Olives with chips: farmers’ answer to theft

Using GPS chips that look like olives, farmers and producers in Crete are trying to combat repeated cases of theft.

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in this phenomenon, not only in relation to olives on trees, but also in relation to olive oil already stored, as a result of which drastic measures have become necessary.

According to the vice-president of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Heraklion, Miros Chiletzakis, this is an attempt that was successfully implemented in 2019 in Spain and showed satisfactory results.

“The Spaniards found this solution in 2019, when olive production reached 2 million tons. Agricultural products became the target of scoundrels who either came at night and collected olives (beating the trees so that the fruits fell on the cloth laid out under the tree), or, worse, , they cut down large branches with a lot of olives and took them to warehouses,” said Mr. Chiletzakis.

At the same time, he notes that olive-shaped chips placed on trees are an excellent solution.

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In addition, it was noted that the Heraklion Union purchased from abroad four GPS chips, fake oliveswhich have given very good results in Spain, not only as a protection for olives growing on trees, but also for olive oil stored in containers.

“The dummy olive fruit is placed on the tree and is no different from other, real olives. GPS chip linked via an app to mobile phones, and when the “electronic olive” moves three or four meters away from the tree, a message is sent. This means someone is stealing agricultural products.

In addition, the company will install an application that will show us where the stolen olives went, their entire path will be tracked by GPS. That is, it will be known where and at what time the chipped olive was “removed” from the tree, where it was moved, and where it ended up in the end,” said the EASI vice president, adding that A waterproof olive dummy has already been tested in Crete.

As noted, the same work should be done inside containers of olive oil, which are often the target of potential criminals.

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Interest, as Mr. Chiletzakis explained, is great from producers in Crete. Efforts are being made to ensure that “GPS chips are delivered to Crete as soon as possible so that producers are ‘ready’ during the olive growing season.”

“Olive oil must be protected by all means. Cases of theft have become more frequent after the financial crisis and especially now that oil has become “golden” due to its high price. It has been noted that producers in Crete spend the night in the fields during the olive harvest in order to protect the harvest. Don’t forget that currently 100 kilograms of olive oil cost 1,000 euros,” noted Mr. Chiletzakis.

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