The company SICA was founded in 1942 and has since then focused on producing, refining and packaging olive oils. Setting up its first premises in the centre of Estremoz, it moved to the Arcos Industrial Zone (outskirts of Estremoz) in 1999.
More recently, in 2015, for strategic reasons, the group acquired a new production mill in the town of Serpa (Lower Alentejo), thereby moving closer to some of the largest olive groves in the country. By relocating to this region, the company gained access to a greater volume of olives, and especially to new olive varieties, which enables us to develop new and better olive oils.
The company SICA is certified by the norm IFS FOOD v7 with the scope “Extraction and filling of olive oil in cans, glass bottles, pet bottles and bulk expedition.”, reinforcing our commitment with the food safety and superior quality.
Estremoz
The first mill was located in Estremoz, in 1942, at Rua de S. João de Deus, in the city centre. Until 1999, all of the company’s activity was carried out at this address, from production, to refinery, to packaging. In 1999, the board faced new demands and challenges, feeling the need to expand. These new needs led to the decision to relocate to the Arcos Industrial Zone. In these large premises, SICA developed its new production mill comprised of an automatic olive washing, cleaning and weighing system with a capacity to store 150 tonnes of olives, as well as a two-phase continuous system and storage capacity for 500 tonnes of olive oil. This mill complies with all norms demanded by the Portuguese and European Community authorities. It has a maximum production capacity of 120 tonnes of olives in 24 hours, which enables the facility to reach 5 thousand tonnes of olive oil per harvest, and this capacity can easily be doubled. The premises also include a holding tank for cleaning water.
In terms of packaging and warehousing, these premises have three tin packing lines and two bottle packing lines. These modern packing lines enable the company to supply its customers with various capacities stored in plastic bottles, glass bottles and metal cans.
This same address also contains all of the departments associated with production and packaging operations.
Serpa
In the newer facilities in Serpa, SICA has an automatic olive washing, cleaning and weighing system with a capacity to store 200 tonnes of olives, as well as a two-phase continuous system and storage capacity for 1000 tonnes of olive oil. This mill complies with all norms demanded by the Portuguese and European Community authorities. In this mill, the company has two production lines that can reach a maximum production capacity of 200 tonnes of olives in 24 hours, which enables the facility to reach 10 thousand tonnes of olive oil per harvest. The premises also include a holding tank for cleaning water.
Algarve
Olive oil is the naturally synthesised fat olives produce as a reserve substance, helping ensure the multiplication of the species. It provides the necessary energy during the period when the olive, once released from the parent tree, will germinate and produce a new plant. Olive oil is obtained from the olive using only mechanical and physical processes and in temperature conditions that do not alter its properties. To produce a quality olive oil, whole, healthy and ripe olives should be used.
EXTRACTION DIAGRAM
Olive-picking
Delivery to the Mill
Preliminary Operations
Olives are Cleaned, Washed & Weighed
Grinding (crushing)
Olive Paste
Malaxation
Olive paste is Churned and Heated
Solids & Liquids Separated
Olive oil
Storage
Traditional Olive Grove
Trees planted with wide spacing – usually more than 7X7m – 60 to 200 trees per hectare – and can be maintained dry or irrigated. This is the traditional system, used for several centuries, and it still represents most of the olive grove area in Portugal. Entry into production may take 15 to 20 years, and some productive olive groves are more than a century old.
Intensive Olive Grove
Trees planted with tighter spacing – 285 to 415 trees per hectare – with irrigation. Usually becomes productive 5 to 7 years after planting, and may produce for several decades.
Super Intensive Olive Grove
Trees planted in hedges, normally with a density between 900 and 1200 trees per hectare. These are irrigated and enter production 2 to 3 years after planting. The oldest known olive groves planted using this system rarely last more than 20 years.
Traditional Olive Grove
Intensive Olive Grove
Super Intensive Olive Grove
In terms of olive varieties, our olive oil is comprised essentially of the most common varieties in the Alentejo. Among these we note: Galega, Cobrançosa, Cordovil de Serpa and Verdeal Alentejana. Aside from the native Alentejo varieties, we also have olive oils produced using Arbequina, Picual and Maçanilha olives.
