# Income from Olive/fruit trees



## Trinny

My husband and I are looking to move to spain, and interested in properties with Olive/fruit trees to bring in a small income of around 10,000 euros. We are looking for some information / advice on what size plot of land / number of trees would be required to achieve this sort of income a year.


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## VFR

I am guessing but around 500 ? and a lot of work !

Olivefarmer will be along in a spell to give you some better info.


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## snikpoh

VFR said:


> I am guessing but around 500 ? and a lot of work !
> 
> Olivefarmer will be along in a spell to give you some better info.


I think it'll be a lot more than that.

I've just taken in 220kg of olives and expect to get back 40litres of oil. This year was bad for us as it was for most people - we got this much from about 20 trees. 

I seem to recall that the price paid for olives is only a few cents per kilo (around 25cents).

So, some quick maths, to get 10000€ you need to yield around 40000kg. At my rate this year of only 10kg/tree this equates to 4000 trees. If you have very mature trees yielding their maximum of 100kg/tree this is still 400 trees.


.... and then you've got the costs of weeding the fields, pruning, spraying etc. etc. As for picking them and the labour costs or your time to do it ....


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## olivefarmer

There are trees and there are trees.

If you are buying a property with land / just land with good productive trees then a reasonable return per tree (it may have up to say four trunks) will be 80Kgs a tree. That would be for Andalucia. I have seen really scrawny trees elsewhere in Spain that you could pick by hand into your pockets. So 500 trees would be a good starting point.

The key thing to do is look at their receipts for the previous years. You get good years and bad years. The yield following your prune (mine are three yearly) is always poorer. If the person is a member of a co op they will have returns. Some people take theirs to mills open to anyone but the price they get is generally less- they will still have slips showing the weight, acidity, oil content. You need to know why someone is selling their finca i.e. land with trees. Hard up or the ground is drying out. Do the trees look healthy. Probably too much fine detail for now. If there is a well be very careful - how much water does it deliver. I have seen countless neighbours wells dry up. One could fill a swimming pool day after day but now only produces five cu m a day.

Productive groves are like assets anywhere. Priced on return. If they are cheap why didn't the adjacent neighbour(s) snap them up. They should get first refusal at the asking price.

Don't forget to factor in machinery, liquids for weed control and olive pest control. 40,000 kilos? Small braked trailer behind a sturdy 4x4 will take say 1000 kg - so 40 or so trips to co op. You will need a handheld mechanical tree shaker.

Can't help you with fruit trees other than almonds which are the last stop (in my view) for land that can't grow olives. You will see how expensive almonds are in the shops so might be worth considering.

How about asparagus? Pretty back breaking work as most of it is at a stoop.

My neighbours are all into mono culture. They are grubbing out asparagus, stopping growing wheat. Planting more olives. Sure you have economies of scale but there is a pest on the way from Italy that wipes out the trees. Not in Spain yet and might never be.... Good reason to diversify.

One final point. farming is fine while you both are in good health. If you suffer an injury/illness and you have to pay someone to do your harvest or other work you can kiss goodbye to over half maybe three quarters of your income that year.

Hope that hasn't put you off as it is a good life and you get to integrate with the locals more quickly.


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## gus-lopez

snikpoh said:


> I think it'll be a lot more than that.
> 
> I've just taken in 220kg of olives and expect to get back 40litres of oil. This year was bad for us as it was for most people - we got this much from about 20 trees.
> 
> I seem to recall that the price paid for olives is only a few cents per kilo (around 25cents).
> 
> So, some quick maths, to get 10000€ you need to yield around 40000kg. At my rate this year of only 10kg/tree this equates to 4000 trees. If you have very mature trees yielding their maximum of 100kg/tree this is still 400 trees.
> 
> 
> .... and then you've got the costs of weeding the fields, pruning, spraying etc. etc. As for picking them and the labour costs or your time to do it ....


2 weeks back 0,414c/kg olives. Monday past 0,432c/kg olives. Somewhere around 3€/litre +iva

Just as an aside unless the OP also aquires the certificate for spraying/pesticides, etc; then they will have to pay someone to do any spraying required.

P,s. I have a couple of trees that regularly give around 135kgs of olives. No idea why or why the ones next to them don't do the same? Also another mystery is where do they get their water from ?


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## Trinny

Many thanks for the information, very useful. No it hasn't put us off, as we are very keen to do it, it's just knowing what type of property/plot of land to go for.


olivefarmer said:


> There are trees and there are trees.
> 
> If you are buying a property with land / just land with good productive trees then a reasonable return per tree (it may have up to say four trunks) will be 80Kgs a tree. That would be for Andalucia. I have seen really scrawny trees elsewhere in Spain that you could pick by hand into your pockets. So 500 trees would be a good starting point.
> 
> The key thing to do is look at their receipts for the previous years. You get good years and bad years. The yield following your prune (mine are three yearly) is always poorer. If the person is a member of a co op they will have returns. Some people take theirs to mills open to anyone but the price they get is generally less- they will still have slips showing the weight, acidity, oil content. You need to know why someone is selling their finca i.e. land with trees. Hard up or the ground is drying out. Do the trees look healthy. Probably too much fine detail for now. If there is a well be very careful - how much water does it deliver. I have seen countless neighbours wells dry up. One could fill a swimming pool day after day but now only produces five cu m a day.
> 
> Productive groves are like assets anywhere. Priced on return. If they are cheap why didn't the adjacent neighbour(s) snap them up. They should get first refusal at the asking price.
> 
> Don't forget to factor in machinery, liquids for weed control and olive pest control. 40,000 kilos? Small braked trailer behind a sturdy 4x4 will take say 1000 kg - so 40 or so trips to co op. You will need a handheld mechanical tree shaker.
> 
> Can't help you with fruit trees other than almonds which are the last stop (in my view) for land that can't grow olives. You will see how expensive almonds are in the shops so might be worth considering.
> 
> How about asparagus? Pretty back breaking work as most of it is at a stoop.
> 
> My neighbours are all into mono culture. They are grubbing out asparagus, stopping growing wheat. Planting more olives. Sure you have economies of scale but there is a pest on the way from Italy that wipes out the trees. Not in Spain yet and might never be.... Good reason to diversify.
> 
> One final point. farming is fine while you both are in good health. If you suffer an injury/illness and you have to pay someone to do your harvest or other work you can kiss goodbye to over half maybe three quarters of your income that year.
> 
> Hope that hasn't put you off as it is a good life and you get to integrate with the locals more quickly.


