The national olive harvest ended in early April, leaving a bitter taste for most Brazilian olive growers. In the Mantiqueira Mountains—home to an estimated 150 olive groves spanning the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo—some of the country’s most important olive oil producers faced near-total crop failure.
One of them is Irarema Farm in São Sebastião da Grama, São Paulo, owned by Moacir Dias. In 2024, considered a historic harvest year, the farm’s 110 tonnes of olives produced 12,000 liters of olive oil. Transformed into a tourist destination, the property welcomed 33,000 visitors that year. But in 2025, the trees yielded less than 100 kilograms of fruit.
“I was only able to extract ten liters of olive oil, which were left for my consumption,” says Mr. Dias. “I’m left with last year’s stock and the flavored oils in the store. Visits have already dropped by about 50%. What’s cushioning my loss is the sale of avocado oil.”
The picture was no better in other towns across Mantiqueira. In São Bento do Sapucaí, São Paulo, production of Oliq olive oil plummeted from 14,000 liters in 2024 to just 900 liters—insufficient to stock the farm’s own store and restaurant. “I’ll have to buy olive oil from other Brazilian producers and, who knows, maybe even import some,” says one of the partners, Vera Marsagão.
Moacir Nascimento, president of the Association of Olive Growers of the Mantiqueira Foothills (Assoolive), estimates that this year’s olive oil production in the entire Southeast will be well below half of the 150,000 liters harvested last season.
Part of the blame lies with the weather. Last winter was not cold enough—olive trees require at least 200 hours below 12ºC to bloom in the spring, a condition that was not met.
According to Luiz Fernando de Oliveira e Silva, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Corporation of Minas Gerais (Epamig), only orchards located above 1,300 meters in altitude experienced a milder winter and produced some fruit.
In the South, the challenge was different: heavy rainfall in September soaked the blossoms, preventing them from turning into fruit. Luiz Eduardo Batalha, owner of Estância Guarda Velha in Pinheiro Machado, Rio Grande do Sul, and one of the largest olive growers in the country, faced significant losses. “In September, it rained 400 millimeters [15.75 inches] in just two weeks. I had estimated a production of 200,000 liters of olive oil, but now the forecast is no more than 70,000,” he says.
The Brazilian Olive Growing Institute (Ibraoliva), which, despite its name, collects data exclusively from olive growers in Rio Grande do Sul, estimates that the state’s production in 2024 will reach 300,000 liters, up from 192,000 liters in 2023. But some industry experts are skeptical.
“The South has improved a little compared to last year, but I personally don’t believe in this projection because several producers haven’t produced anything,” says Paulo Freitas, a marketing and business consultant specializing in the olive oil sector.
Olive oil expert Marcelo Scofano, Brazil’s delegate to the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Fair in Jaén, Spain, struggled to select the Brazilian brands that will represent the country at this year’s event, which takes place next week.
The fair requires participants to have produced at least 500 liters—an achievement few have managed this season. In the end, Mr. Scofano finalized the selection with the brands Puro, Sabiá, Prosperato, Al-Zait, and Corticeira 31, all from Rio Grande do Sul, along with Monasto and Mantikir from Mantiqueira.
“The harvest was disastrous in both the South and Southeast. It’s very sad to see what’s happening. Everyone believed that by 2018 we would be producing 5% of Brazil’s olive oil consumption, but we’re still struggling to reach 1%,” Mr. Scofano laments.
While olive growing in Brazil remains young, still shy of completing two decades, several players in the sector, from producers to technical experts, acknowledge that climate change isn’t the only factor holding back production.
Even Epamig, which extracted Brazil’s first national olive oil in 2008 and played a pioneering role in promoting the industry, now admits that some of its early recommendations proved to be misguided.
Researcher Luiz Fernando de Oliveira e Silva recalls that the initial advice to newcomers was to plant olive trees with a spacing of 4 meters between trees and 6 meters between rows. However, about eight years later, when these orchards had reached maturity, it became clear that the spacing was too tight.
