Olive Oil Production in China Reaches 5,000 Tons
While still a relatively small olive oil supplier, China is looking to expand domestic production to satisfy a growing market for healthier oils.
China’s olive oil proÂducÂtion increased by 75 perÂcent this year to 5,000 tons, with 25 mills employÂing 15,000 peoÂple in provinces like Gansu and Shaanxi. Despite this growth, domesÂtic proÂducÂtion only meets 12 perÂcent of China’s needs, with imports from Spain and Italy makÂing up the majorÂity.
Twenty-five mills in China manÂaged to proÂduce 5,000 tons of olive oil this year accordÂing to the International Olive Council citÂing offiÂcial sources, a 75 perÂcent increase over the preÂviÂous seaÂson.
Olive oil proÂducÂtion in the world’s most popÂuÂlous counÂtry employed approxÂiÂmately 15,000 peoÂple, mostly in the Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces. The amount of land devoted to olive proÂducÂtion was reported to amount to 86,000 hectares.
Domestic proÂducÂtion repÂreÂsents about 12 perÂcent of the counÂtry’s curÂrent needs, with imports last year close to 36,000 tons, the IOC said in its August newsletÂter. Most of the imports were from Spain (81 perÂcent), folÂlowed and Italy (13 perÂcent).
Olive oil conÂsumpÂtion in China remains exceedÂingly small comÂpared to other major marÂkets like the United States, for examÂple, which imports 10 times as much olive oil from abroad.
In other IOC news, Tunisia became the first counÂtry to exeÂcute the new International Agreement on Olive Oil and Table Olives, an unsurÂprisÂing develÂopÂment folÂlowÂing the recent elecÂtion of Tunisian Abdellatif Ghedira as the IOC’s execÂuÂtive direcÂtor.
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