The Development of Mechanical Harvesting for the California Table Olive Industry

The California table olive industry relies on hand harvesting of its primary ‘Manzanillo’ cultivar.  In recent years the increasing cost and uncertainty of labor has adversely affected California’s global competitiveness in the table olive market. Consequently, research attention has been devoted to the mechanical harvest of table olives, a practice common in the olive oil industry.

Mechanizing the harvest of table olives presents some unique challenges.  The tree canopy and trunk must be adapted to the interface with the harvester, avoiding damage to the tree, and the fruit must be loosened and collected from the canopy with minimum bruising. Our team brings dedication and diverse experience to these tasks, with the support of the growers and proccessors of the table olive industry.

The five-year program presented here is funded by the California Olive Committee.