“Our soil is richer than European soil, which causes the trees to grow much faster. When the canopies are too close together, the hot, humid climate increases the incidence of fungal diseases,” explains Mr. Silva.
The soil preparation protocol, Mr. Silva adds, has also been revised. Fifteen years ago, growers planting on steep terrain were advised to apply lime only inside the planting holes to correct soil acidity. “It didn’t work. This method works to a certain extent, but once the roots spread sideways, they hit the unprepared soil and stop producing,” he says.
Olive trees are perennial and can live for centuries, making it nearly impossible to fix such early planting mistakes later on. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the pioneers have already given up on producing olive oil.
Sandro Marques, author of a guide to olive oils of Brazil, has been working on the publication since 2017 and has already seen 15 brands disappear from the market. “This is the second terrible year, so much so that I decided not to publish the guide. There’s no point in promoting a product that isn’t available on the shelves,” he says.
According to Mr. Scofano, Brazilian producers’ initial enthusiasm also led to another miscalculation: 100% of them opted to produce only high-quality extra virgin olive oil, which can only be extracted from flawless olives. No one built refineries to correct defects and produce other, more commercial types of olive oil. The result is this: if you don’t have a high-yield harvest, you’re left without alternatives,” Mr. Scofano explains.
Those who haven’t abandoned the business are seeking solutions wherever they can, within their financial limits. In Santo Antônio do Pinhal, São Paulo, pioneer grower Luiz Rossini, who once had 2,200 trees, was advised to cut down 200 to improve spacing.
“I tried to resist as much as I could, and it took me almost four years to finish the process because it was painful. That little booklet from Epamig sold the idea that producing olive oil in Brazil was easy. Like many others, I got involved because it seemed so simple,” Mr. Rossini recalls.
To produce Mantikir olive oil, grower Herbert Sales took an even more drastic step. He abandoned the olive trees planted at Vinícola Essenza in Santo Antônio do Pinhal (São Paulo) and purchased a new farm at a much higher altitude—Tuiuva, in Maria da Fé (Minas Gerais)—where the trees now grow between 1,700 and 1,910 meters above sea level.
“Essenza is at 1,200 meters. Three years after planting, I realized the humidity was too high and the altitude too low. This year, however, conditions in Maria da Fé were excellent—I produced 2,900 liters,” says the businessman, who still maintains the São Paulo plantation, despite its low yield, because of the tourist appeal.
In nearby Santo Antônio do Pinhal (São Paulo), the couple Bia Pereira and Bob Costa, owners of Sabiá olive oil, have also sought new ground. Their first olive grove, which produced only 77 liters in 2025, remains a popular tourist destination, attracting 800 visitors each weekend. However, they have placed their bets on Encruzilhada do Sul (Rio Grande do Sul), where their most recent harvest produced 15,000 liters.
“I haven’t given up on Mantiqueira, and I still believe olive growing can succeed in Brazil—but only in certain places, with proper soil management and good sunlight,” Mr. Costa says.
Carla Retuci, producer of Borriello olive oil, also has no intention of abandoning her grove in Andradas (MG), which yielded 800 liters. This year, however, those who purchase her product—expected to reach stores later this semester—will find a second brand on the label. Retuci has partnered with Michelle Sapiras, who produces Bem-Te-Vi olive oil in Encruzilhada do Sul (RS).
Ms. Sapiras enjoyed a productive harvest, with 50 tonnes of seven olive varieties yielding 5,000 liters of olive oil. Still, she had struggled to access the gastronomic market, where Ms. Retuci is well-established. Some of Ms. Retuci’s clients include luxury hotels like Rosewood, JW Marriott, and Copacabana Palace, as well as renowned restaurants in São Paulo such as Fame, Pasta Shihoma, and Cepa.
According to Ms. Retuci, the partnership will give Borriello the breathing room it needs to address challenges in its Mantiqueira grove. “I’ve decided to stop investing in part of the plantation. I’d rather plant new trees. We’re paying the price of being pioneers—we became a learning reference for others. But it’s nobody’s fault; we were all learning as we went.”