Olive cultivation is collapsing in Greece, SEDIK proposals for CAP and national strategy

Olive

Vegetables

Greece

Regulation & Compliances

Market & Price Trends

Published Mar 22, 2024

Tridge summary

The Greek olive industry is in crisis, with a significant decline in production since 2005, particularly in Crete, despite high olive oil prices. The industry, which is integral to Greece's cultural, religious, and economic life, provides income and employment to 40% of the country's agricultural holdings and contributes significantly to export trade. However, the reduction in aid for olive growers and the exclusion of small farms from support have exacerbated the situation. Traditional olive groves in sloping, inaccessible areas, which act as natural CO2 absorbers, are being abandoned due to high cultivation costs and low productivity, leading to increased fire risks and soil erosion. The article calls for special programs to conserve these groves, similar to those in Spain and Italy, and urges the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to take action.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

Despite high olive oil prices - which many liken to airplane flights - ultimately things do not seem to be going well in Greek olive cultivation and there are serious problems. These problems are detailed in a memorandum, which SEDIK recently submitted to the Ministry of AAT, following the invitation of the Minister, Mr. Avgenakis, which points out the dramatic situation in which the olive industry has fallen in Greece, while at the same time submitting proposals for its return to the upward trend course, which he was on a few years ago. The main points of the memorandum, which is signed by the president of SEDIK, Giorgos Marinakis, Mayor of Rethymno, are as follows: Mr. Minister, the Board of Directors of SEDIK, despite the fact that with the nos. 71/14-4-2021, 133/16-12-2021 and 23/16-6-2022 Memoranda to the Ministry of AAT, he has already submitted his comments on the problems of olive cultivation and his proposals for dealing with them with the new CAP , without any response, ...

Source: Agrotypos