“Production is decreasing with each passing day”
Rapid is the increase recorded in its price olive oil the last months. The oil it is now considered “liquid gold” for Greece and olive producers are desperate.
“Unfortunately, we will have another increase in oil. In the month of December there will be another price increase. Climate change is knocking on our door. Production is decreasing with each passing day. In Crete we have summer temperatures and the temperatures favor an insect called dakos and this reduces the already reduced production we have.
Thus, as production decreases the price increases” pointed out on Saturday morning (11/11) speaking to Mega and the show “MEGA Savvatokyriako” the vice president of Heraklion agricultural cooperative association Myron Chiletzakis.
How is the price of olive oil determined?
“Prices are based on Italy. Italy sets the price throughout the European Union. Exactly the same producer prices that exist today in Greece are also noted in Spain and Italy. There is a very high demand from abroad, the quantities are reduced and some are taking advantage of this,” he noted.
Regarding the exploitation of the consumer in the oil market, Myron Chiletzakis said: “Today the consumer buys the oil for 13.5 euros on the supermarket shelf, while the producer sold it last year for 4.5 to 5 euros. This price gap has nothing to do with the producer. It depends on other intermediaries.”
As for the thefts that have been pointed out as taking place in the olive fruit: “We witness olive fruit theft every day. Oil is now a stock market. There is destruction.”