Although the production of extra virgin olive oil in Uruguay dates back less than a decade, the country’s olive oil has managed to earn a place among the ten best in the world, according to a quality ranking of companies participating in international competitions. The quality of olive oil depends on the care taken in producing it, Daniel Davidovics, president of the Olive Growers Association of Uruguay, told Tierramérica.

“The olives have to be treated well and taken to the processing plant within 24 hours of harvesting,” he explained. As is the case with wine, the best olive oils are “varietals”, produced from a single type of olive, or a blend of two varieties.

During the most recent harvest, carried out in the Southern hemisphere autumn, Uruguay produced 550,000 liters of olive oil, a major increase over the 120,000 liters produced the previous year.

Last year, 1.3 million liters of this edible oil with significant health benefits were consumed in Uruguay, of which 1.2 million liters were imported, said Davidovics.