Final Call for 2026 S. Hemisphere NYIOOC
The 2026 Southern Hemisphere NYIOOC is entering its final registration period, giving producers from Australia, South America, New Zealand and South Africa a last opportunity to enter their current-harvest oils.
Registration for the Southern Hemisphere edition of the 2026 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition closes September 15, leaving producers several weeks to enter extra virgin olive oils from the current harvest.
Judging is already underway under an earlier schedule introduced for the 2026 edition. Early results will begin to roll out in the coming weeks, allowing producers who submitted samples soon after harvest to receive recognition earlier in their commercial season. All qualifying samples must arrive by October 1.
We can supply the world with the freshest olive oil right when the Northern Hemisphere’s stocks are aging.
Producers from Southern Hemisphere countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay are participating in a competition calendar designed around harvests south of the equator.
The timing can provide a distinct commercial advantage. While oils from the previous Northern Hemisphere harvest have already spent months in storage and distribution, newly milled Southern Hemisphere oils are entering domestic and export markets.
Eleanor Stoker, chief executive of Willow Creek Olive Estate in South Africa, said that the seasonal difference creates an important opportunity for producers in the region.
A worker inspects olives at Willow Creek Olive Estate in South Africa, where the producer combines its own production with fruit supplied by members of its Guild of Groves. (Photo: Willow Creek Olive Estate)
“We can supply the world with the freshest olive oil right when the Northern Hemisphere’s stocks are aging,” she told Olive Oil Times.
Willow Creek, one of South Africa’s largest olive oil producers, earned two awards at the 2025 Southern Hemisphere NYIOOC and has accumulated numerous competition honors over nearly three decades. The company exports to the United Kingdom, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates and plans to expand its international distribution.
The producer has also sought to extend its quality-focused approach beyond its own groves. Its Guild of Groves brings together 35 South African olive farmers who deliver fruit to Willow Creek for grading, milling, storage, bottling and distribution.
The cooperative produced about 250,000 kilograms of olive oil in its first year and increased output to about 450,000 kilograms as new growers joined. The model is intended to help farmers share infrastructure, lower production costs and reduce the financial swings caused by weather, changing yields and the olive tree’s natural alternate-bearing cycle.
For Willow Creek, international recognition is part of a broader effort to position high-quality olive oil as a premium product rather than a commodity whose value is determined largely by bulk market prices.
Producers elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere have also found that competition results can carry weight with buyers. In Chile’s Curicó Valley, Agroindustrial Siracusa earned a Silver Award at the 2025 NYIOOC for its Aura Arbequina, following its previous Gold for the Aura Premium blend.
Agroindustrial Siracusa’s centrally located mill in Chile’s Curicó Valley allows harvested olives to be processed within hours of leaving the grove, helping preserve freshness and quality. (Photo: Agroindustrial Siracusa)
“We see the importance of this award to our clients,” general manager Felipe Juillerat told Olive Oil Times.
Juillerat said the company’s international accolades have helped increase sales value in its largest export market. The Chilean producer sells about half of its output abroad, with shipments reaching the United States, Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil and several Asian markets.
In Brazil, producers are also setting new records in the competition. Azeite Pedregais, in Rio Grande do Sul’s Serra do Sudeste, earned two awards in the 2025 Southern Hemisphere edition, bringing its total to 11 NYIOOC awards in four years, including nine Gold Awards.
The results reflect the growing geographic diversity of premium extra virgin olive oil production and the increasingly important role Southern Hemisphere producers play in supplying fresh oils at a different point in the global production cycle.
Workers harvest olives at Azeite Pedregais in Brazil’s Serra do Sudeste, where the producer has built a strong record for award-winning extra virgin olive oils. (Photo: Azeite Pedregais)
The NYIOOC is the world’s largest olive oil quality competition, drawing more than 1,000 entries from leading olive-growing regions. Entries are evaluated blind by an international sensory analysis team, with winning results released as they are verified.
Award-winning oils are published in the Official Guide to the World’s Best Olive Oils, where buyers, importers, retailers, chefs, journalists and consumers can discover recognized brands. Results are also incorporated into the Olive Oil Times World Ranking, which tracks the performance of producers and brands across successive competition years.
Registration for the 2026 Southern Hemisphere NYIOOC closes September 15. Samples must be received by October 1, with judging continuing until the final certification of results in November.