Free olive oil quality workshop for Apokoronas growers on May 18

Summary

The Region of Crete and the state agricultural body ELGO-DIMITRA, in cooperation with the Municipality of Apokoronas, are hosting a free training session for local olive oil producers on May 18, 2026. The event, held at the Parish Cultural Centre in Kournas starting at 17:30, will cover best practices across the entire production chain — from irrigation and pruning to storage and packaging — all aimed at protecting the quality of the protected designation of origin oil "Crete/Kriti". The session will also include a live olive oil tasting demonstration.

Olive oil quality training for Apokoronas producers — May 18, Kournas

Olive growers across Apokoronas are invited to a free training session on Monday, May 18, 2026, focused on producing and maintaining top-quality extra virgin olive oil under the protected designation of origin label "Crete/Kriti". The session will take place at the Parish Cultural Centre in Kournas, beginning at 17:30.

The training is organised by the Region of Crete and the Greek Agricultural Organisation ELGO-DIMITRA, working together with the Municipality of Apokoronas. Several industry bodies are also supporting the event, including the Crete Exporters Association, the Crete Olive Oil Packers Association, the Association of Olive-Growing Municipalities of Crete, the Cretan Olive Oil Network, and the Association of Oil Mill Owners of the Chania regional unit.

What will be covered

The session is designed to walk producers through every stage of the production process, highlighting where quality can be gained — or lost. Topics include:

Olive oil quality: the key factors that affect it and how to protect it
Grove management best practices: irrigation, fertilisation, pruning, crop protection, and general orchard management
Harvest and transport: how to handle olives from picking through to the mill without compromising quality
Processing, storage and bottling: the critical steps after pressing
Contamination risks: pesticide residues, mineral oils and other potential pollutants
Sensory evaluation: a live tasting demonstration of virgin olive oil

When and where

Date: Monday, May 18, 2026
Time: 17:30
Venue: Parish Cultural Centre, Kournas, Apokoronas

No registration appears to be required — producers are welcome to attend directly.

Official source

Training of Olive Producers of the Municipality of Apokoronas by the Region of Crete and ELGO-DIMITRA, in cooperation with the Municipality of Apokoronas, on the subject: "The Quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 'Crete/Kriti': Best Practices from the Field to Packaging"

14 May 2026, 1:52 PM

The Region of Crete and the Greek Agricultural Organisation-DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA), in cooperation with the Municipality of Apokoronas, are organising training for olive producers on the quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil "Crete/Kriti", which will take place on Monday 18 May 2026 at 17:30 at the Parish Cultural Centre of Kournas. The action is supported by: the Crete Exporters Association, the Crete Olive Oil Packers Association, the Association of Olive-Growing Municipalities of Crete, the Cretan Olive Oil Network and the Association of Oil Mill Owners of the Chania Regional Unit.

These training sessions aim to inform producers about all the best practices that must be applied during olive cultivation, the harvesting and transport of the olive fruit, oil extraction, storage and packaging of olive oil, so as to protect the quality of the olive oil produced.

The thematic units to be developed will be as follows:

• Olive oil quality and the factors that affect it

• Best practices during olive cultivation (irrigation, fertilisation, pruning, crop protection, grove management), harvesting, transport, oil extraction, storage and packaging for the production of high-quality olive oil.

• Contamination of olive oil by pesticide residues, mineral oils, etc.

• Organoleptic evaluation of virgin olive oil (tasting demonstration).