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Rachid Benali, head of Morocco's Inter-Professional Federation for Olive Production, said the kingdom is on track to register a record olive harvest during the current agricultural season. He explained that this anticipated abundance in the crop will have a direct, positive impact on domestic markets by driving down olive oil prices.
In remarks to Assahifa, Benali predicted that prices would fall to around 50 dirhams per litre for consumers in the coming period, attributing this to the expected bumper olive crop, which could push total oil output this season to between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes.
The federation head noted that this year's harvest season could extend for a relatively longer period, possibly until late January or early February 2026, due to delayed rainfall and a shortage of labour. Nevertheless, he expressed optimism about achieving a large and successful season, which would have a positive effect on supply in the domestic market and support export operations.
This optimism follows last season, 2024-2025, which saw a marked decline in production to around 950,000 tonnes, affected by drought, heatwaves and the natural alternate-bearing cycle of the trees. However, the current improvement in weather conditions has led the federation to forecast a strong recovery, with estimates suggesting the olive harvest could reach two million tonnes, the highest level in years, potentially yielding around 200,000 tonnes or more of oil.
Geographically, the Fès-Meknès, Oriental, and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma regions remain the country's main production hubs, together accounting for roughly two-thirds of national output.
On the export front, data from the Foreign Exchange Office showed a notable rise in olive oil exports during the first half of 2024, reaching 8,498 tonnes compared with 4,859 tonnes in the same period of 2023, despite export restrictions imposed since October 2023 to prioritise the domestic market.
The data points to continued upward momentum in exports to international markets, led by Spain, which imported around half of Morocco's virgin oil exports in 2023. The United States has also strengthened its position as a key destination, receiving more than 1.25 million kilogrammes that same year. Markets for Moroccan olive oil also extend to countries such as Italy, Canada and Malaysia.
Source: Assahifa