Olive oil production in Peru could drop by 90% in 2024

Peruvian officials expect a 90 percent cut in olive oil production before the 2024 harvest, citing extreme climate events associated with El Niño. Local producers estimate that the country will produce between 700 and 1,000 tons of olive oil in 2024, up from 7,000 tons produced in 2023. Peru produces less than 10,000 tons of olive oil in an average harvest year. “Climate forecasts predict that we will have a much more normal winter. This could lead to a record harvest in 2025,” said Manuel Morales Ordóñez, president of Pro Olivo. As El Niño develops, Peru tends to experience higher average annual temperatures. During this cycle, many olive trees did not receive the required number of cold hours to bear fruit. Due to heavy rains during the flowering period, olive groves, mainly in the arid southwest of Peru, have lost their flowers and will not bear any fruit. “The problem was not only the rain, but also the need for ...