Olive oil prices surge due to smuggling to Turkey
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Olive oil prices in northwestern Syria witnessed a significant and unprecedented surge at the start of the 2023 harvest season due to smuggling it to Turkey.
An owner of an olive press in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria, told North Press that olive oil prices have skyrocketed, reaching double the prices of 2022. Currently, a single container weighing 16kg is priced between $75 and $90, which is about 1,177,000 Syrian pounds (SYP).
He further added that prices in 2023 have doubled compared to 2022 where a 16kg container was priced at $45.
He attributed the increase in the prices of olive oil “to its exportation and smuggling to Turkey and neighboring areas, under the supervision of the military factions[Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA)]. It is known that Idlib and the city of Afrin are the most olive oil producing regions in Syria, which makes it unreasonable to see such high prices in the producing region.”
A few months ago, the price of an olive oil container exceeded $100 in northwestern Syria. Additionally, other Syrian areas witnessed a record high increase in prices reaching over 1.5 million SYP ($104).
In areas in northeastern Syria, the price of a kilogram of olive oil in 2023 reached 80,000 SYP ($5.3), compared to 20,000 SYP ($1.3) in 2022. In Aleppo, the price of one kilogram of olive oil ranges between 80,000 SYP and 105,000 SYP ($5.3 – $7.5), in contrast to 2022 when it was between 15,000 SYP ($1)and 18,000 SYP ($1.1) for one kilogram.
Afrin, who is known for the production of olive oil, has been under the occupation of Turkey and the SNA factions since 2018 following a military operation dubbed “Olive Branch” against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of preserving Turkey’s national security.