Portugal’s olive oil production is expected to fall by around 20% this year due to scorching temperatures and a prolonged lack of rainfall, according to Olivum, the country’s association of olive growers and mills.
In an updated forecast released this week, Olivum said the national harvest is likely to yield between 140,000 and 150,000 tonnes of olive oil – down from an earlier projection of up to 170,000 tonnes and well below last year’s production levels.
“The first days of the harvest confirm that yields are below expectations,” said Susana Sassetti, Olivum’s executive director, attributing the disappointing outcome to “extreme heat and four months without rain”.
“In several parts of Portugal, drought and extreme temperatures during the maturation phase led to the fruit’s dehydration, affecting productivity,” Sassetti said, adding that even irrigated groves are struggling and desperate for more water.
Sassetti noted that the extent of the decline will depend on how much oil the olives produce during pressing. The overall situation is worrying producers and creating a “climate of concern,” Sassetti added.
The current campaign, which began in October, runs through December in the Alentejo region and into early next year in northern Portugal.
Olivum represents more than 53,000 hectares of olive groves, 21 mills, and roughly 70% of Portugal’s total olive oil output.
