Oil: record stocks in the Italian supply chain. Producer prices fall 

Italian olive oil campaign 2026/27 hangs in the balance. Just a few weeks before harvesting begins, farmers and processors are caught between record stock levels and falling producer prices.

But in recent months, consumer prices for Italian supply-chain oils have remained substantially stable in modern retail, while those from within the EU have fallen.
“The new olive-growing campaign in Campania is beginning in a highly critical situation,” observes Antonio Casazza, a member of Confagricoltura Campania. “Businesses must decide whether to harvest and bear the processing costs without liquidity, market prospects or prices capable of covering costs: part of the production risks remaining on the trees.”

Confagricoltura Campania is therefore calling on the Region to follow the initiatives of Puglia and Calabria, which have already formally requested recognition of a state of crisis in the sector.

Promotion in modern retail

For Tommaso Loiodice, president of the Unapol producers’ association, “sales need to be relaunched through a major promotional campaign in large-scale retail and the ministries need to be involved because olive oil is the basis of the Mediterranean diet.”

For its part, Coldiretti has asked the Ministry of Agriculture for a tender for extra virgin olive oil 100% Italian, to be allocated to people in need. These funds could be useful for an initial intervention on stocks, but only provided that there are extremely rigorous checks against fraud. “For this reason, we propose carrying out analyses with innovative tools such as magnetic resonance, genetic mapping and isotope analysis, integrating databases and strengthening the laboratory network.”

Line in the sand

According to the olive-oil supply chain, the sustainable price for Italian extra virgin olive oil is 7,50 In modern retail, consumer prices for domestic oil have so far shown no sign of weakening: on average, they fluctuate around 10-12 per litre, with few exceptions. Meanwhile, those from within the EU are recording 7-8 euros.
According to Circana, in the year ending in March 2026, sales of oil (olive oil plus seed oils) in modern retail recorded +1,3% by volume, totalling 388,4 million litres of product. Turnover was 1,72 billion, -14,5% following the record fall in wholesale prices (10 euros) of 2024.

Stocks at their highest

According to data from Frantoio Italia at the Ministry of Agriculture, as of last 31 July, there were 233.377 tonnes of extra virgin olive oil in storage, +43,9% compared with the previous year. However, the problem concerns only extra virgin olive oil produced domestically: the mills’ tanks in fact contain 108.299 tonnes, + 139% compared with 12 months earlier.

By contrast, oils from within the EU fell by 3,9% while those from outside the EU more than doubled, reaching approximately 10 thousand tonnes. Stocks of blended oils: +82% also rose sharply, from 11.650 to

Oil without trading

The weakness of the market is also reflected in the lack of trading on the Bari Commodity Exchange. The latest wholesale prices for Italian extra virgin olive oil date back to 16 June last year: 5,90/6,40 euros per kg, compared with record prices of 9,30/9,50 euros a year earlier.
Trading will officially resume on 25 August.

Other articles:

The rules are changing: an end to oil blends. Only pure EVOO on the shelves

Italian olive oil between production shortages and a trade deficit

Podcast: Assitol, trends and challenges for olive oil in modern retail

This content was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.