Sidi Bouzid Olive Harvest 2026: Tunisia’s Top Region Expects 350,000 Tonnes

Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia’s largest olive-growing governorate, is forecasting a 2026/27 olive harvest of around 350,000 tonnes, with picking set to begin in mid-October across more than 307,000 hectares of groves, according to a report published September 30 by Tunisie Tribune.

A Region Built Around Olives

Olive trees cover roughly 75% of all farmed land in Sidi Bouzid, home to an estimated 23 million trees, making the governorate the backbone of Tunisia’s olive oil industry alongside Sfax and Kairouan. Only about 19% of that area is irrigated, meaning the bulk of this year’s crop depends on rainfed orchards, a factor that typically makes Sidi Bouzid’s output swing more sharply from one season to the next than irrigated regions. To process the incoming harvest, the governorate counts 119 operating oil mills with a combined daily crushing capacity of 6,274 tonnes of olives and storage capacity for 20,448 tonnes of oil, infrastructure local producers will lean on heavily once the mid-October harvest window opens.

How Sidi Bouzid Fits Tunisia’s National Picture

Sidi Bouzid’s 350,000-tonne olive estimate lands against a national 2026/27 oil-production outlook of roughly 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes industry-wide, a step down from last season’s exceptional harvest of close to 500,000 tonnes, largely because around 60% of Tunisia’s groves nationwide are rainfed and more exposed to weather swings. For buyers sourcing Tunisian olive oil, a region this size only starting its harvest in mid-October is an early signal worth tracking: first-press volumes and pricing out of governorates like Sidi Bouzid often set the tone for the rest of the national campaign in the weeks that follow. Buyers working with Tunisia’s supplier network should expect early-harvest offers to firm up through late October and November as mills ramp up.

FAQ

How much olive oil will Sidi Bouzid produce in 2026/27? Local estimates point to around 350,000 tonnes of olives harvested across Sidi Bouzid governorate for the 2026/27 season, with picking starting in mid-October 2026.

Why does Sidi Bouzid matter for Tunisia’s olive oil industry? Sidi Bouzid is Tunisia’s largest olive-growing governorate by area, with olive trees on about 75% of its farmland and 23 million trees supplying 119 oil mills, making it one of the country’s three leading production regions alongside Sfax and Kairouan.

Source: Tunisie Tribune