Olive oil: good prospects for the 2025/26 season
October 15, 2025 at 2:39 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Turkey aims to increase export value of table olives
The Turkish olive sector is more than satisfied with the results of the 2024/25 season. With a production of 750,000 mt, Turkey has become the world's largest producer of table olives. According to Emre Uygu, chairman of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters' Association, the sector's target for the 2024/25 season was to export table olives worth USD 250 million. With an actual export value of 255.31 million mt (USD 194 million black olives and USD 61.4 million green olives), the forecast was even exceeded. In the 2023/24 season, exports only amounted to USD 209 million. The export volume in the 2024/25 season was 100,884 mt, the second-best result since the record year of 2021/22, when Turkey exported around 109,000 mt of table olives.
Turkey exports its table olives to around 117 countries worldwide. The main buyers last season were Germany, Iraq, Romania and the USA. In the 2024/25 season, EU countries imported a total of 137,621 mt of table olives worth EUR 296.819 million from third countries, with the majority of shipments coming from Morocco and Turkey, at 49,319 mt and 42,164 mt respectively. In contrast, EU exports to third countries amounted to 395,793 mt worth EUR 1.214 billion. Around 60% of exports come from Spain (238,968 mt), with Greece being the second largest supplier with 101,491 mt. With a share of around one third, the USA (138,411 mt) is by far the most important export market, followed by the UK (42,133 mt) and Russia (28,604 mt).
Estimates of the olive crop yield and olive oil production are currently being made in Turkey. The results are expected to be available at the end of October. According to Uygu, table olive production in the 2025/26 season is expected to be similar to last year. The recent rainfall in the growing regions could have a positive effect on the yield and quality of the crop. In the hope of rising prices on the world market, the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters' Association expects that table olives worth USD 300 million can be exported from Turkey in the new season.
|
EU olive export, in mt |
|||
|
Partner |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
Diff. |
|
USA |
130,514 |
138,411 |
6.1% |
|
UK |
41,369 |
42,133 |
1.8% |
|
Russia |
37,349 |
28,604 |
-23.4% |
|
Saudi-Arabia |
27,162 |
25,723 |
-5.3% |
|
Canada |
22,292 |
25,690 |
15.2% |
|
Australia |
16,416 |
16,082 |
-2.0% |
|
Others |
107,078 |
119,150 |
11.3% |
|
Total |
382,180 |
395,793 |
3.6% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/10-30/09 07099210+20019065+20057000 Olives, fresh or chilled, prepared or preserved |
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EU exports up by a quarter
Thanks to a significantly better olive crop and the resulting olive oil production, EU countries were able to significantly increase their exports to third countries again last season. In the period from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025, the EU supplied a total of 665,614 mt of olive oil (EU categories 1 to 5, treated and untreated) worth EUR 4.25 billion to third countries. This represents a 24% increase in export volume, while the export value was around EUR 0.5 billion higher – the average export price in 2023/2024 was EUR 9.14/kg, compared to only EUR 6.38/kg in the previous season.
At 343,536 mt, more than half of EU exports came from Spain, followed by Italy (231,881 mt), Portugal (68,254 mt) and Greece (25,987 mt). Around one third of EU shipments, namely 219,141 mt, went to the USA, with other important buyer countries being Brazil (68,135 mt), the UK (+54,204 mt) and Canada (32,814 mt).
EU imports last season amounted to only 65,590 mt of olive oil worth EUR 288.281 million. With 46,633 mt, the majority of shipments came from Tunisia, while Turkey exported only 1,601 mt of olive oil to the EU – which was actually 14% more than in the previous year.
|
EU olive oil exports, in mt |
|||
|
Partner |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
Diff. |
|
USA |
203,761 |
219,141 |
7.5% |
|
Brazil |
61,014 |
68,135 |
11.7% |
|
UK |
47,447 |
54,204 |
14.2% |
|
Canada |
20,711 |
32,814 |
58.4% |
|
Japan |
30,265 |
31,396 |
3.7% |
|
South Korea |
16,269 |
30,845 |
89.6% |
|
China |
11,576 |
28,527 |
146.4% |
|
Australia |
16,260 |
27,115 |
66.8% |
|
Mexico |
20,092 |
17,455 |
-13.1% |
|
Switzerland |
15,072 |
16,337 |
8.4% |
|
Others |
94,365 |
139,645 |
48.0% |
|
Total |
536,832 |
665,614 |
24.0% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/10-30/09 15092000+15093000+15094000+15099000 Olive oil |
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