Olive oil production in Spain has come under threat from the drought that has severely stunted the growth of trees, as well as other crops. If the weather conditions do not change, farmers have warned of an impending “catastrophe”.
As a result, olive oil prices will almost inevitably rise on the shelves – even more so than last year when Europe-wide drought hit producers not only in Spain but also Italy and Greece.
Last month was the hottest April on record in Spain, with less than a quarter of the normal rainfall (14.2mm) falling. “Since January, it has barely rained. The drought is very serious. It will be a disaster if nothing changes drastically,” says Cristobal Cano, of the farmers’ association UPA in Andalusia – the country's southernmost region and where many of the olive groves and other produce are cultivated.
Spain is currently facing one of its worst droughts in recent history, water deficit is causing a severe crisis. Keep an eye on the soil levels with #drought monitoring layers. -> https://t.co/JJS8lkw6Bl ⬇️ Data provided by @Intersucho pic.twitter.com/U2TTSF0CHZ
— Windy.com (@Windycom) May 5, 2023
Spain produces 50% of the world’s olive oil production with an export turnover of around €3 billion. In 2021 and 2022, production was already more than half of normal.
