Overview
Before olive oil became trendy, people around the Mediterranean Sea used it. In addition, Morocco is the world’s fifth-largest producer of olive oil. As with other crops worldwide, mega-producers dominate the market. Small local olive oil producers still have room in Morocco. However, converting olives into oil requires expensive equipment—far more than many small producers can afford.
Enter the small custom olive oil processors. Small olive growers haul ripe olives to the processor. Each farmer’s crop remains separate from other farmers. Processing the olives in batches keeps them separate. At the end, the farmer receives the oil from his olives alone. The processor keeps a percentage of the oil and the spent olives, which have some residual value.
The ideal win-win transaction. The small grower has oil for his family and maybe some to sell in local markets, without spending money to own and maintain processing equipment. The processor has oil to sell at markets and a byproduct to sell as well, covering their costs.
Production of Olive Oil in Morocco.
The image gallery at the end of this article shows the different stages of production.
Plastic crates of olives arrive at the custom processor. The processor labels the crates to indicate the owner. A machine removes the debris from the olives.
The next step is to transfer the olives to the crusher. A large circular tub with two round stone wheels runs over the olives and crushes them. Next, the machine spreads the crushed olives on round filters. Then filters get stacked on top of one another until they fit in the press.
Under pressure, the large stacks of filters and olives squeeze out the raw olive oil from the bottom. After removal of the oil, the leftover crushed olives are sold as a byproduct for things like olive oil soap. Next, they filter the oil and put it in barrels, ready for the farmer to pick up.
