The Municipality of Thessaloniki has begun harvesting olives from the olive trees spread throughout the city in order to produce, for the first time, its own municipal organic olive oil. It is estimated that a total of 800-1000 kilograms of olives will be collected, resulting in the production of 150-200 kilograms of olive oil.

Municipal workers have set up nets and used the necessary tools to collect olives from trees located at various sites, including the Monastery of Vlatadon, the waterfront, the city hall, and Angelaki Street. There are approximately 150-200 olive trees planted throughout the city, in areas such as Rotunda, the universities, Triandria, and Depo.

“This is a symbolic initiative,” said Mayor Stelios Angeloudis, noting that the olive oil produced will be certified for quality and used to meet the needs of the municipality’s social welfare structures. The initiative also aims to promote environmental protection and support vulnerable social groups.

Additionally, Vasilis Diamantakis, the municipal councilor responsible for green spaces, emphasized that this year’s initiative is an opportunity to document the number of olive trees in the city, allowing for a more organized effort in future years