ALGERIA: Olive farmers in Algeria say that they are struggling with a poorer harvest this year as a result of the cold and wet weather

Record ID: 344375

  • Title: ALGERIA: Olive farmers in Algeria say that they are struggling with a poorer harvest this year as a result of the cold and wet weather
  • Date: 26th January 2014
  • Summary: TAZMALT, ALGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUMMAM VALLEY VARIOUS OF OLIVE TREES MAN ON A LADDER HARVESTING OLIVES WITH HIS FAMILY VARIOUS OF FAMILY PICKING OLIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FARMER'S WIFE, SOLTANA, SAYING: "There are some olives, just a few, not too many, but they say that they contain oil. I guess that the hail or I don't know has harmed them." OLIVES ON
  • Embargoed: 10th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Topics: Business,Nature / Environment,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA1O6V3DEDFMK0MGEK6JXKUCICV
  • Story Text: In the town of Tazmalt in northern Algeria, olive farmers have started harvesting their olives to produce olive oil.
    But they say they're struggling this year, as the yield is lower than in previous seasons due to the cold and wet weather.
    Farmers in Tazmalt, in Algeria's Kabylie region, say that the dip in olive oil production is due to hail storms at the beginning of the harvest season, and heavy rainfall during the flowering period, which reduced the oil content in the olives.

    "There are some olives, just a few, not too many, but they say that they contain oil. I guess that the hail or I don't know has harmed them," said a farmer's wife Soltana, as she was picking olives from her family's farm.
    Another farmer, Rafik, said that there were less olives, which were also poorer in quality due to the bad weather.

    "There are less olives this year, not like last year. The olives are not good this year, because of the hail at the beginning of the season and the wind, so they fell off early, that's why there are only some olives this year, and that affects us, and it is very tiring," he said.
    The president of the Association of Olive Farmers in Tazmalt, Hammi Mocef, said that the decrease in production pushes up the price of olives, which means buyers choose lower-quality cheaper oil, that is often imported.
    Last season, Mocef said, the price of olive oil was 400 DA (5 US dollars) per litre, rising to 600 DA (7 US dollars) per litre this season.

    "For people whose source of income is oil, they think that it is good, because effectively in the short-term it is better that olives cost 600 DA ($7) rather than 400 DA ($5), but in the long-term it isn't good because Algerian olive growing, the Algerian production, loses its market share. Consumers buy less oil and go for imported oils because they are cheaper. This isn't good, so we lose market share. Algerian olive oil will lose its market share," he said.
    In a traditional olive oil processing factory, manager Ziane, said that the price of olive oil had gone up and, due to the shortage of oil, he has had to turn away customers.

    "There aren't too many olives, that's why there isn't much oil, which makes it 600 DA a litre. Personally I can't afford it. I swear to God some people come to buy and I refuse them, there isn't much oil," he said.
    The olive industry is one of the country's major industries, with the Kabylie region growing 12 varieties of olives.
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