With the harvesting and milling operations completed, Ismea confirms the forecast data of 315 thousand tons of olive oil for the 2021-22 campaign, up by 15% on a 2020 particularly scarce.
"The situation by geographical area was very heterogeneous – underlines the Ismea report – and, albeit with important differences even between contiguous areas, the available indications show an increase in production in the South, such as to induce a positive sign on the entire national production. Puglia is certainly driving the recovery, with a +38% on last year, which however does not satisfy the producers.
Although a season of "charge" was expected, growth was clearly lower than both expectations and potential. There were many climatic factors that contributed to the loss of production – spring frosts, summer drought and the frequent alternation of heat and cold – which did not favor the optimal vegetative development of the olive groves. The high summer temperatures and the prolonged absence of rainfall have further aggravated the situation in all Italian areas, especially in those without irrigation systems”.
Worldwide, again according to the data processed by Ismea, the production estimates attest the volumes of the 2021/22 campaign to 3,1 million tons, synthesis of the decline in EU production (-3%), determined by the expected reduction in Spain (-7%) and Greece (-14%), and the simultaneous growth outside the borders of the EU, driven by Tunisia (+71%) , as well as from Turkey (+9%) and Morocco (+25%).
