Persistent warm weather causes headaches for olive oil producers in Greece

Amid a bountiful harvest season, with the total yield of olive oil expected to exceed 300 thousand tons, problems continue to arise for producers in Greece. The unnaturally warm weather prevailing in large parts of the country, with daytime temperatures hovering at around 20°C, could compromise the quality of some regions’ freshly-produced Greek extra virgin olive oil. “The harvest has been delayed due to the weather conditions and the lack of workers,” said Yiorgos Kokkinos, a producer from Messenia in southern Peloponnese. “However, the weather has not cooled off yet, and the existing high humidity helps the gloeosporium and the fruit fly thrive,” Kokkinos added. ​“All these have an impact on the quality of the olive oils, with the acidity levels ranging from 0.8 to 1 in the last few days. I see that high-quality olive oils are reducing, something that will eventually bring a rise in prices.” Producers across the country are accustomed to colder weather this time of the year. ...