EU olive oil and U.S. oranges are each having a challenging year. Beyond that the similarities are few. The EU produces 60 percent of the world’s olive oil. At its peak, the U.S. produced around 12 percent of global oranges, but that is now down to 4.6 percent.  Olive oil is a premium product in the essential vegetable oil food category. Oranges and their juice are a luxury product not quite essential for the diet. European olive production has been challenged by drought. Orange groves in Florida have been hit by greening disease, as has the much larger supplies in Brazil. Plus, Florida trees were damaged by Hurricane Ian and have high land costs. The price of olive oil is up 117 percent, orange juice futures have climbed 210 pe...

TAGS – Softs, Europe, North America