Edremit Chamber: olive oil needs at least 50 lira per litre in support

Ahmet Çetin, President of the Edremit Chamber of Commerce, has called for direct cash support of at least 50 lira per litre for olive oil producers ahead of the new season. Çetin said the wholesale price of olive oil had fallen to around 200 lira, a level that does not even cover the cost of picking.

The figures

According to the position Çetin set out:

• Wholesale price: ~200 TL/litre
• Level needed to cover the producer's costs: ~300 TL/litre
• Support requested: at least 50 TL/litre, paid directly in cash
• International market reference: 3.5–4 euros/litre

The gap shows the same product priced below cost where it is produced and several times higher abroad.

Harvest expected 15–20 days early

Çetin said the 2026 harvest in the Gulf of Edremit is expected to begin 15–20 days earlier than last year, with the season likely opening in late September or early October. A high yield — an "on year" — is expected in the region for both olives and oil.

His warning follows from that. An abundant crop is not good news on its own: if the selling price fails to cover harvesting, labour and collection costs, high production works against the grower rather than for them. That is the arithmetic behind his caution that the crop could be left on the trees.

What the exchange records show

The August 2026 records we collect from Türkiye's commodity exchanges show where the 200-lira figure comes from:

The 200 lira Çetin cites matches the highest-volume record exactly — the 64.7-tonne trade at Nazilli. The 307.60 average at Aydın, by contrast, rests on just 335 kilograms.

In other words, "olive oil is 300 lira" and "olive oil is 200 lira" were both true within the same month; what differs is the volume being talked about. In any price debate it is the volume, not the average, that needs reading: a single small trade does not represent the market. Current records are on our exchanges page.

Why it matters

This year's call is not a routine repetition of an old demand. It marks an abundant crop and low prices landing in the same season. In high-yield years price pressure increases, and the grower is left selling more oil for less. The expectation of an early harvest also shortens the time available for any decision.

Source

• Statements by Ahmet Çetin, President of the Edremit Chamber of Commerce, ahead of the new season (1 September 2026): wholesale price, cost level, support request and harvest timing.
• Exchange records: August 2026 registration data from the Edremit, Aydın and Nazilli commodity exchanges; zeytin.net exchanges page.