Olive oil: labor shortage drives up daily wages

A shortage of workers in the agricultural sector is tying the hands of olive producers this year. With rising prices for olive oil, farmers are demanding higher wages.

As olive producers emphasize, the number of foreigners working in the fields has decreased this year. Since the harvest season has already begun, many producers are finding it difficult to find “hands” as many workers are asking for even 60 euros per day. In several regions, olive producers are setting an unofficial ceiling of 45-50 euros per day to prevent rising production costs and further price increases.

Climate change and its attendant consequences – heat waves, floods, fires – have affected olive oil production.

Olive producers say that as supply dwindles, the price of olive oil will rise.

Many even believe that we will soon see a container of olive oil costing 200 euros, whereas last year the average price was 80-100 euros.

Since high prices have caused shock among citizens, consumer fraud has recently been observed. A typical example is the case in Thessaloniki, where husband and wife supplied a stream of olive oil of dubious quality and authenticity. According to the case file, twelve metal and plastic containers of 5 liters of oil each were confiscated, for which they did not have legal procurement documents and invoices. According to the same case, each package was sold for 20 euros or 4 euros per liter.

24 hours after the arrest of the couple, today it became known about a similar arrest in Edessa. In particular, Edessa police officers handcuffed a 70-year-old woman who was selling olive oil of dubious quality and origin on the public market, which she positioned as “extra virgin.”

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