The hojiblanca-picual oil, from the brand Teguerey, from Fuerteventura, Prepared by Luis Hernández Santana, has been chosen as the best production of the Canary Islands in the Official Contest of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Agrocanarias 2023. Teguerey revalidate titleor in this seventh edition of the contest after obtaining the prize for the best oil from the Islands in 2022.
The seat of the Presidency Government of the Canary Islands in Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosted this Wednesday the reading of the jury’s decision by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the regional Executive, Alice Vanoostendeand the director of the ICCA, Basilio Perez, who highlighted “the quality of the productions presented and the effort made by the producers to produce excellent productions.” The total, 16 oil samples have participated in the contest, belonging to 11 mills in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Fuerteventura and El Hierro.
By categories, the silver medal went to the brand Oleoteide, of the arbequina/hojiblanca variety, from Tenerife, prepared by Cumbres de Abona Cooperative Society. The gold medal went to the brand La Palma Oliva, of the picual/arbequina variety, from the island of La Palma, prepared by Juan José Santos. Like the silver medal, the great gold medal was won by the Oleoteide brand, with the Arbequina/Picual variety. In the section on special distinctions, the distinction of The best image and presentation went to the Caserío de Temisas brand, Turismo Rural de Agüimes SL, from Gran Canaria, prepared by the Municipality of the Villa de Agüimes.
The regional manager of the area, Alicia Vanoostende, highlighted during her speech that “from the Government of the Canary Islands we continue to bet on the cultivation of the olive treenot only with the celebration of these awards, which promote the product, but also with the dissemination that we carry out outside the Canary Islands at fairs such as Madrid Gourmet or the extra virgin olive oil fair that is held in March in Madrid and which we will attend . The support is not limited exclusively to promotion, but also to cultivation, such as the subsidies contemplated by POSEIwith specific aid to the surface of the cultivation of the olive tree”.
In this line, he pointed out that “we will continue working in this way, both with oil and with other local products, promoting quality figures; prizes have been awarded on four islands, which shows that we have production and quality”. “I appreciate the work of ICCA, which makes it possible to carry out these contests throughout the Archipelago, as well as the administrations that collaborate and, of course, all the producers.”
The director of the ICCA, Basilio Pérez, pointed out that “the Official Agrocanarias Extra Virgin Olive Oil Contest 2023 has as purpose to distinguish the productions elaborated, packaged and bottled in our autonomous community and aims to make its organoleptic properties known and contribute to its promotion, because it is essential that the consumer knows that they are buying quality, unique and differentiated productions”. “I congratulate all the participants who with their effort and daily work contribute to this contest continuing to grow exponentially,” he said.
cultivation area
olive oil in Canary Islands It has undergone an unprecedented boom in recent years, going from 100 to 600 hectares in less than a decade. Gran Canaria It is the island where the crop occupies a greater area with 232.10 hectares, followed by Fuerteventura with 165.50, and from Tenerife with 108.10. In a more testimonial way, a total of 16.20 hectares in Lanzarote; 12.40 in The Palm; 3.30 in The iron; and 1.20 in La Gomera.
Based on these surfaces, it is recorded a production of 1,475.20 tons of olives, of which 613.10 correspond to Gran Canaria; 470.8 to Fuerteventura; and 291.70 to Tenerife. Of that regional production, 250.10 tons are of table olives and 1,225.20 correspond to olives for mills. According to data from the Annual Survey, 165.07 tons of extra virgin olive oil have been produced, where Fuerteventura has obtained 62.07; Gran Canaria 50.42; and Tenerife 42.34.
