Bata Tarim Ve Gida Urunleri Wins 4th Straight

Turkish producer Bata Tarim Ve Gida Urunleri has claimed a fourth-consecutive award at the 2023 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world's largest olive oil quality contest.

Winning at the NYIOOC is the best reward after a hard season. It's the recognition of our hard work throughout the year.

Mehmet Taki, co-owner

The producer, which overlooks the ruins of Homer's Troy and the entrance of the Dardanelle Straits, earned a Gold Award for its Safitad Private Reserve, a medium Ayvalik.

"Winning at the NYIOOC is the best reward after a hard season," co-owner Mehmet Taki said. "It's the recognition of our hard work throughout the year."

"This year, we hope to use this achievement more effectively to promote the story of our farm and our olive oil," he added. "We hope to join the competition again next year with some additional offerings."

Bata Tarim Ve Gida Urunleri previously earned four NYIOOC accolades, including Silver Awards in 2020 and 2021 for its Private Reserve brand and Gold Awards in 2021 for an Early Harvest and in 2022 for its Private Reserve brand.

In the 2022/23 crop year, the company produced 30 tons of extra virgin olive oil using traditional methods, benefiting from benevolent climate conditions.

"From a climate perspective, we were lucky," Taki said. "Unlike Western Europe, we had a mild summer with sufficient rain."

"Our biggest challenge was the olive fly," he added. "Due to high input costs, nearby farmers gave up the fight with the fly, leaving us alone. We faced a difficult battle, as the flies found safe sanctuaries around, trebling our insecticide costs."

Held each spring in New York, the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is the world's most prestigious olive oil contest. Its annual listing of award winners is considered the authoritative guide to the year’s best extra virgin olive oils.

The complete list of winners can be viewed in the Official Guide to the World's Best Olive Oils.