The U.S. olive oil market and the new high density plantings

The healthy properties and organoleptic abilities of olive oil are being increasingly recognized by consumers and doctors throughout the world.

In the United States 48 million gallons of olive oil are imported annually, with the import rate increasing by 8-12% per year. These are encouraging figures, even more so when we see that domestic production does not reach one percent of what is imported, and that Asian countries like Japan are doubling their imports. Nowadays ever-decreasing European Union subsidies, increasing land costs, and old world methods are hampering the Mediterranean olive industry. World demand for health-giving olive oil will no longer be met by the traditional producing countries.

With the demand as it is, and with the weather and soil conditions that California has, this state is set to be an internationally competitive producer of high quality extra virgin olive oil, and to follow the big thinking of California farmers in the successful wine, almond, or walnut industries.

That idea made it possible for our entrepreneurial customer California Olive Ranch, Inc. early in 1999 to purchase more than 700 acres of rangeland in Butte County. They have developed a world-class olive orchard and have built the largest and most advanced processing plant in the United States, where they produce top quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. After this first step, more and more people are becoming interested in the new model, new orchards are being planted, and California is on its way to eliminating the dependence on foreign olive oil.