The Price of Olive Oil - As I See It
As a very tiny producer of olive oil, I have read with interest the various articles in the Jordan Times regarding the suggested price for a 16 litre tin of olive oil this year. The Ministry of Agriculture has suggested that the fair price for a tin of olive oil would be between 50 and 60 dinars, the same as it was last year. Those big producers who still have large quantities of oil to sell from last year may be able to sell at that price, but not so the small farmers. They have sold their oil and this year they will have to pay pickers more due to the increase in prices of just about everything from food to clothes. They will have to pay more to transport the olives to the press due to the increase in fuel prices. For the same reason they will have to pay more to have the olives pressed. In addition, everyone I know says this is a poor season for olives. Therefore, it is only natural that the tin should sell for more than last year.
The Ministry should review what they think is a fair price considering the facts above. I don’t make a living out of this business but there are many small farmers who live the year off what they get from their sale of olive oil. The government needs to take those farmers into consideration..........z
The Ministry should review what they think is a fair price considering the facts above. I don’t make a living out of this business but there are many small farmers who live the year off what they get from their sale of olive oil. The government needs to take those farmers into consideration..........z
posted by joladies at Tuesday, August 26, 2008
2 Comments:
It seems to me that many, many people fail to understand the link between rising fuel prices and rising ALL prices. There is pretty much nothing that requires no fuel. I heard so much belly-aching when the nursery the TwinBeans went to last year raised their prices by 5 dinars a month. I paid for my couple of months without even a whimper. After all, I want the workers to be happy and paid well so that I can trust they will take care of my kids well... It seems like people are so focused on their costs that they lose sight of the big picture.
I have been following the stories very closely as well. We have >500 trees that will hopefully produce a large number of litres this year. The watering and pickers will surely diminish our profits as do family members who "die" for the oil.
It's the "off" year for the trees. Supply and demand is not working here as it should...if it was then the prices would have skyrocketed and consumers would be complaining.
I've read there are just above 100 presses in the country. I would have thought much more than that. So the transport costs would cost much more.
Here's to hoping for lots of rain in the last few month before the harvest!
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