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<pre>Olive season begins with a big harvest and falling
prices

La campana olivarera se inicia con un gran cosecha y
precios a la baja

El Pais - Spain, Oct 30, 2000

Spain's olive season is forecast to begin with a
harvest of over 1m tonnes and the prospect of stable
or falling prices. Rain in recent weeks has improved
the expectations for the harvest in the Andalucia
region, although production in other areas will be
lower than that of 1999. This season, the third with
the Common Market Organisation, begins with the same
market regulations as last year. The main problem for
the sector is that Brussels has replaced its policy of
intervention purchases with private storage when
prices reach Pta250 a kilo.

Spain produced just 660,000 tonnes of olives in 1999
because of drought in the country. As well as the
expected improved results in drought-affect areas this
year, there is the additional production from new
areas of land which are used to grow olives and
guaranteed high production from irrigated land. The
fall in prices since last spring has led to a rise in
demand in Spain and abroad, leading to prices below
Pta300 a kilo, compared with almost Pta600 a kilo in
1996.

=====
Constantine Alexander
http://www.PapasHaven.com/
Where Olive Oil is a Passion
http://www.PapasHaven-subscribe@egroups.com/
"Olio nuovo e vino vecchio"

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