While the olive trees give an appearance that will repeat the yield of 2022 thousand tons of olive oil and 23 thousand tons of table olives in the 422/735 season, the fact that the ban on bulk and barreled olive oil exports on August 1, 2023 has not been lifted for 10 months is drawing the reaction of the Turkish olive oil industry.
20 institutions that determine the fate of the Turkish olive and olive oil sector, which came together hosted by the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association, published a joint statement, stating that exports of agricultural products are the insurance of the producers and that the insurance should not be taken away from the producers, and demanded that the ban on bulk and barreled olive oil exports be lifted immediately. They were found.
In the joint declaration signed by 20 institutions; “In the 2023/24 season; From the year of 185 thousand tons of harvest and the previous record production determined by the National Olive and Olive Oil Council, 170 thousand tons of transfer stock and 30 thousand tons of olive oil supply were created with 385 thousand tons coming from Syria. With an estimated 60 thousand tons of olive oil export and 125 thousand tons of consumption, 200 thousand tons of olive oil stock will be transferred to the next season. This amount will easily meet the needs of the domestic market and also enable exports. The yield losses experienced in Spain and other producing countries and the increase in our country's production presented an important opportunity for our country to export. While world prices are at 10 Euros and we can export at these high prices, the opportunity continues to be missed. The olive oil export restriction resulted in the storage of olive oils under inappropriate conditions and loss of quality. "Our loss in this process was around 400 million euros."
The precautionary decision did not benefit anyone
The statement continued, noting that the measure brought to the export of bulk and barreled olive oil was taken in order to reduce prices in the domestic market; “The price of olive oil, which was 180 TL when the precautionary decision was taken, has increased to 350 TL, far from decreasing. While our exports were 2022 thousand tons in the 23/150 season, they lost around 2023 percent in the 24/70 season. Exporters were not the only ones harmed by the precautionary decision. Since the producer could not sell his products to exporters, our producers lost income. "First of all, Türkiye and Turkish olive oil exporters have lost reputation in export markets."
In Turkey, a harvest of over 2024 thousand tons is expected in the 25/400 season
In a joint statement, 20 powerful institutions of the Turkish olive industry pointed out that Turkey's annual olive oil consumption is at the level of 120 thousand tons, and they put forward a projection for the 2024/25 season. The following opinions were expressed in the continuation of the statement: “We are entering 2024/25 with a stock of around 200 thousand tons. Considering the 50 thousand tons of Afrin olive oil and the expected yield of over 400 thousand tons, we are faced with the existence of 600-650 thousand tons of olive oil. We don't even have the tank capacity to store this olive oil. Under these conditions, our olive oils will rapidly lose value and our extra virgin olive oils will be turned into refining.”
We should not force producers to cut down olive trees
In the continuation of the statement, it is reminded that Türkiye has increased its olive tree population to 25 million with the investments it has made in the olive growing sector in the last 200 years; “When the trees reach full productivity, a yield of 650 thousand tons of olive oil and 1 million 200 thousand tons of table olives is expected. It is of great importance and priority to encourage our exporters and producers to transform this yield into added value. Otherwise, our producers, who cut down olive trees in the 1980s, will have to cut down the existing olive trees, crying their hearts out. "We should not force producers to cut down olive trees," it said.
The joint statement, which included the prediction that world production will be 2024 million tons in the 25/3,5 season, said: "Since the olive oil yield is high worldwide, export prices will decrease. If the precautionary decision continues, all stakeholders of the sector and our country will lose. For these reasons, producers, industrialists and exporters in the Turkish olive oil sector as one voice; “The precautionary decision on bulk and barreled olive oil exports should be lifted today, not postponed until tomorrow. It should not be forgotten that export of agricultural products is the farmer's insurance. Price stability in many agricultural products, especially olive oil, is achieved through exports. The declaration was concluded by saying, "We say that the producer's insurance should not be taken away."
At the meeting hosted by the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association, the declaration titled "The precautionary decision on bulk and barreled olive oil exports should be lifted today, not postponed until tomorrow"; “Akhisar Commodity Exchange, Akhisar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Aydın Chamber of Industry, Aydın Commodity Exchange, Aydın Chamber of Commerce, Ayvalık Chamber of Commerce, Ayvalık Olive Producers Association, Burhaniye Chamber of Commerce, Edremit Commodity Exchange, Edremit Chamber of Commerce, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association, Izmir Commodity Exchange, Izmir Chamber of Commerce, Edremit Gulf Olive and Olive Oil Producers Federation, Manisa Commodity Exchange, Manisa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Söke Commodity Exchange, Tariş Olive and Olive Oil Association, Tire Chamber of Commerce and National Olive and Olive Oil Council” signed.
Source: HORECA TREND and Beyaz News Agency