Algerian Radio
The Wilaya of Mascara is expected to record a production exceeding 600,000 quintals (qx) of olives during the harvest campaign for the current agricultural season, the Directorate of Agricultural Services (DSA) revealed on Tuesday.
The olive harvest campaign, which was launched recently, covers a total productive area estimated at 14,300 hectares. Estimates from the wilaya's agricultural subdivisions indicate that production will exceed 600,000 quintals this season.
According to these estimates, the expected yield ranges between 32 and 35 quintals per hectare. It is also projected that during this harvest campaign, which will continue until the beginning of next year, production will comprise over 580,000 quintals of table olives and more than 30,000 quintals of olives intended for oil production.
Olive production is thus expected to see a "significant increase" compared to the previous season's campaign, during which a production of over 288,000 quintals was recorded, according to the same directorate.
This increase is attributed to the significant quantities of water provided by the dam in the commune of Chorfa—estimated at 11 million cubic meters—from which farmers benefited, as well as the entry of new surface areas into production this season.
It should be noted that, to date, more than 480,000 quintals of olives have already been harvested in the wilaya.
Olive cultivation is particularly widespread in the perimeter of the Sig and El Habra plains, notably in the communes of Sig, Oggaz, Mohammadia, Sidi Abdelmoumen, Bouhanifia, and El Ghomri.
