Tunisia’s olive oil harvest is projected to fall 30 to 40% in the 2026/27 season compared with last year’s bumper crop, according to Abdallah Sahraoui, a member of the Syndicat Tunisien des Oléiculteurs (Tunisian Olive Growers’ Union), who also flagged a bacterial disease spreading through orchards in central Tunisia.
Regional Figures Point to a Sharp Decline
Early regional estimates already show the scale of the drop. In Sidi Bouzid, one of Tunisia’s largest olive-growing governorates, output is expected to fall from roughly 500,000 tonnes last season to around 350,000 tonnes this year, a decline of about 30%, according to figures reported by TAP on September 30. In Manouba, olives destined for oil pressing are projected to fall from more than 20,750 tonnes to around 14,000 tonnes, a drop of roughly 32%, per National Radio on October 9. Sousse’s preliminary estimate stands at about 30,000 tonnes, Sahraoui said, though he cautioned that these regional numbers do not yet add up to a reliable national total.
Disease Risk and What It Means for Olive Oil Prices
Sahraoui also warned of olive tuberculosis, a bacterial disease causing woody nodules on branches, in orchards in the Mahdia and Sfax governorates, entering through wounds such as pruning cuts, and called on Tunisia’s Ministry of Agriculture to act to contain its spread. Whether the smaller harvest translates into higher olive oil prices is not guaranteed, Sahraoui noted, since Tunisian prices also depend on international markets, competing producers’ output, and global demand. For buyers sourcing from Tunisia, a tighter 2026/27 harvest combined with disease pressure in key growing regions is a reason to confirm supply volumes and grove-level quality with Tunisian Olive Oil Trade’s supplier network earlier in the season rather than waiting until peak pressing.
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FAQ
How much will Tunisia’s olive oil harvest drop in 2026/27? Tunisia’s olive harvest is expected to fall 30 to 40% in the 2026/27 season compared with the previous year, according to Abdallah Sahraoui of the Tunisian Olive Growers’ Union, with regional declines already reported in Sidi Bouzid and Manouba.
What is olive tuberculosis and where has it appeared in Tunisia? Olive tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that causes woody nodules on olive tree branches and spreads through wounds such as pruning cuts; it has been reported in orchards in Tunisia’s Mahdia and Sfax governorates.
Source: Webdo.tn
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