"We are experiencing an exceptional harvest in regards to our quality and volume of fruit, but we are noticing a dramatic drop in yields in comparison to previous years."
Diamantis Pierrakos, Laconiko (Greece)
"The quality of the oil this year is excellent, while the yield was very low. Climate change is not fiction!"
Ceil Friedman, Az. Agricola Cordioli Erminio & C. (Italy)
"Flowering was perfect. Cold never came so olives full of water yielded 30% to 40% below normal. But great parfumes and very good taste."
Giulio Di Gropello, Carma (Italy)
"Across the region, producers experienced lower than usual (8-10%) oil in the fruit in the early harvest and 10-12% in the ordinary harvest."
Juraj Ivanković, Otres (Croatia)
"We believe that traditional cultivation and rain-fed orchards can only survive if quality is on a top level."
Nikolas Philippidis, ena ena By Hellenic Fields (Greece)
"Climate change represents the most significant threat to olive trees, posing serious risks to their cultivation and long-term sustainability."
Berrin, Aterna Organic Olive Farm (Turkey)
"This year is better than last year but the La Niña phenomenon, which means a dry year, is worrying for the 2025 harvest."
Hector Troncoso, Sociedad Agrícola Santa Carmen ltda (Chile)
"Moroccan oil prices are going to be less competitive due to highest quantities of production in Spain and most other producing countries this year."
Ghizlane Tazi Mouden, EVOO Factory (Morocco)
"I cannot compete with larger producers who can consistently deliver oil to their suppliers and I am at a loss to find enough buyers this year to cover my escalating production costs."
Lauren Clancy, Villa le Masse di San Leolino (Italy)
"Late big rains this fall has affected yield but it's going to be excellent for the 2025 crop. Hopefully in one year prices will come back to €3 to €4 for extra virgin."
Carlos Matillas, Hazienda La Rambla (Spain)
"Our main concern is the market and the pricing. Prices are falling like a stone, discarding the increase in costs. We hope the growth in consumption will come back with lower prices."
Mehmet Taki, Bata Tarim Farm (Turkey)
"The quantity of fruit on the trees, due to very difficult weather conditions, was very small but the fat content is good and the oil quality is excellent."
John Cancilla, Marqués de Valdueza (Spain)
"We are trying to produce high quality under acceptable prices. Water has become an important limit in production, and we are trying to have additional water for the dry summer period."
Edi, Terra Eno Olea (Croatia)
"As my trees mature I am getting larger and larger harvests but I am very concerned about labor shortages in California."
Beth Mccown, Central Coast Olive Company (United States)
"This an off year for us. Smaller olives, tourism doubled."
Richard Meisler, San Miguel Olive Farm (United States)
"My trees are on a Greek island that has suffered from high temperatures and no rain for many months. Farmers who had a ready supply of water did well. Those without did not."
Alex Martin, Fifty Trees (Greece)
"The harvest was seriously affected by excessive spring rains in 2023. The new fruit set is also affected by a cloud of Amazon ashes that blocked the right pollination."
Fernando H. Rotondo, Olivopampa (Brazil)
"This year, olive oil is more than just good quality; it has fruitiness and a big amount of polyphenols, which help extend the quality expiration date."
Ivan Vicenco Pensa, OPG Pensa Bogdan / Ivan Vicenco (Croatia)
"Last ten years we didn't have a good harvest in terms of quantity. We are still waiting to get back to the volumes we had before but I am affraid nature is not willing to cooperate."
Iztok Obad, Ekološka Kmetija OBAD (Slovenia)
"Climate change, excessive heat, very high temperatures and heavy rain at flowering have been a problem. Issues like fraud and smuggling from conflict zones have tainted the reputation."
Zeynep Belger, Zayto (Turkey)
"The competitiveness is intense and the continuous improvement of production and sustainable practices is a challenge."
Stavros Kallas, Stavros Georgios Kallas oe (Greece)
"We need more collaboration between producer countries. We should be partners and not competitors. We need each other and the market can bear all of us."
Raouf Ellouze, Domaine Chograne (Tunisia)
"Out moderate harvest was badly affected by summer heat, early ripening and intense olive fly infestation. The season is changing, we are adapting!"
Roger Taylor, Finca la Fermosa (Spain)
"The biggest threats to our work are the labor shortage and the possibility of an escalation of the Russia-Ukraine War that will disrupt the global market and logistic chains."
Julio Alves, Quinta dos Olmais (Portugal)
"Climate change is disrupting harvests, while industrial farming contributes to environmental damage. The key is transforming the industry to work with nature, not against it."
Georgia Vassilaki, Vassilakis Estate - Vassilakis Emm SA (Greece)
"Monitoring conditions daily, the weather granted us a small window, ensuring our early harvest at the maturity point we sought."
Lucia Gamez, Tropicual (Spain)
"The quality of the olive oil was very good but the yeld was extremely poor."
Antonio Gioacchini, Azienda Agricola Gioacchini Antonio e Antonio (Italy)