88 olive trees

hello, does anyone have any idea if olive trees (in puglia) can be removed when one owns the land they are planted in, or are they protected when they reach a certain age, also i have been told that there a certain grants from the eu for olive trees does this apply to a person buying a second home not soley for the use of farming, and if the grants are available does anyone have any idea how to go aout applying for them??

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/23/2005 - 02:49

We would love as much info on this as well please...we will have about 70-80 olive treees and have no idea what to do with them ( do want some of our own olive oil tho').
Marco, perhaps we could form a co-operative !!!!( although I have no idea how that works !) :shock: :wink: :lol: :o :oops:

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/23/2005 - 03:18

The Corpo Forestale will be the people to ask about what you can and can't do to trees.

[url]http://mininterno.informadove.it/ita/localizza.asp[/url]

lets you find your local office.

As for grants, you will need to contact your local farming union (e.g. CopAgri) representative or the local Agronomer (professional land expert and grant application writer). Generally, to receive a grant you would need to be a registered farmer but the rules change often and these people would know what you can and can't get.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/23/2005 - 03:40

marco... yes the trees are protected....after a certain age...dont ask me what age but if they look old then they have to have permission to be moved..... what you have to do is prune back the tops to the main branches emanating from the stem leaving a good network for the tree to start regrowing... then either by machine or hand....difficult... dig a trench all the way around the tree pruning the roots as and when they are met...the hard bit are the roots underneath.... hence a machine makes life easier..... then you have to lift the rootball....which will be something from 1 metre across depending on the age and weighing from a ton up.....
having prepared a hole previously on the land where you want it moved too...the new hole should be twice the size of the rootball you are moving.... and before doing all this check that you are allowed.... i think moving rather than removing is much easier in the permission sense.....and as in all things here...if you chat nicely to neighbours and mayors you will most probably get a lot of help in exchange for a couple of bottles of wine ..... otherwise paying a proffesional company to do it will cost a lot.....

as regards grants... our neighbours all register their trees via the farmers union.... they have to give the correct count as helicopters fly over thru the year and check declared amounts of trees on your land.... when they have been registered you are then able at harvest time to take your olives to be pressed etc.... to your local mill.... at some stage thru this process they give you a small amount of money as a contribution to the maintenance of the tree....

we did not bother....the queues and paperwork did not seem worth while.... we put our olives in with neighbours and just payed the two euros a litre to get it milled .... no paperwork...no grants...just oil at the end

... there are also grants for planting... new trees... but again if you plan for the future and good sized plants and then a few smaller ones you will have them coming into production at various stages at very little cost.... and its up to you if you are just planting a few for your own use if it is worth while going to apply for a grant..... to produce enough oil for a family of four you would say need around 20 well cared for and productive trees.... around 15 to 20 years old at least to get the best crop.... and depending on your location.... 400- 450 m asl is about the limit and they have to be facing the sun and well drained usually on a steep slope....at this height limit you are going to face low production years because of cold....

..... again the best advice will be your neighbours....when they prune ...you prune...some do it early...after harvest...some leave it to spring.... if they help you with grant applications and office queues .... accept it..... if you help them at harvest time ...theyll help you..... its all an informal co-operative....

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 02/23/2005 - 06:01

thanks for all the info, dean it sounds like a good idea the co-operative and as you will be there full time you can have the greater percentage :lol: seriously tho i have been in touch with our estate agent and she seems to know people in the know about olives, my question was really aimed at the moving of the trees as the property we are buying and want to extend has oilve trees very close to the house itself anyway thanks again ciao marco :D