Greek table olives: over 90% of output exported to more than 100 countries

More than 90% of Greece's total table olive production is sold abroad, reaching more than 100 countries, according to figures presented by the sector association PEMETE at its annual general assembly in Larissa and reported by politic.gr. That makes table olives one of the most outward-facing segments of Greek agri-food. It also makes the industry unusually exposed to conditions it does not control, from freight and energy costs to trade policy in destination markets.

A decade of growth interrupted

Drawing on data from ELSTAT, the Hellenic Statistical Authority, PEMETE put 2025 table olive exports at €872 million and 282,000 tonnes. Over the past ten years, export value has risen 115% while volume has grown 61%. The gap between the two indicates that a substantial part of the value gain came from higher unit prices rather than from additional tonnage shipped.

The first half of 2026 broke that pattern. Exports fell 0.99% in value and 2.25% in volume, interrupting the upward trend of previous years, the same ELSTAT figures show. The declines are small in absolute terms, but volume contracted faster than value, an early indication that exporters are holding price while losing shipments.

Costs squeeze processing margins

Despite the export record, the assembly heard that operating costs have increased significantly. Energy is more expensive, and so are packaging materials, raw materials and transport. Wage costs have risen as well. Taken together, these increases are narrowing profit margins and eroding the competitiveness of the Greek product on international shelves.

PEMETE singled out productivity in the primary sector as a persistent weakness. Insufficient modernisation of olive growing to date has pushed up the cost of raw material, leaving Greek processing at a disadvantage against competing countries that have moved faster on investment and structural reform. That gap is a cost problem before it is a marketing problem: it shows up in the price of fruit entering the packing house.

Demand pressure in key markets

On the demand side, inflationary conditions have reduced consumers' disposable income in international markets. Specific circumstances in major destinations are compounding the effect. Tariffs in the United States and the weak economic situation in Germany are both affecting demand for Greek table olives, the association said.

In Australia, competition from the Egyptian product is intensifying, driven mainly by its significantly lower prices, and the share held by Greek table olives in that market is being squeezed as a result.

For the new marketing season, the industry was cautiously optimistic, expecting production at normal levels comparable with the past two years. The concern is carry-over: elevated stocks of the Chalkidiki variety remain from the 2025/26 crop year, and those stocks were acquired at high cost.

Policy demands and a new European body

The association set out the measures it is seeking from policymakers:

• creation of a registry of table olive packing houses;
• reduction of energy and non-wage costs;
• acceleration of investment programmes;
• equal competitive terms in international trade agreements;
• modernisation of the primary sector.

The assembly also noted the founding of the European Federation of Olive Industry (EFOI), in which PEMETE participates alongside its counterparts in Italy, ASSOM, and Spain, ASEMESA. The stated aim is to strengthen the sector's representation at European level, where trade agreements and cost-side regulation are decided.