Greece expects a record olive harvest in the new season

Olive oil production in Greece in 2022/23 marketing year could rise significantly, despite modest figures in the 2021/22 season, which were at the level of 227 thousand tons. According to some estimates, the output of this product in the current MY will approach or even exceed 300 thousand tons.

According to market participants and industry experts, the yield of Greek olives this season will be a record, especially on the island of Crete, but the country is struggling with a shortage of labor in the plantations.

In Crete, agricultural producers are also counting on a maximum yield of more than 100,000 tons, although farms warn that pests (drosophila) that have appeared on plantations can affect the gross harvest.

The head of the Palea Roumata agricultural association, Yorgos Motakis, said that in summer the weather conditions in Greece, unlike in some parts of Western and Southern Europe, were favorable, and the harvest in Spain and Italy is expected to be lower than originally announced estimates.

“Some growers have already started harvesting olives. However, the shortage of workers is a huge problem,” he said.

The head of the Agioi Apostoloi association in Laconia (Greece), Panagiotis Batzakis, noted that most of the workers left for Italy.

In general, the majority of market participants in Greece are counting on record production volumes for both raw materials and finished products in the new season.

Tags: Greece