Forecasts point to a reduction in olive production in Portugal

The agricultural forecasts of the National Institute and Statistics (INE), in the Monthly Bulletin of Agriculture and Fisheries, point to a 25% drop in olive production, compared to the previous campaign. “The October and November rainfall, near the end of the olive groves' production cycle, still allowed for a recovery in many traditional rainfed olive groves, particularly in the northern interior”, reveals the Bulletin. As for cereals, forecasts indicate that the area sown with common wheat, triticale, rye and oats will be similar to the previous campaign. For durum wheat, a 5% reduction is expected. In the livestock sector, the total clean weight of cattle slaughtered and approved for consumption increased in November 2020 (2.9% compared to 2019). There was also growth in birds and rabbits (3.2% compared to 2019). The volume of chicken decreased by 7.5%. The production of chicken eggs for consumption increased by 8.1%. More milk was collected (1.0%), despite the decrease in ...