Extreme heat drops olive oil production expectations to 5-year low

By Zeynep Duyar

Yield expectations for this season's olive oil crop have fallen to their lowest levels for the last five years.

Extreme heat and drought are to blame for the low yield.

According to information compiled by Anadolu from the European Commission data, the EU's olive oil production increased from 2.18 million tons in the 2017-2018 period to 2.2 million tons in the 2018-2019 period.

While this amount decreased to 1.9 million tons in the following season, it increased to 2.05 million tons in 2020-2021.

The EU's olive oil production, which was 2.27 million tons in the 2021-2022 period, was predicted to decline to 1.38 million tons this season, the lowest level in the last five years.

For non-EU countries, total olive oil production is expected to decrease to 1.12 million tons in the 2022-2023 season, from 1.13 million tons in the 2021-2022 season.

The total olive oil production was 3.38 million tons in the 2017-2018 season, 3.3 million tons in 2018-2019, 3.27 million tons in 2019-2020, 3 million tons in 2020-2021 and 3.4 million tons in 2021-2022.

The 2022-2023 forecast was determined as 2.5 million tons with a 26.3% decrease in production.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun from Istanbul