Portugal's olive oil production is expected to fall by up to 50%, compared to the previous campaign, due to the drought, mainly, said the Secretary General of Casa do Azeite, Mariana Matos, in an interview with Lusa. "It is estimated that national production may suffer a drop of 30%-40% compared to the previous campaign. In some traditional olive grove regions, these breaks can even reach 50%," he said.

According to her, the drop in production is due to the fact that this is a "counter-season", but also to drought. The traditional olive grove, dry, is the most affected by drought, especially the regions of Trás-os-Montes and Beiras, where this type predominates. With regard to the Alentejo region, with olive groves in hedge, irrigated, there was "some breakage" due to the high temperatures "at the time of flowering and the contrassafra".

According to Lusa, Portuguese olive oil exports increased 36% in volume and 57% in value between January and October, but domestic sales fell about 14% compared to 2021, according to data advanced by Casa do Azeite. "By market, italy (+84%) and Spain (+55%) stand out for the export of bulk olive oil. Brazil, on the other hand, remains the main destination market for packaged olive oil, with exports growing 6.5%, compared to the same period in 2021. With activity since 1976, Casa do Azeite is an employer's association of private law, which represents almost all associations of brand olive oil packaged in Portugal", concludes the Agency.

Source: Agrolink