When is it necessary to renew or change our cultivation

Very good! I think it’s been a long time since the countryside has been talked about on this blog, so today I’m going to explain to you from my point of view, when it is necessary to renew or change our cultivation.

In case you are new to this blog, I tell you that in this area of Montilla-Moriles, the most widespread crops are olive groves and vineyards. Although I sincerely think that what I am going to propose in this article is applicable to other crops, so it may help you to read it until the end and if you dare to leave a comment, even better.

Situations that force us to change or renew our cultivation

Like almost everything in life, the actions we carry out daily depend on situations that force us to carry them out, in the field things are not very different, every day situations occur that force us to make decisions that are sometimes correct and other times, not so much.

Changing or renewing a crop is something complicated and difficult to carry out, especially if we talk about crops that require several years to start producing and to be able to make profitable the investment that it cost to plant them, but there are several situations that force us to do so, Below I describe the most important ones for me:

#1. The crop is too old and does not produce. This situation is very common in the vineyard, when this crop reaches a considerable age, it becomes weaker and does not produce as it should.

In addition, there is also the problem of vine losses; there are many vine strains that, when they reach an age, dry out and must be replaced. If the farmer stops replenishing the vineyard, after a few years pass, he has lost so many vines that the production is very small.

#2. The crop is too old and not profitable. Although the situation is similar to the previous one, if you look closely, I am not saying the same thing. In this case the vineyard does produce but it is not profitable to work it.

With each passing year, technology makes our lives easier, it has already reached the field and is revolutionizing their jobs.

An old crop is very difficult to mechanize, if not impossible, so at this point it is highly recommended to renew the crop and modernize it.

#3. Our neighbors force us to change crops. It’s that simple, when your neighboring neighbors all change crops, they are indirectly forcing you to do so too.

The olive grove and the vineyard are two completely different crops, they have different pests and diseases, so what affects one does not affect the other.

This means that there are situations in which a pest that does not affect the olive grove does affect the vineyard, so imagine a vineyard surrounded by olive trees and with a pest of this type.

#4. The product is not worth what it costs to produce it. This is happening a lot lately and not just here. The farmer works for a long time and when the time comes to sell his work, he is not paid even what it cost him to take care of it.

This situation has little more to add, if you work and you don’t get paid, what can you do?

I don’t know if you will agree with me on all points or if you want to add something, I invite you to use the comments to express your opinion on the matter. I hope it has helped you reflect on a similar situation. Greetings and see you next week!

By Rafael Espejo.