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Olive oil mill owners in Tunisia's Manouba governorate have raised significant alarms regarding the quality of this season's production, warning that a decline in standards could severely impact the product's competitiveness in international markets. These concerns emerge as the harvesting and milling season gains momentum across the region.
Industry stakeholders attribute the potential quality drop to two primary factors. Firstly, moisture levels in the current crop have plummeted to 13%, down from 18% during the same period last year. Secondly, critical delays in transporting olives from farms to mills have exacerbated the issue. These delays are driven by acute labor shortages and rising costs, leading farmers to store olives in substandard conditions while waiting to aggregate larger quantities to offset transport expenses. Such practices result in increased acidity levels and a loss of the sensory profile essential for premium oils, weakening Tunisia's position against major competitors like Spain and Italy.
Professionals in the sector emphasized the urgency of optimizing the transition from grove to mill to maintain the trust of traditional markets, most notably the United States. A mill owner in the Borj El Amri district highlighted that producing high-quality oil is the only way to ensure sustainable market access and maintain the global standing of Tunisian olive oil.
Manouba currently operates 18 olive mills, including four organic-certified facilities, with a total storage capacity of approximately 2,215 tons. According to the Regional Department of Agricultural Development in Manouba, the final estimates for the season include 14,560 tons of oil olives and 1,600 tons of table olives, with the harvest expected to conclude by late February.
Source: Assabah News