Severe drought in Italy threatens to cut olive oil production

Olive trees in Italy’s main olive growing regions have suffered from abnormal heat and severe drought ahead of this year’s harvest, writes Olive Oil Times. The southern regions of the country, which account for the bulk of Italy’s olive oil production, have been hit hardest by the severe weather conditions, with damage to olive groves set to cause production to fall to historic lows this year.

The olive growers’ association Italia Olivicola predicts that a “bad harvest year” combined with extreme weather conditions will result in Italy’s olive oil production falling by at least 23% compared to the previous season. According to the farmers’ association Coldiretti Puglia, olive oil production in the region could drop by more than 50%. According to the report, numerous olive trees in Puglia are showing signs of water shortage, with many olives drying out right on the branches. In regions where irrigation was possible, water was still scarce: Puglia’s reservoirs were down by 57% compared to the previous season, leading to significant losses in the agricultural sector.

“The severe and prolonged drought is forcing farmers to carry out emergency irrigation at exorbitant prices, due to the high prices of fuel needed to extract water from wells and transport it in tanker trucks,” said Coldiretti, head of the association. In Basilicata, the critical state of the olive groves, observed since last year, has turned into a more severe emergency situation.

“We have already lost the entire olive crop for the current season,” said Italia Olivico president Paolo Colonna. “If these weather conditions continue, next season’s production could also be jeopardized.”

The situation in Sicily was no less serious, with dry weather causing olive trees in several parts of the island to crumble prematurely, a natural response to extreme stress. Somewhat less severe drought and temperature conditions also affected the central olive growing regions, including Lazio and Umbria. Conditions differed significantly in some central and northern regions, where different weather conditions, milder temperatures and heavy precipitation caused significant damage in some cases.

The European Union estimates that Italy produced 328,000 tons of olive oil in the 2023/24 crop year, well above the five-year average of 307,000 tons, and became the largest consumer of olive oil in the world with 410,000 tons.

Tags: olive oil, crop forecast, Italy