The Auditorium of Paços do Concelho in Murça was the venue, on October 27th, for a FENAZEITES initiative dedicated to "Measures for Improving Olive Oil Quality". The session included an intervention by the Vice-President of the Murça Municipal Council, José Santos, who highlighted the sector's identity importance, the crucial role of the Agricultural Cooperative of Murça Olive Growers, and the need for foresight regarding quality and food safety challenges.
Before an audience comprising associative leaders, technicians, collaborators, and producers, including the Chairman of the Board of the Agricultural Cooperative of Murça Olive Growers and FENAZEITES Administrator, Francisco Vilela Ribeiro, the Secretary-General of FENAZEITES, Patrícia Falcão, and the Director of Nutrition and Food Services at DGAV, Ana Paula Bico, the mayor welcomed attendees to a "land of agricultural tradition, where the olive tree, the vine, and field work continue to shape the landscape and life of our community".
In his speech, the Vice-President emphasized that, in Murça, "olive oil has never been just a product", being rooted in the landscape, the table, and the very coat of arms of the municipality. The mayor recalled the responsibility inherited from previous generations to care for the olive grove with the same rigor, praising the historical role of the Agricultural Cooperative of Murça Olive Growers as an example of collective work and cooperation that has promoted the region's olive oil both domestically and internationally.
With the new harvest season approaching, a time when olive groves become active and the Murça cooperative resumes olive reception, the timing was considered highly opportune. The mayor stressed that initiatives like this serve as a true investment: an investment in producers' income, in the valorization of Murça's olive oil, and in affirming an interior territory at the forefront of quality.
"Being informed is the best way to be prepared," stated the mayor, emphasizing that it is precisely before the campaign begins that procedures should be reviewed and details corrected.
Alongside the institutional opening, the technical program moved to the central debate on olive oil contaminants (MOSH and MOAH) and their respective mitigation measures, moderated by Patrícia Falcão with participation from Ana Paula Bico (DGAV). The event concluded with an intervention by Francisco Vilela Ribeiro, consolidating a morning dedicated to ensuring that Murça's olive oil continues to be a source of pride for present and future generations.
