Sunless season dries up olive oil production

Olive harvesting at Olive Black Grove Wairarapa. Photo: Andrew Priddle @ Olive Black Grove.

New Zealand’s olive oil producers have had a tough production season. Harvesting is just ending, and for some growers their fruit volume and oil production is less than half last year’s. Andrew Priddle is a Wairarapa olive grower and harvester and said there has been a lack of sunshine hours in summer and autumn, and the crops had matured three weeks later than usual.