Hope that there will be a little better production of olive oil, compared to last year's bad year, so that the prices will decrease somewhat, the agricultural organizations express, in their statements to the KYPE, who recommend patience until the new harvest that will start next October for the lowlands and November for the more mountainous regions.
The agricultural organizations also refer, among other things, to the high costs for the producer, the heatwaves and the lack of rain that affect production and the need for the Government to take timely measures "so that we don't call the water a fairy", but also to the Dakos insect that it feeds on the olive fruit, destroying the production.
Specifically, speaking to KYPE, the President of Panagrotikos Kyriakos Kailas said that this year shows that olive oil production will be much better than last year, adding, however, that "in the last few days they have made things difficult with water cuts".
"So far we are satisfied" with the course of production, he said and added that "our big problem is the lack of rain we had last year, which resulted in the dams being emptied", while "the appropriate measures were not taken", such as early desalination to avoid the problem of water shortage.
He also referred to some presentations made at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a result of which some additional amounts of water were given and added that if there was an overconsumption of water then the farmer's income will be reduced due to reduced olive oil production, but also due to the overconsumption of water that will be needed as a result of high temperatures.
In relation to olive oil prices, Mr. Kailas said that they are a little lower than last year's in Cyprus, adding that "there are problems" in the rest of the European countries.
He mentioned that part of the olive oil market was taken abroad by sunflower oil, with the result that the price of virgin olive oil decreased somewhat and he noted that the prices are determined by the prices prevailing in the countries that produce very large quantities of olive oil, such as Spain, Greece (Crete), Portugal and Italy.
The Provincial Secretary of the Union of Cypriot Farmers (EKA) of Nicosia - Kyrenia Thomas Thomas, after noting that about the production situation "we cannot yet speak with absolute certainty", he said that "there are areas where due to the prolonged heat and lack of rain it has not been possible for the olive tree to bear fruit and there is a problem", while in other areas there is fruit but we are waiting, because we do not know with the problem of water scarcity what will eventually happen with production.
"We will have a clear picture of the quantities of olive oil in September", he underlined.
He added, however, that "it seems that the price of olive oil will not be at the levels it was last year, but this will depend on the price set by the major olive producing countries such as Spain and Italy.
He also said that last year's high price of virgin olive oil pushed consumers to alternatives, such as salad oils and seed oils.
Mr. Thomas also said that "due to the lack of water, the quantities of water that our producers get are limited and if the olives are not watered when they should be, we will have a problem with the fruit tomorrow, also due to the high heat that exists".
He noted that the amount of water given to many crops has decreased, while the amount of water in the boreholes has also begun to decrease.
The Provincial Secretary of EKA Nicosia - Kyrenia expressed his assessment that this year the producer price will be around 6 to 7 euros per kilo, while last year it rose to 8 and 9 euros per kilo.
The General Secretary of the Panagrotic Union of Cyprus (PEK) Christos Papapetrou said that "the production in Cyprus this year is estimated to be a little better than last year" and "it may be a little better than abroad", adding that this period which includes the end of August and September is the critical stage of olive production in terms of diseases.
"The production will not be great because of the prolonged heat and because there is not enough water for the irrigated crops to take care of the trees properly," he said and expressed the hope that "olive and olive oil production will be better from last year to lead to a partial price reduction to make it more accessible to consumers."
"At this time, especially in September, when there is production, the producer must monitor the Dakos populations to control them", otherwise, he continued, with the increased humidity observed and the drop in temperature expected within the next interval "there will be an outbreak of Dakos, which can destroy the entire production".
Monitoring the Dakos, according to Mr. Papapetrou, depending on the findings, the producer must intervene with practical plant protection measures.
He also referred to last year's very poor production year, which led to increased olive oil prices and the fact that many European consumers turned to other solutions, using oils other than virgin olive oil such as seed oils.
"We hope that this situation will not continue and that olive oil will eventually become a luxury item sold only in small bottles as is done in some countries of the Far East", he added.
Mr. Papapetrou expressed the hope to change this situation "and to turn again to the widespread consumption of olive oil as an essential source of all these nutrients for human health".
In relation to global olive oil production, the PEK CEO said that "because 80% of olive groves are dryland and not irrigated, production depends on the climate", adding that the heatwaves observed seem to have affected production this year as well.
"However, in some countries, the latest rains bring hope for global olive oil production," he stressed.
The General Secretary of the New Agricultural Movement, Takis Christodoulou, told KYPE that "due to increased heat and especially during the fruiting season, we did not have the rains we wanted for the olives to get the required amount of water, in the two months of January - February", adding that "and this year our production will be less compared to the production two or three years ago."
"Consumers should wait and hope that the price of olive oil will be maintained at last year's levels", he underlined.
The General Secretary of the New Agrarian Movement expressed the hope that in September the data will change with the rainfall, noting, however, that "the forecasts of the meteorologists are not in the positive direction".
Mr. Christodoulou called on the "governors to take their measures in time so that we don't call the water water as we have been calling it for the last two years".
He also said that "there is a pan-European problem" in production, such as in Spain, which is the largest producer of olive oil in the world, adding that "Tunisia, which also has its own intervention in the sale of olive oil, was affected by heat, despite the new its crops to become the first country in olive oil production.
Mr. Christodoulou, after noting that free trade is dominated by the market and demand, wished that the prices would be kept at last year's levels, adding that "not everything depends on the producer", as "a 30% of the price paid by the consumer the producer gets the rest and the dealer and middleman."
He said that with the increased temperature and little rainfall, "we understand that our future is not as we predicted", in relation to the primary sector, that is, as he explained, "to have an increase in the participation of the primary sector in RES".
"This is a problem which unfortunately all Governments have left to the mercy of nature and we could not very well develop tertiary sewage treatment, in all cities and large communities, so as not to depend on the manifestation of the natural environment," he added.
The CEO of Euroagricultural Lambros Achilleos told KYPE that "production in Cyprus this year will fluctuate a little better than last year's levels", but it will be half of the normal that existed in good years.
"The production depends on the regions. There are areas where production is quite good and areas where it is minimal," he added.
He added, however, that unfortunately things will not change in terms of costs for the farmer and the price of olive oil, adding that "neither the wholesale nor the retail price of olive oil will change", while "the costs from what is seen are increasing".
He also mentioned that the prices depend on the European production of olive oil that will be from the countries that produce large quantities such as Spain, Italy and Greece and where approximately 60% of the world's olive oil production comes from.
Mr. Achilles said that producers do not want "olive oil to be expensive, but at least the farmer gets his cost back, plus a reasonable profit."
"Today, the prices of olive oil are unreal," he said, adding that when oil is expensive, the costs of other services such as catering also increase.
The DG of Euroagriculture also said that "olive oil production was a crop that many people did not consider about six years ago and today, due to the increase in the price of olive oil, its value has been highlighted", adding that today there is an increase in the planting of olive groves with linear plantations and modern methods.
Source: KYPE