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<pre>Guido:
I believe more than 85% of the table olives in the US (California and AZ)
are still hand harvested.
The harvesting machines being developed for our industry (not shakers, we 1)
can't get good removal from Manzanillo - to "willowy"; and 2)we injure
fruit) are still simply that - in the development stage. These are machines
with rotating tines that move along the sides of the tree. Tree shaping,
machine weight and flexibility, ability to move in sometimes wet ground, and
fruit collection are still areas where improvement is needed. Prototypes
will be in the field working this fall to work these problems out. Once we
refine this process, a substantial increase in machine harvesting will
occur.
Steve Sibbett
U.C. Farm Advisor
Phone - office 559.733.6486
Mobil 559.280.0666
FAX 559.734.2708
-----Original Message-----
From: Guido Costa [mailto:
costa@mweb.co.za]
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 10:02 PM
To:
OliveOil@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] USA top five online olive oil stores
Anthony
FYI the IOOC Table Olive Committee has given the table olive production of
the USA (% of world output) as about 6% for 1998/1999 and about 9% for
1999/2000. The total production has remained virtually static over this
period, so your increase has compensated for a decrease elsewhere. I
couldn't believe the figures when I saw them, as 13% sounded way off the
mark. Do you perhaps know what proportion of the US table crop is
hand-harvested these days?
Regards,
Guido
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</pre>
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