Italian olive farmers take stock of current harvest, look ahead to challenges

Most of central and northern Italy increased olive oil production in the 2022/23 crop year, while the south experienced a drop. Puglia, Sicilia and Calabria, which usually contribute a significant share of the national output, suffered from an ​‘off-year’ in the olive trees’ natural alternate bearing cycle and a series of weather-related issues. Since the first phenological phases, olive groves across the country have been affected by a lack of rain. Some areas were also hit by late frosts, which hindered flowering and fruit setting and led to several cases of fruit drop, according to the Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (Ismea). Then, the prolonged drought and very high temperatures hindered vegetative development. As the olive trees’ vegetative restart approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, Italian producers are taking stock of the current situation and looking at the challenges ahead. “Last summer will be remembered as one of the hottest,” Tuscan ...