According to the president of the Alentejo Olive Oil Studies and Promotion Center (CEPAAL), Gonçalo Morais Tristão, in 2023, the value of exports had already exceeded one billion euros and, in 2024, “it should have been around the same values”.

“It is historic because surpassing the one billion euro barrier, especially in two consecutive years, is very important for the sector”, which is based on “two types of exports”, bulk olive oil and packaged olive oil, he stressed.

Gonçalo Morais Tristão spoke to Lusa about the National Olive Oil Congress (CNA) and the National Olive Fair (FNO), events that will take place, starting on Thursday, in Campo Maior, in the district of Portalegre.

In terms of bulk olive oil, according to the president of CEPAAL, exports are “especially to Spain and Italy”, while, in terms of packaged olive oil with a Portuguese brand, “the main customer is Brazil”.

CEPAAL, referring to the most recent data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), from this month, indicated that the 2024/2025 olive oil campaign saw a production increase of around 10% compared to the previous one, reaching 177,000 tons (previously it had been 150,000).

In this sense, the year 2024 is considered “the second best year of all time”, with an olive oil production of “almost two million hectolitres”.

According to CEPAAL, this year there has therefore been a downward adjustment in consumer prices, in relation to the price increase of the previous year, of around “40%” per bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

“The reduction in prices is beneficial, because there may be more adherence to consumption. The increase in prices caused some reduction in consumption that production does not want, but the reduction in prices cannot be for [values] that cannot cover some production costs”, noted Gonçalo Morais Tristão.

Portugal is already the sixth largest producer of olive oil in the world and the third largest exporter in Europe, according to CEPAAL.

The Alentejo represents almost 90% of the national olive oil production, with the region having “more than 209,000 hectares of olive groves, more than 116 mills and more than 95%” of virgin and extra virgin olive oil produced.