The observatory on prices and markets in Andalusia has just released new data for the 2021/2022 olive season. Andalusia is by far the most crucial olive oil-producing region in the world.
The report found 5.77 million tons of olives harvested and transformed, down 5.5 percent from the 2020/2021 season. About 41.6 percent of those olives were gathered in the Jaén province.
According to the observatory, Andalusia produced 1.15 million tons of olive oil last season. That accounted for 77.5 percent of Spain’s and 34 percent of the world’s olive oil production.
Olive oil yield fared 3.9 percent above the previous season and 4.3 percent above the last five seasons’ average. Approximately 43.4 percent of Andalusia’s olive oil production came from Jaén.
Jaén, Andalusia
Jaén, located in Andalusia, Spain, is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, producing 40% of Spain’s output and 25% of the global supply. The region is known for its high-quality, extra virgin olive oil produced from the Picual variety of olive. The local olive oil industry has a long history and tradition, with olive trees being grown in the area for thousands of years.
In all, olive oil shipments comprised 72.6 percent of the regional exports, a 5.4 percent decrease from the previous season and a 2.8 percent increase from the last five seasons’ average.
Andalusia also exported 69.3 percent of the olive oil produced by local millers, with an average price of €3.61 per kilogram. 55.5 percent of those exports went to European Union member countries, with Italy absorbing 26.5 percent of the overall Andalusia exports.
In 2021/2022, 17.5 percent of Andalusia’s olive oil was shipped to the United States, one of the most important oil importers globally.
Andalusia olive oil imports grew 25.8 percent compared to the last campaign, reaching 163.090 tons. When compared to the previous five seasons, imports rose 34.6 percent. Most of these imports, 55.2 percent, came from Portugal, followed by Tunisia (29.8 percent).
Between 2019/2020 and 2021/2022, olive oil consumption in Andalusia per capita dropped from 8.3 to 7.2 kilograms per year. The national per capita consumption dropped from 8.7 to 7.4 kilograms per year during the same timeframe.
The observatory analysts interpret these trends as returning to normal after the consumption surge triggered by the COVID-19 epidemic and the associated lockdowns. During the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 campaigns, Andalusia olive oil per capita consumption reached 7.5 and 7.2 kilos yearly.
The observatory also certified that the storage capacities at the end of the 2021/2022 campaign were 453,758 tons.
Finally, the new 2021/2022 report stressed the significant growth of the olive-growing areas in the region. Between 2013 and 2022, olive farmland grew from 1,541,109 to 1,639,627 hectares.
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