Table of Contents
How much olive oil will be produced in 2025?
The 2025 season across the Mediterranean
Across the Mediterranean, the 2025/26 season points to a renewed build-up of supply after the climate-related shocks of recent years. Spain is expected to reach around 1.37 million tons according to MAPA, while Italy is projected at roughly 300,000 tons[1]. Portugal and Greece are trending close to their long-term averages, whereas Tunisia is heading toward a very abundant harvest (0.4–0.5 million tons) and Morocco is targeting around 200,000 tons, supported by orchard recovery and new sector investments[2].
In Turkey, early estimates place olive oil production at about 310,000 tons, with total olive output projected at 2.45 million tons[3].
Taken together, the six main producing countries are converging on approximately 2.65 million tons – a volume that is helping to stabilize origin prices and reshape trade flows, even as weather conditions remain unpredictable [4].
The situation in Italy
After a 2024 marked by severe drought, extreme heat and a 24% drop in production (Ismea), the 2025/26 olive oil season is opening with more optimistic signals for Italian olive growers. According to joint estimates by Coldiretti, Unaprol and FOA Italia, national extra virgin olive oil production could rise by 30% compared to last year, reaching around 300,000 tons [5].
Several southern regions benefitted wit summer rainfall, especially Puglia and Calabria, which together account for more than 60% of Italy’s total production and are now showing increases between 30% and 40%. The situation is very different in the north, where extreme weather events caused losses of up to 40%. Central Italy presents a mixed picture, with decreases ranging from 10% to 15%.
This season also introduces an important regulatory change: a new decree on olive traceability requiring producers to register movements within six hours of purchase, with the aim of safeguarding “Made in Italy” quality and tackling fraud [6].
Climate and water: adaptation through precision irrigation
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a xerophytic species, naturally adapted to survive prolonged drought thanks to its deep root system and leaves that minimize transpiration. However, today’s climate scenario—irregular rainfall, longer heatwaves, and increasingly unpredictable seasons—has made irrigation a structural component of modern olive growing, even in areas that have traditionally relied on dry farming.
For decades, the olive tree was mistakenly considered a crop with minimal water needs, and irrigation was often reserved for table olives.
Today, however, both traditional and intensive orchards are irrigated to achieve:
- Faster vegetative growth in the early years
- Earlier entry into production
- Higher yields and improved fruit quality
- Reduced alternate bearing
Average water requirements for a mature orchard range between 700 and 3,000 m³/ha, depending on climate and location.
Seasonal irrigation volumes vary based on:
- Weather patterns
- Cultivar and rootstock
- Soil characteristics
- Ground cover management
- System efficiency and irrigation strategy
- Water quality
Drip irrigation ensures a targeted water supply during the most critical phenological phases:
- Flowering → improves fruit set
- Fruit development → increases size and oil content
- Ripening → balances yield and quality
Research shows that correct irrigation management can increase productivity by 50–60% compared to dry farming and significantly improve oil quality stability.
In intensive and super-intensive orchards (1,600+ trees per hectare), irrigation is now essential for profitability and competitiveness.
Precision irrigation can reduce overall water use by up to 35% compared to traditional approaches, while maintaining consistent yields and quality.
In recent years, the adoption of soil-moisture sensors, control units and automated fertigation systems has enabled increasingly accurate scheduling, waste reduction and lower energy costs.
Irrigation and fertigation: solutions for modern olive growing
Drip irrigation is now the most widely used technique in new-generation orchards. Water is applied directly within the root zone, delivering the highest efficiency (>90%) and limiting evaporation or runoff.
Irritec’s pressure-compensating driplines with anti-siphon and anti-root systems (Multibar F® a.s. and Multibar C® Rootguard) maintain uniform flow rates even on sloping terrain and prevent root intrusion, preserving long-term performance.
Irritec iDrop drippers — originally developed for high-precision irrigation in protected crops—are also used in olive orchards in their pressure-compensating versions, with higher flow rates (4, 6, 8 and up to 25 l/h).
Subsurface irrigation (SDI)
In the most advanced orchards, driplines can be buried at a depth of 30–40 cm. SDI systems further reduce evaporation losses and limit weed growth, achieving efficiencies above **95%**⁶.
Buried lines are also protected from mechanical damage and allow easier field operations.
Fertigation
Delivering water together with soluble nutrients improves plant physiology and reduces alternate bearing. Commonly used fertilizers include:
- Urea (46% N)
- Potassium nitrate (13% N – 46% K₂O)
- Monoammonium phosphate (12% N – 61% P₂O₅)
- Ammonium nitrate (34% N)
The Commander EVO® controller and Evo Radio System enable remote management of valves and irrigation/fertigation cycles, including real-time monitoring of pH, EC and nutrient distribution.
Designing and managing an efficient irrigation system
Early installation: install irrigation at planting to support root establishment.
Spacing and flow rates:
- Sandy soils → closer emitter spacing (50–60 cm), more frequent cycles
- Clay soils → wider spacing (70–100 cm), longer intervals
Filtration and maintenance: use automatic filters with backwashing; routinely check valves, meters and air vents.
Automation: manage irrigation through programmable controllers and soil-moisture sensors.
Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI): reduce water volumes by 40–50% in less sensitive phases without affecting yield or oil quality.
Precision irrigation as a driver of quality
The expected production growth in 2025/26 marks an important turning point for Italian olive growing—but it also highlights a crucial challenge for the future: increasing yield while optimizing water resources.
With Irritec systems, growers can achieve:
- >30% reduction in water use*
- +20% energy efficiency*
- Stable productivity even in dry years
- Higher-quality oils, richer in polyphenols and more stable over time
In a global market that is becoming increasingly competitive, drip irrigation and fertigation are essential tools for modern olive growing, focused on excellence and the rational use of resources.
References
- “Olio di oliva italiano, stime di produzione 2025–2026: +30% rispetto al 2024–25”, MAPA – Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (Spain), 2025. Avance de datos de producción de aceite de oliva 2025/26 – Produzione stimata Spagna ~1,37 mln t.
- “International Olive Council (IOC), Market Report 2025.”, Tunisia 0,4–0,5 mln t; Marocco ~200.000 t; Grecia e Portogallo su valori prossimi alla media storica.
- “Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), Agricultural Forecast 2025.”, Stima produzione olio Turchia: ~310.000 t; produzione olive: 2,45 mln t.
- Molina-Moral J.C. et al., “Olive Oil Times, July 2025.”, Global Olive Oil Production Expected to Reach 2.65 Million Tons in 2025/26 – Dati aggregati dei Paesi mediterranei.
- “Olio di oliva italiano, stime di produzione 2025–2026: +30% rispetto al 2024–25”,livo e Olio – Edagricole, 22 settembre 2025.
- “Olive-grove: it works and saves on underground irrigation”, Olivonews.it, giugno 2024.
- “Nuove regole per la tracciabilità delle olive”, Olivicoltura: produzione 2024 e impatti climatici – Dato sul -24% della produzione italiana nel 2024.
- “Ismea, 2024.”, Unaprol – Coldiretti, 2025.
**The information and/or results presented here are explained in greater detail and placed in context in our Sustainability Report.
