Rainfall will dictate the upcoming olive harvest in Croatia

Published Sep 6, 2022

Tridge summary

Croatia's olive growing season is facing challenges due to drought and high temperatures, leading to early falls of olives and shriveling of those remaining. The lack of rain since February, especially during the holiday of the Assumption, has exacerbated the situation, particularly affecting olive trees on poor soils without irrigation. Despite these challenges, there have been no significant diseases or pests, and the quality of the oil may be above average. Producers anticipate a rise in olive oil prices due to increased costs of protective agents, fertilizers, fuel, packaging, and electricity for processors. The price increase will depend on supply and demand. Rain in the coming weeks could bring relief and determine the outcome of the 2022 olive growing season.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The rain will decide what the olive growing season will be like in Croatia and whether olive oil prices will rise. Rain at least one month before the harvest will save the remaining fruits. However, it is already too late in some locations where olives have fallen from branches due to the long-term drought. “The olives turned black and fell,” said Vito Prtenjača, an olive grower from Polača in northern Dalmatia. “Due to the drought, the pits did not become woody, which is a sign that the accumulation of oil has not even started.” The first impediment to this year’s harvest phase came during flowering and fertilization when extremely high temperatures occurred. There has been no heavy rainfall since February in the vast majority of Croatia’s olive-growing areas, which stretch along the Adriatic Sea from Savudrija in Istria to Prevlaka in the extreme south of Dalmatia. There was even less precipitation on the coastal islands. “The droughts are such that it is a miracle how the ...

Source: Olive Oil Times