Award for the quality of the olive oil

Olive oil of the company 13.jul-Plantaže was awarded for its quality at a recently closed International Olive Growers’ Competition, held at Neum in the period 21st-24th March.

We may point out with pride that we won the bronze medal for the quality of extra virgin olive oil at the 21st International Contest of Olive Growers and Oil Producers Noćnjak 2019, organised by the Coperative Alliance of Dalmatia which has been one of the greatest and most remarkable competition of this kind in our Region.

Upon the evaluation of the quality of great number of samples of olive oil from the Mediterranean, out of which even 136 samples were in our category, ie in the category of gold oils, we may say that we are very satisfied and proud of the achieved results, considering that this is the first competition and award for Plantaže, regarding this product.

This recognition has a special, emotional value for us, bearing in mind that from the very beginning, our intentions to deal with this type of production were denied among the colleagues-olive growers. It has been considered that Ćemovsko polje would not accept the culture of olives and that we could not achieve good results. As many times so far, Ćemovsko polje has turned out to be an enviable host which provides excellent conditions for growing this subtropical culture,as well, thanks to the richness of the terroir.

There are nearly 13.000 olive trees in Plantaže plantations with the tendency to be increased, mostly the variety leccino and then, Istarska bjelica, arbequin and maurin. The oil of luscious scent and balanced, piquant and noble taste,evaluated by the experts with the highest score, was made with care and exclusively by manual harvest with the state-of-the-art  processing on the cold pressing machines.

By the offical date , the olive oil consumption in Montenegro has been relatively low, amounting 0,5 lit per capita.The data show that our neighbours, Croats consume 2 litres of olive oil per capita, annually, compared to the Greeks who consume 20 litres of olive oil per capita annually or Spaniards and Italians who consume 11 litres of olive oil per capita annually.

A recent scientific research , made at  The New York University School of Medicine, proved what has already been known in our region that the regular consumption of the olive oil reduces the risk of heart and brain attacks, ie that its consumption has a beneficial influence on the human body.

Our intentions and wishes are to position Montenegro, the homeland of the oldest olive tree in the world, high in the world of olive growing , rounding up its authentic wine-gastronomic story. We believe that such awards will contribute to it.