Khaberni - Minister of Agriculture Saieb Khreisat said on Friday that the current season for olive fruits has seen a decline due to the scarcity of rain and the drought that the kingdom has experienced, which affected this year's olive production.
Khreisat added that the ministry tracked the quantities of fruits produced this year and the expected quantities of olive oil to be obtained, estimating that the production of olive oil for this season will reach about 17 to 18 thousand tons, while the annual consumption of olive oil in the kingdom is about 28 thousand tons, which means there is a deficit of about 10 thousand tons.
He explained that the ministry resorted to opening the door to importing olive oil to fill this deficit and to reduce the burdens on the citizens, confirming that the prices will be affordable for everyone and will decrease significantly.
Khreisat pointed out that the prices of olive oil tins range from 120 to 135 dinars, depending on the location, indicating that these prices are higher than expected, as it was supposed to be that the prices for a 16-kilogram package should range between 100 and 110 dinars at most.
The Ministry of Agriculture starts on Sunday, receiving applications for importing olive oil for a period of 5 days, as part of the ministry's commitment to secure sufficient quantities of the product in the local markets with suitable quality and price, given the decrease in local production quantities of the oil.
