Morrocan Olive Oil Exports Rise After Last Year’s Bumper Crop

The Ministry of Agriculture said international sales of olive oil increased by 47 percent, with most new olive oil shipments headed to Europe.

Moroccan olive oil exports by volume have doubled in the first eight months of 2022 compared to the previous year.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture, the overall value of exports also grew 47 percent, reaching MAD 456 million (€42.3 million).

The ministry said export volumes had been positively affected by rising international demand for olive oil.

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In the first eight months of the year, Moroccan companies exported 13,200 tons of olive oil. The International Olive Council (IOC) estimates that Morocco will export 28,000 tons of olive oil in the 2021/22 crop year, which runs from October to September.

The ministry noted how European Union countries had been the primary purchasers of Moroccan olive oil, with sales rising by 220 percent in volumes and 260 percent in value.

The ministry added that olive pomace oil exports also have grown by 140 percent in the first eight months of the current year, with trade value exceeding MAD 212 million (€19.7 million).

Olive oil and pomace oil exports to European Union countries grew steadily from 2016 to 2019, rising from 17,256 tons to 37,158. However, volumes dropped to 11,180 tons in the 2019/20 crop year. Of those, extra virgin olive oil accounted for 6,017 tons.

According to the ministry, Morocco produced 1.96 million tons of olives in the 2021/22 crop year, an increase of 21 percent compared with the previous one.

Rising production figures are the fruit of the long-term plan for olive growing expansion in the country, which is quickly becoming one of the most relevant olive oil producers outside of Europe.

Domestic olive oil consumption has also increased considerably recently, rising from 100,000 tons in 2010/11 to 150,000 tons expected in the current season.

After producing 200,000 tons of olive oil in the 2021/22 crop year, the current campaign is unlikely to yield the same results.

Moroccan olive farms have borne the consequences of the severe drought and heat waves, with the two most prominent olive-producing regions expecting steep production drops in 2022/23.