For the first time a Neuquén enterprise produces extra virgin olive oil. The company that is the protagonist of this unprecedented event has an "ultra-intensive plantation" of 40 hectares and estimates that it will add up to 85 hectares. The Olivares de Neuquén enterprise, located in the town of Añelo, produced 3,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil. This unknown event in Neuquén benefits the productive reconversion carried out by the government of the province.

The estate, which has about 40 hectares of arbequina and arbosana plantations, was visited last year by Governor Jorge Sapag and the Minister of Territorial Development, Leandro Bertoya, who supported and highlighted private investment in the province as well as the productive reconversion that generates in Neuquén.

Giulio Retamal, vice president of RJ Ingeniería, who is in charge of the entrepreneurship Olivares de Neuquén expressed that "for the first time extra virgin oil is produced in the province with an ultra-intensive plantation of 1800 plants per hectare". "This advanced technique and the most important in the world, is unique in Argentina.  This method is developed in Spain, Chile and other countries, "he added.

He also said that both the olive groves and the oil are harvested and produced in Neuquén. In this regard, he reported that "if we had harvested it in Añelo and moved to another place and the time that passes from the harvest to production would lead us to have a lower quality oil and it would not be extra virgin".

As for the amount of liters extracted, he assured that this year it is estimated that they will extract "about 3 thousand liters depending on the youth of the plants, which are between two and three years old, and their maximum production capacity is going to be getting around five years old. "

The commercialization of these first liters of extra virgin oil will be exhibited in the gondolas of regional chain supermarkets under the name 'Los Cauquenes'. "The idea is that people know the product in Neuquén and next year we will have volumes to think about exporting," Retamal said.

Finally, he commented that the steps to follow, once the oil is produced, will be to take it to the "decanting stage for subsequent packaging and marketing".

Olivares del Neuquén

The olive plantation is located on Provincial Route No. 17, 15 kilometers from Añelo in the direction to Portezuelo. Currently there are 40 hectares planted, but the projection is to reach 125 hectares. The 80 percent are olive trees of the Arbequina variety and the rest corresponds to the Arbosana variety.

The venture -started in 2005- is aimed at the production of olive oil, initially for the regional market. The owners estimate that in the 2010 harvest they will have between 35 and 45 thousand kilos of olives to produce about 5 thousand liters of oil.