It is true that the recent rains have given a respite and in the oil mills the price is already dropping: it now costs 7 and a half euros per liter of extra virgin olive oil. But in the supermarket, no truces: the bottle is already 10 euros. And with these prices, olive thefts skyrocket.
Olives, converted into an almost luxury product, are the target of thieves
Crews of fake day laborers They go to the fields at all kinds of times to get their loot. Until now, thefts occurred in the oil mills, where organized mafias and well equipped, even with tanker trucks, they stole oil from the factories. This last year, the drought that has gripped Andalusia for two years has made the olive its objective. And the lack of rain has reduced the production of olive trees by more than half in this last year.
At the Guadalimar Oil Plant, in Castellar (Jaén), the farmers They tell us that they have fear of these robberies, to have the fruit of months of work taken away from them. There are some who decide to harvest early. In the oil mills there are closed circuit television, alarms and even drones, but that does not seem to discourage the criminals, many of whom go completely unnoticed. Toni, a worker at the Nuestra Señora de Consolación Cooperative, comments that this type of theft has multiplied in the region.
Rural guards: a good alternative to scare away thieves
In addition to technology, the victims of the robbers have decided to resort to Private security. They are known as Rural Guards. With their vehicles, they travel the fields at any time of the day and night. If they perceive something strange, they ask, investigate and also act, always in cooperation with the Civil Guard. Thanks to this tandem, in Condado, thefts have decreased.
Source: Antena3
