The Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa is located in the west coast of Crete in the region of Chania and it is one of the oldest agriculture cooperative in Greece. It consists of 270 members-farmers who cultivate olive trees (about 300ha) and veggies, such as “stamnagathi” (about 50ha), “askolympros” (about 5ha) and onion (about 30ha).
Nowadays, the Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa has modern facilities for the production and storage of olive oil, a fully equipped agricultural shop and a service department to support the daily work of its members.
The year in which the Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa establisted. At the beginning it operates solely as a winemaking cooperative with two wineries in the Gramvousa area. The aim was to produce and promote the local grapes called “Romeiko”.
After the end of World War II, the main building of the Agricultural Cooperative is being constructed in the area of ”Agios Georgios” where it is still housed. Into the building was the first motor oil mill of the area, aiming at developing the way olive oil was produced and the transition from the former type of olive oil production. The oil mill had a generator that provided electricity to nearby buildings in the area, cause the public electricity network made in the 70’s. At the same time was established a mill to produce flour from local cereal production.
The Agricultural Cooperative’s oil mill is modernized and becomes the first cooperative oil mill in Crete that operates with decanter. In the context of modernization, a canning system has been installed which has resulted in the standardization and promotion of local fruit and vegetables in markets.
Once again the cooperative is innovating, this time in the field of animal husbandry. A new program for artificial insemination of lambs is being applied with the vaccination method aimed at creating a single local breed.
The new building of the Cooperative is being created, right next to the former one, in which the activities of the olive mill are relocated and re-equipped with two high capacity production lines.
There is established the group of olive oil producers into the Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa aiming to improving the production capacity and quality.
Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa’s philosophy is presented in its longlife: We want farmers teamwork and evolution with innovation so as our efforts can be transformed into an improvement in our daily lives and the satisfaction of the people who consume our products.
Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa has a modern olive oil factory with two production lines. Each line consists of an olive pickup hopper, a leave remover, an olive washer, an olive storage silo, an olive crusher, 10 malaxing machines with a capacity of 1100kg each one, a decanter with production ability of 2.500kg and 2 separators. Olive oil is stored in 9 stainless steel tanks with a total capacity of 560mᶟ, in which a nitrogen filling system is installed to maintain quality. A temperature measuring and recording system is installed at any stage of the olive oil production process to ensure optimum quality. Basic chemical equipment is available, such as a device for measuring the oil content of the olive from a representative sample and a specific spectrometer to analyze the essential quality characteristics of the oil (acidity, peroxides, K). The two lines of the olive factory have the ability to produce olive oil conventionally or massively.
The Agricultural Cooperative of Gramvousa has organized and operates in its premises in Agios Georgios Gramvousa a shop for agricultural supplies (fertilizers, pesticides, animal foods, irrigation equipment, etc.) serving both members of the cooperative and other farmers of the area.
