The motto that age is just a number is more suitable for olive trees than for humans.

The lifespan and fruit of olive trees are much longer than that of humans, which is most obvious on old olive trees in southern Montenegro.

“She just turned 2,245,” said Ćazim Alković, president of the Bar Olive Growers Association. In addition to focusing on olive cultivation and oil production, the association also pays special attention to what they claim is the oldest olive tree in Europe and the third oldest olive tree in the world.

Despite its age, this tree continues to bear fruit, and 2021 is no exception. â <"We just harvested 101 kilograms," Alković said, and he couldn't hide his satisfaction.

He added that this year's output promotes the importance of timely harvesting and the tradition of olive cultivation in the local Porum area where Bar is located.

Alkovic is not the only one celebrating this year's gains.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Montenegro, Aleksandar Stijović, joined local olive growers and officials (including Mayor Dušan Raičević and Municipal Council Chairman Milena Božović) to celebrate the continued fruit of the tree.

“Without timely harvesting and processing, there will be no high-quality oil,” Stijovic said. â <"We must always abandon bad habits, such as collecting overripe and fallen fruits from the ground."

While celebrating the harvest, the minister also took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of olive oil quality with growers and local officials.

Consumers and producers in Montenegro still have problems in identifying the smell and taste of extra virgin olive oil.

“It must meet the basic standards of fruity, bitter and spicy taste,” Stijovic said. He also emphasized the cultural significance of the old olive tree in Mirovica, adding that it breeds love and reconciles people. .

Despite the more favorable weather for the olive harvest in 2020, the olive production of old olive trees has increased significantly this year. In 2020, farmers harvested 86 kilograms of fruit and nearly 6 kilograms of oil in the process.

"Last year, we didn't harvest the whole olive tree, but left a big branch and recorded an article about the harvest for National Geographic, so this year the number is even higher," Alkovic said.

"But the branch on which we left fruit for a long time later didn't bear fruit at all this year," he added. â <"This confirms that we are working hard to harvest fruits as soon as they are ripe, so that the trees are free and can bear fruit next year."

As part of celebrating the vitality of this tree, the Bar Olive Growers Association stated that some of the oil harvested this year will be available for locals to taste. The rest will be in small bottles and boxes.

However, this oil cannot be purchased, but is used by the Bar Olive Growers Association to help promote the region and country.

"It has not been divided and cannot be purchased," Alkovic said. â<"There is no price, we will use it for promotional purposes in bars and Montenegro olive cultivation."

Unlike many commercial olive oils in the country-data from the International Olive Council shows that Montenegro produced about 500 tons of olive oil in the previous crop year-the oil from the old olive trees will be specially packaged and labelled in a stylish glass bottle .

Alkovich said the packaging aims to promote oil from the millennium olive tree. Oils obtained from trees more than 2,000 years old receive a golden label, and oils obtained from trees more than 1,000 years old receive a silver label. Each bottle is contained in a separate wooden box made of dried olive wood.

He added that the association sells many of these millennium oils at high prices at special auctions and sells them directly to high-end restaurants and hotels.

However, the oil from the old olive tree is destined to be used by more selected audiences. A bottle was given to Prince Charles, who is the next heir to the British throne.

"This gift and the prince's interest in Montenegrin olive oil provide added value to producers and is another beautiful story that will encourage the sale of olive oil at higher prices," Alković said.

The association also plans to send the oil samples harvested this year to the 2022 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition to compete with thousands of other samples.

Alkovich said that the participation costs associated with further confirmation of Montenegro olive cultivation are negligible and will serve as a recognition of the Montenegrin diaspora in the United States, many of whom have their â<“olive roots” in Barr.

According to the research of the Timber Anatomy and Annual Ring Research Laboratory of Istanbul University, there are 26 trees in Bar and Ulcinj located a few kilometers south of Bar that are between 500 and 1,000 years old.

There are also 6 trees in the area between 1,000 and 2,000 years old, two trees over 2,000 years old-an old olive tree and another 2,071 year old private tree.

In order to promote this huge treasure house of millennium olive trees, information boards are posted next to each olive tree.

A website was also published, showing the location of each tree and offering activities such as olive hikes, passing several trees and cultural and historical monuments.

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