Olive harvesting is usually in full swing at this time of the year but some growers were left disappointed with the yield following harsh winds in May.

Justine Meli Bugeja, who has been growing olives for some 20 years and has at least 1,200 trees, will barely collect 30 litres of olive oil this year.

Climate change and pests are the main culprits of the continuous decline in olive production.

She said the very strong north-westerly winds that hit the grove at San Martin earlier this year while the trees were flowering had whisked off the blossom that would have transformed into olives.

Long dry periods and a drop in bees also contributed to the decline, she added.

Since she cannot do much about climate change, how is she keeping up the fight with pests?

“Although not certified, I’ve been organic for years. I wanted to ensure that I have healthy trees and clean olive oil. By using natural ways to control pests, the trees managed to keep up the fight on their own, strengthening their immune system,” Ms Meli Bugeja said as she walked along the grove lined with nocellara del belice and cerasuola olive trees.

Only about 300 kilos of olives are likely to be collected this year.

The spread of a harmful weevil destroyed some 300 of her trees, which she replaced but lost again. The only natural thing that kills this nocturnal weevil is a beetle that is difficult to source.

So, instead, she wrapped some of the trunks in fluff. The weevils’ legs get stuck on this fluff and they never make it to the flowering branches.

Since the grove is cut off from other agricultural land, she does not risk pesticide contamination.

Ms Meli Bugeja usually harvests olives is September but this year she waited until October in the hope of getting some more olives. However, the yield looks very poor. In the past, her trees have yielded at least 1.2 tons of olives but this year she will only collect about 300 kilos.

As the yield continues to grow smaller year to year, she has come close to giving up because, at the end of the day, the work invested in the grove does not balance out with the final product.

“I started growing olives because of my love for trees. Had I known how tasking this was going to be 20 years ago, I would have opted for other kinds of trees,” Ms Meli Bugeja remarked.

Some of the trunks were wrapped in fluff to stop the harmful weevil from getting to the flowering branches.