Interviews

Rui Almeida, 51, says he's always been an olive grower: "My father was a farmer and at school I already wanted to be a farmer. Against everything and everyone, I succeeded. They wanted me to follow other paths, times were different.

I have an 18-year-old son. He's finishing 12th grade and wants to study agriculture, and he'd be welcome to do so, because as well as being good for me, I don't think agriculture is as despicable as many people considered it to be at one time. Today, being a farmer puts us on a very high level. I remember olive trees all my life, even if it was just the one I had in my backyard."

At the moment he works with olive growing, vineyards and livestock. He is a member of two cooperatives, one for grapes and the other for olives. "We have to hold on to the cooperatives tooth and nail, because if it weren't for the cooperatives we wouldn't be what we are today and everything that surrounds us." He says that in a highly competitive environment, private agro-industries are waiting for cooperatives to set prices so that they can move forward. "It's very easy to be on the market, but we have a point of reference, which is the cooperatives."

His main agricultural activity is olive growing: "I started out with just traditional olive groves, but now I have three Alqueva catchments and so I've converted 50% of the traditional olive groves into intensive irrigated olive groves. The varieties I have are cobrançosa, picual, muita cordovil, galega and verdeal. I planted galegas four years ago and recently cobrançosa and picual. I'm happy with all the varieties, because the harvesting method is using the 'umbrella' and they all work very well and with little manpower, because it's very complicated to have large groups working, especially with this pandemic."

Despite everything, he claims to be more fond of a good wine than a good olive oil. "If you give me olive oil in a lamb stew, I can't tell, but in an açorda, dipping the bread in coriander, I can tell if the oil is good. The Cooperativa's olive oil has gained a very high status and on the supermarket shelf it's always at an advantage over other oils. In my house, I don't use any olive oil other than Moura, because if we don't push ourselves, others won't."

In his opinion, the difference between the Cooperative's olive oil is the fact that, while many varieties of olive oil are exclusively grown in intensive olive groves, the Cooperative has a large percentage of Galega, Verdeal and Cordovil oils, PDO oils, and this is undoubtedly a differentiating factor. "It's no coincidence that Moura is a demarcated region for olive groves and Reguengos for wine. The ancients weren't stupid and if they started betting on olive groves here, it was because it was an area with specific characteristics."

"We have to continue to be one of the first, not in production, but in quality. And we, the members, have to do our bit to make sure that this is the case, by doing what is asked of us and promoting our product."

He says he can't drink olive oil, but he can tell the difference and prefers the milder Galega oil. "Who doesn't like dipping their bread in açorda seasoning?"

He concludes with the message: "My father was already a member of the Cooperative, I have continued and have always been a defender and supporter of this house, in good times and bad. When necessary, I make constructive criticisms, considering that it is my duty to draw attention to trying to improve. This Cooperative nowadays, and this has been going on for a few years, settles its accounts in May, from olives delivered in February, and it must be the only one to do so. This is very important!"