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## Trinny

Thanks for the info :blush:


snikpoh said:


> I think it'll be a lot more than that.
> 
> I've just taken in 220kg of olives and expect to get back 40litres of oil. This year was bad for us as it was for most people - we got this much from about 20 trees.
> 
> I seem to recall that the price paid for olives is only a few cents per kilo (around 25cents).
> 
> So, some quick maths, to get 10000? you need to yield around 40000kg. At my rate this year of only 10kg/tree this equates to 4000 trees. If you have very mature trees yielding their maximum of 100kg/tree this is still 400 trees.
> 
> 
> .... and then you've got the costs of weeding the fields, pruning, spraying etc. etc. As for picking them and the labour costs or your time to do it ....





gus-lopez said:


> 2 weeks back 0,414c/kg olives. Monday past 0,432c/kg olives. Somewhere around 3?/litre +iva
> 
> Just as an aside unless the OP also aquires the certificate for spraying/pesticides, etc; then they will have to pay someone to do any spraying required.
> 
> P,s. I have a couple of trees that regularly give around 135kgs of olives. No idea why or why the ones next to them don't do the same? Also another mystery is where do they get their water from ?


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## The Skipper

Trinny said:


> My husband and I are looking to move to spain, and interested in properties with Olive/fruit trees to bring in a small income of around 10,000 euros. We are looking for some information / advice on what size plot of land / number of trees would be required to achieve this sort of income a year.


I have 200 olive trees on my land but they are cared for and harvested by a Spanish neighbour who manages 1,600 trees in total. In addition he has a few almond and cherry trees. He tells me that last year he grossed Euros 40,000 so quite a respectable income. But he is a recognised local expert and he and his wife work extraordinary hours. They started this year's olive harvest on November 2 and expect to finish at the end of this week, having worked EVERY day from sunrise to sunset with just a very short break for lunch. Once the harvesting is over he has to start pruning and burning. If you want to know more have a word with the owners of this olive farm (exactly what you appear to be looking for!) which is for sale: Farm In The Sun - Farmhouse For Sale in Cocentaina Spain


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## The Skipper

snikpoh said:


> I think it'll be a lot more than that.
> 
> I've just taken in 220kg of olives and expect to get back 40litres of oil. This year was bad for us as it was for most people - we got this much from about 20 trees.
> 
> I seem to recall that the price paid for olives is only a few cents per kilo (around 25cents).
> 
> So, some quick maths, to get 10000€ you need to yield around 40000kg. At my rate this year of only 10kg/tree this equates to 4000 trees. If you have very mature trees yielding their maximum of 100kg/tree this is still 400 trees.
> 
> 
> .... and then you've got the costs of weeding the fields, pruning, spraying etc. etc. As for picking them and the labour costs or your time to do it ....


My Spanish neighbour, who manages 1,600 olives trees, tells me that this is a very good year for yield and that he is being paid 45 cents a kilo.


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## snikpoh

The Skipper said:


> My Spanish neighbour, who manages 1,600 olives trees, tells me that this is a very good year for yield and that he is being paid 45 cents a kilo.


I'm surprised. 

Normally, as the yield goes up, the price goes down. You are suggesting that as the yield goes up, so does the price


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## gus-lopez

snikpoh said:


> I'm surprised.
> 
> Normally, as the yield goes up, the price goes down. You are suggesting that as the yield goes up, so does the price


As I posted also price varies from day to day. Back in august it was around 4,35/litre of oil but has fallen back to just over 3€ at present.


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## The Skipper

snikpoh said:


> I'm surprised.
> 
> Normally, as the yield goes up, the price goes down. You are suggesting that as the yield goes up, so does the price


The yield seems to vary from plot to plot, if I am understanding my neighbour correctly. My trees, which are on terraces in a barranco, have produced a good supply of quality olives this year but my neighbour says the trees on his own land, a large flat area, have not done so well. Something to do with rainfall and drainage if I understand it correctly. Overall, though, he is very happy with this year's harvest.


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## gus-lopez

Had a long chat at mill today & price per kilo varies according to the % of oil.
My first load was 15% = 0,414c/kg
2nd load was 16% = 0,432c/kg
3rd load was 18% = 0,484c/kg 
So at present averaging 0,443c/kg


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## highway1962

don't think of how many trees, think of how many hectares, according to the eu stastictics, in spain the average production per hectare for olives is 2.65 tons, and the average price per kilo is 38 cents, so you will need a minimum 10 hectares of GOOD trees


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## gus-lopez

highway1962 said:


> don't think of how many trees, think of how many hectares, according to the eu stastictics, in spain the average production per hectare for olives is 2.65 tons, and the average price per kilo is 38 cents, so you will need a minimum 10 hectares of GOOD trees


So depending on spacings that's anywhere between 2100 & 5675 trees  I'd be having nightmares.


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