Truck with olives being unloaded

Truck with Picual olives, used for producing extra virgin olive oil.

Traditional picking methods, consisting of shaking the branches with a stick to dislodge the fruits, are mostly redundant these days. Instead, mechanical methods are used, such as clamp vibrators, umbrella vibrators, combs, and even harvesting machines. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages; the important thing is that the fruit is not damaged, so it arrives at the oil mill in perfect condition. Once picked, the olives are taken straight to the oil mill, where the oil is made, to be treated and to avoid any fermentation that might affect the oil quality.