CHP Leader Özel Calls for Olive Premium Support

November 1, 2026 · GıdaTarım

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel stated that olive producers are facing bankruptcy due to rising production costs and called for a direct premium support of 20 lira per kilogram for table olives and 50 lira per liter for olive oil.

Premium Support and Minimum Price Promise

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, meeting with producers in Zeytinli Neighborhood of Edremit district in Balıkesir, announced concrete steps regarding agricultural support policies. Özel stated that a direct premium support of 20 lira per kilogram for table olives and 50 lira per liter for olive oil should be provided to overcome the financial bottleneck experienced by producers. Özel advocated for olives and olive oil to be officially included in the strategic product category and pledged a minimum price that fully covers costs and a purchase guarantee for producers.

Gap Between Cost and Purchase Price

Presenting price imbalances in the market with data from the field, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel criticized the purchase policy implemented by traders with the following statements:

'The cost is 75 lira, the purchase price is 40-50 lira'

Recalling that last season, large green olives for table consumption were sold for 90 lira, Özel emphasized that although the cost has risen to 75 lira this year, purchases remain in the 40 to 50 lira range. Stating that a similar situation is occurring with olive oil, Özel noted that the purchase price of the product has fallen to 220 lira or lower, compared to a production cost of 280 lira.

Crisis in Production and Call for Planning

Drawing attention to the fact that farmers who cannot cover harvest, transportation, and pressing costs are forced to leave their products on the trees and branches, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel summarized the sectoral crisis with the following words:

'The olive producer is on the verge of bankruptcy'

Özel stated that the decline in product prices, despite sharp increases in diesel fuel and basic production inputs, has paralyzed the sector, and expressed that the same problem is seen in hazelnuts, grapes, pistachios, wheat, apricots, and citrus fruits. Özel argued that comprehensive agricultural production planning must be urgently undertaken for the sector to emerge from its structural crisis.

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