Olive oil: Turkey announces record production of 588,000 tonnes

Turkey expects its highest-ever olive oil production for the 2026-2027 season: 588,000 tonnes. Mustafa Tan, president of Turkey's National Olive and Olive Oil Council (UZZK), says the country now ranks second in the world for production, behind only Spain.

A record harvest

According to figures compiled with Turkey's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, production for 2026-2027 will reach 588,000 tonnes of olive oil and 1,160,000 tonnes of table olives. Mustafa Tan, president of UZZK, attributes the result to heavy rainfall since the start of the season and to groves planted around twenty years ago now reaching full production.

Adding last season's stocks of 225,000 tonnes, Turkey's total olive oil availability will reach 813,000 tonnes. Domestic consumption is estimated at 360,000 tonnes and exports at 80,000 tonnes, leaving 373,000 tonnes in closing stocks, which could also support higher exports.

What this means for the world market

With these figures, Turkey moves into second place worldwide for olive oil production, behind Spain and ahead of Tunisia, and strengthens its lead in table olives. For buyers of extra virgin olive oil, a larger global supply tends to put pressure on farm-gate prices, particularly for oils destined for industrial blends.

Tan also points to a concern for Turkish producers: rising operating costs risk eroding profitability at a time when farm-gate prices are falling. This is a pattern often seen in high-yield seasons: more olives harvested, but tighter margins for growers.

Why provenance is still the right question

A record harvest in one country says nothing about the quality or origin of a specific bottle. The only reliable way to know is to read the label: the country where the olives were grown must be stated by law, and it is a different piece of information from where the oil was bottled.

For anyone who wants an oil traced tree by tree, global market news of this kind does not change the choice. What it can change is how easily shoppers find, on supermarket shelves, an extra virgin blended from several countries.

A small Tuscan producer's view

The scale of a market like Turkey's has nothing to do with our tenuta. We work with olives from a single grove, in Montemurlo, between Prato and Pistoia, half an hour from Florence. Frantoiano, Moraiolo and Leccino, hand-picked between October and November and milled 870 metres from the grove, on the same day they are harvested.

Ours is a 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, grown, picked and milled in Tuscany, in Montemurlo: no olives bought in, no blending with oil from other countries. Readers who want to know exactly where their oil comes from can find on our site Luce, greener and more peppery, and Raccolto, rounder and suited to everyday cooking. We ship from our website to Italy, the European Union and the rest of the world: wherever you are, it arrives at your door. Collection from the tenuta is by appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Is Turkey now the world's largest producer of olive oil?

No. According to Mustafa Tan, Turkey moves into second place worldwide for olive oil production in the 2026-2027 season, behind Spain and ahead of Tunisia. It remains the world's largest producer of table olives.

Does a record harvest make extra virgin olive oil cheaper?

A larger global supply tends to put pressure on farm-gate prices, but the effect depends on several factors, including consumption and stock levels in other producing countries. The same source notes that farm-gate prices in Turkey are already falling despite rising operating costs.

How can I tell where my extra virgin olive oil actually comes from?

By law, the label must state the country or countries where the olives were grown. This is the only reliable indicator: the brand name or the place of bottling does not guarantee where the olives were produced.

News source: l'OlivoNews, «Olio di oliva, in Turchia produzione record senza precedenti», 2 November 2026

Our oil, from tree to bottle

Two 100% Italian extra virgin olive oils from Tuscany, from a single hand-picked harvest, milled the same day three minutes from the grove. Luce is green, bitter and peppery; Raccolto is round, for every day. We ship across Italy, Europe and worldwide.