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Algeria's current agricultural season has seen an exceptional olive bumper crop, with output reaching levels not recorded in six years, as production of both olive oil and table olives rose sharply on the back of an expanded growing area, according to the website Al-Khabar.
Producers from several regions confirmed that current abundance levels are the highest in nearly seven years, with oil output doubling compared with last season. The total area planted with olive trees is estimated at around 500,000 hectares, split between 300,000 hectares for oil production and 200,000 hectares for table olives.
Olive cultivation is no longer confined to traditional growing regions but has spread to cover most provinces, including inland areas such as Djelfa and Laghouat, thanks to the tree's adaptability and the support extended to farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture has played a pivotal role in this development by providing financial support and soft loans such as "Al-Rafiq" and "Al-Tahaddi", which have helped fund new projects and cover irrigation and equipment costs.
In one success story, Hakim Alileche, owner of the Dahabia farm in Djelfa province, said his farm comprises 20,000 trees across 40 hectares and produces high-quality oil that has won international awards. This surge in output has placed severe pressure on olive presses, forcing producers to wait in long queues to have their harvests pressed.
For his part, Amhamed Belaassela, head of the National Joint Professional Council for the Olive Sector, pointed to a significant expansion in planted areas, although no precise figures are yet available for total production. He noted that Algeria has around 1,700 olive presses, including some 870 traditional presses and 480 modern ones, both automatic and semi-automatic.
Source: Al-Khabar