. Therefore, at this time, buying Mallorcan oil is an excellent opportunity for the consumer, as it consumes a more sustainable product and at the same time helps in the fight against climate change”. The counsellor added that “we can already say that this vintage is very good both in quantity and quality”.

The visit was also attended by the mayoress of Felanitx, Catalina Soler; the general director of Agrifood Quality and Local Product of the Government, Joan Llabrés; the president of the Regulatory Council of the DO Aceite de Mallorca, Joan Mayol, and a representation of the producers registered in the DO. During the meeting, the provisional data of olive harvest and oil production of the current campaign were given, which reflects an increase in production. Although it has not yet finished, 2,684,408 kilos of olive have been collected so far, 51% more than the same period last year. In addition, and according to data from the DO Aceite de Mallorca, 359,062 litres of extra virgin olive oil have already been produced.

Regarding the number of producers, the DO Aceite de Mallorca has a total of 1,122, 3% more than the 2022-2023 campaign. The cultivated area has also increased by 4.94% more than the previous campaign and there are currently 4,329.8 hectares of olive groves destined for DO de Mallorca oil, 203.5 hectares more than in 2022. The number of olive trees, therefore, has also increased with respect to 2022 by 3.02%. At present, there are 857,501 olive trees.