Turkey

2022 Turkey harvest report

After Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and drought compounded an off-year to reduce Turkey’s 2020 olive harvest significantly, production is set to rebound in the current crop year. According to the International Olive Council, Turkey produced 227,500 tons of olive oil in the 2021/22 crop year, slightly exceeding the rolling five-year average by 1.2 percent. The initial predictions for the harvest were even higher – 235,700 tons – but wildfires burned more than 160,000 hectares across southwestern Turkey last July and August, damaging as many as 500,000 olive trees and severely impacting local bee populations, which help pollinate the trees. Producers also said that climate change has made their jobs harder, with extreme weather events coming at unexpected times and sometimes coinciding with sensitive moments in the olive trees’ development. For example, some producers reported lower yields after heavy rains damaged their trees during flowering. Then, the lack of rainfall from May until October, the latter months of which the tree needs it most, also impacted yields. Away from the climate, some producers reported difficulties due to the global supply chain crisis and rising production costs. Importing new milling equipment was often delayed, sometimes missing the harvest entirely. Rising prices for electricity and fuel also ate into already slim profit margins. Away from the olive groves, producers also had to reckon with the Turkish government’s prohibition on bulk olive oil exports, which the government said was meant to help improve prices. However, producers and exporters said the plan did not work. As a result, exports did not increase as much as producers had hoped, reaching 46,000 tons. While bulk exports fell enormously, producers of individually-packaged olive oils were more optimistic. Buoyed by excellent performances at several international quality competitions, producers reported increased interest in their products from East Asia, the United States and the Gulf States, among others. Along with exports, olive oil consumption also rose slightly, reaching 170,000 tons. The Covid-19 pandemic caused more Turks to take up home cooking, which has helped support the domestic olive oil market. The 170,000-ton figure is tied second-highest on record with the 2019/20 crop year. In 2017/18, Turks consumed a record-high 176,500 tons of olive oil.