Olive festivals and production in Turkey

Olive-related festivals and industry updates have been reported across different regions of Turkey. In Aydın, the 8th Didim Olive Festival opened with cultural activities and a Guinness World Record attempt for the ‘World’s Largest Olive Oil Tasting at More Than One Location’.

In Balıkesir, the 21st International Olive Harvest and Tourism Festival was held in Ayvalık from October 29 to November 1. The event featured a harvest parade, a market for olive oil and handicrafts, and panels on sustainability and branding. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Akın attended the opening, noting the region’s capacity of nearly 13 million olive trees. He highlighted that the municipality provided training to 500 producers this year and established an Olive Collection Garden at BAÇEM to protect 95 of Turkey’s 125 registered olive varieties.

Beyond production, the festival served as a forum for local concerns. Mayor Akın met with residents and neighborhood mukhtars to discuss infrastructure issues, including road damage and drainage problems caused by rainfall. The event also included a screening of the documentary ‘Ayvalık’ın Son Ustaları’, which focuses on disappearing traditional crafts. While the Ayvalık harvest was described as bountiful, industry reports noted that Turkish yields might fall between 400,000 and 450,000 tons, and declining prices in Spain and Italy are beginning to affect the Turkish market.