Olive-oil mills in Merambello
The operation of the olive oil mills in the area of Merambello, with emphasis on the Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative, combines tradition with technology, offering high quality products to consumers.
Kritsa Olive Oil Mill: One of the best known and oldest cooperative olive oil mills in Crete, it is famous for the production of extra virgin olive oil with low acidity and the strict adherence to quality standards.
Facade of the Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative olive oil mill
[https://www.sedik.gr/arxeio-elaioneon/2024/5588-dimoprasia-elaioladou-a-s-kritsas]
The Kritsa Agricultural Olive Cooperative was founded in 1927. Today, after the absorption of two neighboring cooperatives, it has approximately 1,350 members who take care of over 300,000 olive trees in the wider area of Kritsa, Lakonia and Prina. The constant and unwavering goal of the joint effort of the members of the Cooperative is the production of one of the best olive oils in the world. The Cooperative’s olive mill successfully implements the system of joint olive grinding. The olives collected by the producers are collected at the collection stations in Kritsa, Lakonia and Prina and are processed on the same day after being picked. In this way, approximately 950,000 kilograms of excellent quality olive oil are produced annually, which, in its entirety, belongs to the higher quality category of “extra virgin” with an acidity almost always less than 0.3.
[Agricultural Cooperative of Kritsa, https://kritsacoop.gr/]
Historical photo from the founding of the Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative
[Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative, https://kritsacoop.gr/]
The Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative has a modern processing plant with the ability to process in various packaging. The olive oil mill and the processing plant have been certified according to the international standards FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, ISO 22005 and ISO 9001, ensuring the quality and safety of the olive oil produced. The Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative is a company certified for the production, packaging and marketing of PGI Kritsa olive oil. The modern facilities of the olive oil mill with centrifugal machines, with a capacity of 10,000 kg of olives per hour, are located in the settlement of Kritsa. The olive oil produced is stored in stainless steel tanks with a total capacity of approximately 700 tons until it is processed. The Cooperative’s modern olive oil bottling plant has the ability to standardize in a wide range of packaging. The Cooperative’s olive mill and bottling plant have been certified according to the international standards FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, ISO 22005 and ISO 9001. For the olive pressing practices and the olive oil distribution practices implemented by the Kritsa Agricultural Olive Cooperative, it has been awarded by SEDIK with the “Golden Minoan Olive” and the Silver Minoan Olive.
[Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative, https://kritsacoop.gr/]
International Olive Oil Competition 2021
[Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative, https://kritsacoop.gr/]
The Kritsa cooperative participates in the research project entitled “Information System for Monitoring and Managing Inputs, Decision Support and Strategic Planning in Olive Cultivation – OliveGROW” and Project Code TAEDK-06180. The OliveGROW project proceeds with the development of a reliable and user-friendly Information System that incorporates principles and methods of precision agriculture, taking advantage of the valuable tools provided by today’s technology, with the aim of qualitatively and quantitatively upgrading olive crops. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the information system, the temporally and spatially changing needs of olive cultivation are taken into account and the impacts of a series of factors that potentially affect the quality and quantity of the produced fruits and olive oil are evaluated. Additionally, within the framework of the project, a precision irrigation model is being developed with specialization in olive. Olive producers, upon completion of this project, will have at their disposal tangible results regarding the best methods for maximizing their production as well as the rational management of the crop.
[Agricultural Cooperative of Kritsa, https://kritsacoop.gr/olivegrow/]
Images from the Kritsa Agricultural Cooperative
[The Kritsa olive oil mill in full operation, November 22, 2014, Leonidas Klontzas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voNDKmOruo0]
Also, the oLIVE CLIMA project (LIFE11 ENV/GR/942 oLIVE-CLIMA) focused on the implementation of environmentally friendly cultivation practices in olive growing with the aim of transforming it into a tool for addressing/managing climate change. The contribution to limiting climate change and adapting to new climatic conditions was made through: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from olive cultivation and the increase in the sequestration of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in the plants and soil of the olive grove. The application was made in olive groves of producers in Heraklion Prefecture (EAS Pezon), Lassithi Prefecture (Enosis Agrotikon Synetairismon, EAS Merambellou) and Messinia Prefecture (AS Nileas), in a large number (40) of olive groves per region in irrigated and dryland conditions. The effectiveness of the proposed practices in reversing climate change, their impact on fruit and olive oil production and their applicability in technical and economic terms is evaluated through a sampling and measurement program as well as with special mathematical models over a 5-year period, compared to conventionally managed olive groves.
[Implementation of new cultivation practices in olive farming with the aim of limiting climate change and adapting to new climatic conditions, https://oliveclima.eu/]
The olive oil mills of the areas of Latsida, Fourni, Kritsa, Krousta, Kalo Chorio and Elounda are shareholders in the Cooperative Society of Merambello Union, which is active in the processing, standardization and marketing of olive oil in the wider area of Lassithi. All the mentioned olive oil mills collaborate with the Cooperative Society of Merambello Union, ensuring high quality standards in olive oil production and strengthening the local agricultural economy. This collaboration between cooperatives, individuals and local producers strengthens the production and promotion of Merambello olive oil, ensuring high quality and export of the product at an international level.
Fourni Olive Oil Mill: It has modern facilities and applies cold pressing techniques to maintain the quality of the olive oil.
Elounda Olive Oil Mill: Takes advantage of its special location near the sea to produce olive oil with special organoleptic characteristics.
Kalo Chorio Olive Oil Mill: Specializes in the production of certified olive oil and applies ISO standards for the safety and quality of the product.
Latsida Olive Oil Mill: One of the smaller olive oil mills in the area, serving local producers and emphasizing the traditional pressing method.
Krousta Olive Oil Mill: Based on the cooperation of local producers and using modern centrifugal machines for the oil extraction process.
[Merambello Association, https://www.easm.gr/index.php?sel=enosi&article_id=32]
[Cooperative Society of Merambello Union, https://www.easm.gr/]
The Cooperative Society of Merambello Union (E.A.S.) of Meramvello has its own organoleptic olive oil laboratory, fully equipped, with the appropriate specifications. accredited by the National Accreditation System – E.S.Y.D. (certification number 655). The laboratory undertakes the examination of olive oil samples and the issuance of the corresponding test reports, to any producer/company that wishes. The need to create the organoleptic laboratory was created by the fact that in Greece there are only 2 recognized laboratories, while now (based on Reg. 2568/91), in addition to chemical analyses, the organoleptic evaluation of an olive oil is also necessary, in order to determine the category to which it belongs (extra virgin, virgin, lampante). The evaluation panel consists of a 12-member group of tasters, who have many years of experience in the olive oil sector, and who have received three years of training on the International Olive Council method for the organoleptic evaluation of virgin olive oil.
[Merambello Association, https://www.easm.gr/index.php?sel=drastiriotites&article_id=38]
Modern, olive-oil storage tanks
[ASSOCIATION OF OLIVE GROWING MUNICIPALITIES OF CRETE, https://sedik.gr/arxeio-elaioneon/archéio-elaioneion-2013/488-488-title]
In addition to the above oil mills, there are other cooperatives in the area of Merambello, such as the Vryssos Cooperative and the Vrachasi Cooperative, which are actively involved in the production of olive oil and supporting the local economy. In addition, there are also private individuals in the area who maintain oil mills, continuing the tradition and offering quality products to the market.