Algeria's olive oil production hit by high labour costs and lack of rain

Record ID: 176777

  • Title: Algeria's olive oil production hit by high labour costs and lack of rain
  • Date: 7th February 2017
  • Summary: BEJAIA, ALGERIA (FEBRUARY 1, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF OLIVE TREES ON THE MOUNTAINS OF WIZRANE VILLAGE VARIOUS OF A MAN HITTING OLIVE TREE TO COLLECT OLIVES VARIOUS OF VILLAGER, ACHOUR LAHLOU, AND TWO WOMEN PICKING OLIVES ACHOUR REMOVING THE LEAVES FROM BASKET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGER, ACHOUR LAHLOU, SAYING: "This year there are less olives than previous years. The trees are empty. There is no rain. This year it snowed so next year we will get more olives." VILLAGER, NAIMA, PICKING OLIVES OLIVES ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VILLAGER, NAIMA, SAYING: "Each year is different; there is a year where there is more olives and a year where there is less. It depends on the year." VARIOUS OF VILLAGER, DJAMILA, PICKING OLIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Berber) VILLAGER, DJAMILA SAYING: "It is the tradition of our ancestors. We pick the olives, we eat them and it keeps us healthy." VARIOUS OF OLIVE TREES VARIOUS OF OLIVES ON GROUND OUTSIDE PROCESSING FACTORY WORKERS IN THE TRADITIONAL OLIVE OIL PROCESSING FACTORY VARIOUS OF OIL MILL GRINDING OLIVES WORKERS IN FACTORY MACHINE EXTRACTING OIL FROM OLIVES ON A TRADITIONAL MILL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF A TRADITIONAL OIL MILL, BELAID AHMED, SAYING: "The price is high because there is not many olives. The amount of olives are reducing each year. People don't work, there is no water and it is difficult to find a worker to cultivate and collect olives, and they are expensive." VARIOUS OF OWNER OF A TRADITIONAL OIL MILL, BELAID AHMED, FILTERING OIL VARIOUS OF SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINS
  • Embargoed: 21st February 2017 13:46
  • Keywords: Algeria olive oil Bejaia production Berber
  • Location: BEJAIA, ALGERIA
  • City: BEJAIA, ALGERIA
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA00162IQQTX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In the fertile region of Bajaia in Algeria, olive trees grow surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
    Traditionally, the olive trees are picked by hand and then processed in a nearby mill for the olive oil to be sold locally.
    Cultivating these olives has been a tradition handed down through the ages amongst the villagers and the process continues to this day.
    But, according to local farmers, olive oil production in the area has been hit by low rainfall.
    Add to that high labour costs and there is a steep decline in the trade.
    "This year there are less olives than previous years. The trees are empty. There is no rain. This year it snowed so next year we will get more olives," says Achour Lahlou, a local villager and olive picker.
    The decrease in oil production has increased prices and pushed Algerians to choose lower quality imported olive oil that often costs less.
    Now villagers live year by year in the hope that there will be rain.
    "Each year is different; there is a year where there is more olives and a year where there is less. It depends on the year," said 52-year old villager Naima.
    Some of the older olive pickers strongly believe in their product, often referred to as Algeria's 'liquid gold'.
    "It is the tradition of our ancestors. We pick the olives, we eat them and it keeps us healthy," said 80 year-old villager Djamila.
    After the olives are picked, they make their way to a processing mill where the productions techniques are traditional.
    The olives are put into a mill which grinds them and the juices are extracted at the bottom in a pan before going to filtration.
    Belain Ahmed is the owner of this mill and explained that oil prices have been increasing each year.
    "The price is high because there is not many olives. The amount of olives are reducing each year. People don't work, there is no water and it is difficult to find a worker to cultivate and collect olives, and they are expensive," he said.
    In recent years, new farms have emerged across Algeria particularly in the south, all picking olives for different uses.
    But if the low rainfall continues, production in the region could fall even further.
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