Africa / Middle East
Mar. 6, 2026
Historic Award for Iranian Olive Oil Producer Comes as Conflict Shuts Down Business
Saeed Shahmoradi became the first Iranian producer to win at the NYIOOC, but celebrations were quickly overtaken by conflict, business closures and deepening economic uncertainty in Tehran.
Mar. 5, 2026
Morocco Expands Protection for Regional Olive Oils
Morocco’s Agriculture Ministry has launched a new certification drive to expand geographical indications and protected origin labels, with olive oil a top priority.
Feb. 18, 2026
Great Winterhoek Slopes Help Shape Award-Winning South African Olive Oils
Jan Hendrik Basson says cooler nights and careful harvest timing help Porterville Olives produce award-winning oils from the Great Winterhoek slopes, including its Nocellara del Belice flagship, Andante Intenso.
Feb. 6, 2026
Morocco’s Olive Harvest Races Ahead as Rain, Cold and Labor Shortages Tighten the Window
Moroccan growers are accelerating the harvest after a delayed start and weeks of rain and cold. Labor shortages and higher wages are squeezing timelines even as extraction rates rise and retail olive oil prices fall.
Feb. 4, 2026
Jordan Expands Tunisian Olive Oil Imports as Drought Squeezes Local Supply
Jordan has approved imports of 10,000 tons of Tunisian olive oil as the country faces sharply reduced production following prolonged drought.
Dec. 1, 2025
Lebanon’s Growers Struggle as Conflict, Climate Pressures Deepen
Lebanon’s 2025/2026 olive harvest is unfolding under extreme strain, with drought, soaring costs and persistent military tensions in the south driving yields sharply lower. Farmers describe a season marked by insecurity, water scarcity and rapidly rising prices.
Nov. 17, 2025 World
Amid the Hum of Olive Mills, Afrin Farmers Work Under Threat
Nov. 12, 2025 Production
Report Exposes Extortion and Violence in Syria’s Olive Heartland
Nov. 5, 2025 News Briefs
Falling Prices and Fraud Claims Cloud Tunisia’s Olive Oil Boom
Nov. 4, 2025 News Briefs
Drought and Low Yields Push Jordan to Explore Olive Oil Imports
Nov. 4, 2025 Producer Profiles
Willow Creek’s Cooperative Approach Brings Stability to Olive Growers
Oct. 24, 2025
Tunisia Eyes Record Olive Oil Production
Tunisia expects a record 500,000-ton olive oil harvest, a 50 percent increase from last year, strengthening its economy and global standing among top producers.
Oct. 20, 2025
Turkey's Table Olive Exports Reach Record High
In the 2024/25 crop year, Turkey's table olive exports reached a record high of $255 million, with green olive exports showing the largest increase.
Oct. 8, 2025
Tunisia’s Olive Oil Sector Faces Record Harvest Amid Price Collapse and Fraud Allegations
Tunisia is poised for a record olive oil harvest, but the sector is mired in collapsing prices, farmer unrest, and allegations of large-scale illegal sales to Spanish buyers.
Sep. 29, 2025
Moroccan Olive Growers Hope for Record Harvest and Exports
Morocco's olive season is off to a strong start, with favorable weather conditions and investments expected to lead to record production and lower prices.
Sep. 26, 2025
Turkish Producer Monsida Eyes Global Markets After Record Harvest
After decades of experience in the olive oil sector, the producer behind Monsida is betting on early harvest endemic monovarietals to break through at home and abroad.
Aug. 21, 2025
Turkey Approves Coal Mining in Olive Groves
The new law, which allows mining operations to take place in olive groves, will make the country's olive sector compete for land with the energy sector.
Aug. 6, 2025
Southern Hemisphere NYIOOC Nears Registration Deadline as September Results Loom
Registration for the Southern Hemisphere edition of the 2025 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition is closing soon, with organizers preparing to reveal award winners beginning in September.
Feb. 7, 2025
Tunisian Export Group Prepares Promotional Blitz
The Tunisian Export Promotion Center is set to host 66 events globally in 2025, with 20 focussed on olive oil producers and exporters.
Jan. 29, 2025
Israeli Harvest Concludes Against Backdrop of War
Amid rocket fire, workforce shortages and disrupted supply chains, Islaraeli olive growers completed another complicated harvest.
Jan. 28, 2025
Moroccan Producers Face Third Straight Year of Declining Production
Olive oil production is expected to fall to 90,000 metric tons, resulting in rapidly rising prices and fears of a shortage.
Dec. 30, 2024
Iraq Announces Plans to Rejoin Olive Council
The Iraqi parliament is expected to ratify the 2015 International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, a necessary step to rejoining the International Olive Council.
Dec. 16, 2024
Turkey’s Olive Sector Aims for Record $1B in Exports
Olive oil and table olive exports could bring $1 billion to Turkish producers. However, previous export bans have hampered efforts.
Dec. 14, 2024
Political Turmoil Complicates Efforts to Revive Syrian Exports
After overthrowing the autocratic rule of former President Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s new governing coalition said it would enact free-market reforms and stimulate exports.
Nov. 24, 2024
Arrest of CHO Group CEO Shocks Tunisian Olive Oil Sector
An abundant olive harvest in Tunisia has the country's largest olive oil exporter working at full tilt, even as questions linger about the company's chief executive.
Nov. 12, 2024
Jordan Braces for Disappointing Harvest Amid Low Oil Yields
Despite initial hopes for a larger harvest, Jordan now predicts olive production will reach 26,000 metric tons this year, a reduction of 4,000 tons.