The olive growing season in Morocco looks set to be disastrous due to a drastic drop in olive production, which will greatly affect the prices of olive oil and olives. Professionals predict an increase in prices, with a liter of olive oil ranging from 100 to 150 dirhams, depending on quality and origin.
Likewise, the kilo of olives could cost 14 to 17 dirhams, especially for green olives intended for the first oil extraction. This crisis is due to drought, the reduction of water resources and the cessation of irrigation in several regions, which has caused the degradation of many olive groves.
It is therefore a well-established fact that the Moroccan olive oil market is currently undergoing an unprecedented crisis. In just a few months, the price of a liter of olive oil has reached unsustainable levels for many households in Morocco. This situation is alarming for a country where olive oil is not just a simple condiment, but a true culinary and cultural institution.
A staggering increase in prices
With increases of almost 40 dirhams compared to the previous season, a liter of olive oil now trades for at least 120 dirhams. And if industrial olive oil, between fierce competition and customer retention, brings the 100 dirhams to within one or two, other “more prestigious” oils offer half a liter on the supermarket shelves around 125 dirhams.
Coincidentally, for the housewife curve, it is an astronomical figure that makes people shudder, both on the part of consumers and producers. This outbreak is directly linked to a staggering decline in national production. The reason: a relentless drought that ravaged many of the kingdom’s olive groves and destroyed hopes of a bountiful harvest.
The olive trees, hard hit by the lack of water, are unable to supply the required quantities, pushing the price of olives to new heights, currently reaching up to 15 dirhams per kilo.
The paradox of this crisis lies in the fact that while prices are exploding in Morocco, local olive oil is being sold at significantly lower prices on European markets. For example, a liter of Moroccan olive oil in Spain costs about 55 dirhams, which is less than half the price in the national market.
Dangerous game of import and export
This phenomenon is due to the importation of foreign olive oil, especially Moroccan, at very competitive prices. However, this export dynamic, which at first sight benefits foreign trade, puts additional pressure on the internal market, accentuating the crisis for local consumers who end up paying a high price for a product that crosses borders at reduced costs.
The Moroccan authorities have also had to ban the export of olive oil until the end of 2024, an emergency measure aimed at preserving the local market. But this initiative risks coming too late for many Moroccan families who are already struggling to get supplies.
The impact of this crisis goes far beyond the issue of consumer prices. Small producers who depend on the sale of olive oil to survive are also caught in a vice. Not only do they face exploding production costs (due to scarcity of water and agricultural resources), but they also face competition from farmers who are often better equipped to cope with climate and economic challenges.
The situation becomes all the more critical as the importation of cheaper products from international markets threatens to make the survival of local olive growers even more difficult. In this context, there are increasing voices demanding a more structured response from the state.
Dark prospects
The olive sector, which represents a key component of the Moroccan agricultural economy, requires immediate support measures: investments in more efficient irrigation systems, tax incentives for small producers and policies aimed at regulating both imports and exports to avoid excessive price fluctuations.
In the short term, imports may temporarily help consumers, but the growing dependence on foreign markets raises a fundamental question: How to guarantee Morocco’s food sovereignty in the face of repeated climate crises?
Morocco, like many other Mediterranean countries, is caught in a complex spiral where drought, rising prices and trade imbalances form an explosive cocktail. Olive oil, once a symbol of wealth and tradition, could well become a rarity reserved for the few if sustainable solutions are not quickly implemented.
