Malta Loses Another Olive Press as Sector Faces Capacity Crunch

Malta is set to lose another olive oil pressing facility, with Tal-Kanċillier — one of the island’s largest olive presses, operated as Golden Extracts Ltd near Mdina — confirmed to be closing its doors, according to WhosWho.mt. The closure comes just a year after growers queued for hours to have their olives processed there, and follows the earlier exit of longtime presser Sam Cremona, leaving Malta’s remaining facilities facing mounting pressure ahead of the 2026 harvest.

A Second Major Closure in Two Years

Sam Cremona, a longstanding figure in Malta’s olive oil sector, stopped operating his press last year, with much of the resulting demand absorbed by other facilities, including Tal-Kanċillier. WhosWho.mt reported that growers could be seen arriving with crates and sacks of freshly picked olives and waiting for hours for their turn at that press during last year’s harvest. The reason for Tal-Kanċillier’s closure has not been confirmed, though the outlet understands it was not related to any operational difficulties. With one of the island’s largest facilities now gone, the impact on Malta’s olive sector is expected to be significant.

Why Running a Press Is a Fragile Business

Olive pressers who spoke to WhosWho.mt pointed to the challenge of keeping such facilities running profitably: demand is concentrated into a short, intense harvesting window, yet maintenance, equipment and other operating costs continue year-round. That fragility illustrates a wider risk for buyers who depend on small, seasonal pressing infrastructure — a single closure can ripple through an entire harvest. It’s a contrast worth noting for buyers sourcing bulk olive oil: Tunisia’s large-scale, well-established milling network, built to handle a national harvest that has recently topped 400,000 tonnes, offers steadier, more resilient capacity than markets relying on just a handful of presses.

FAQ

Why is another olive press closing in Malta? Tal-Kanċillier, one of Malta’s largest olive oil presses, is closing for reasons that have not been confirmed, though it follows the earlier closure of another major press run by Sam Cremona, reducing the island’s pressing capacity ahead of the 2026 harvest.

What does this mean for olive oil buyers? Malta’s shrinking pressing capacity highlights how vulnerable small, seasonal olive oil markets can be to a single facility closing, making buyers value large-scale, dependable milling infrastructure like Tunisia’s when sourcing consistent bulk supply.

Source: WhosWho.mt