As the olive-picking season begins, attention in Irbid Governorate turns to the fields, olive presses and rural markets, where agricultural activities intersect with commercial activity extending to agricultural supply shops, crop transportation services and home-based food businesses. The season represents an important period for many families that await the returns from their harvest each year.
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The season’s importance extends beyond the production of olives and olive oil to the economic activities associated with it, from purchasing harvesting tools and crates to paying workers, transportation and pressing costs, and marketing oil, pickled olives and rural products.
In Irbid’s rural markets, commercial activity during the olive season is closely tied to farmers’ needs and the preparations made before and during harvesting. Tools used to collect the fruit, crates for transportation and containers for storing oil are part of a purchasing cycle that recurs each year as the season begins.
Ali Al-Shaloul, owner of an agricultural supplies shop in Irbid, said this period represents an important opportunity for shops that rely on selling agricultural products and equipment. He explained that demand focuses on harvesting, transportation and storage supplies, as well as tools farmers need to care for their trees.
He added that sales may rise by around 30% during the season compared with ordinary months, provided sufficient quantities of crops are available and purchasing activity continues. He noted that prices for harvesting supplies vary according to type and quality: harvesting nets cost between JD 8 and JD 15, while plastic crates range from JD 3 to JD 6 each.
Farmers’ varying needs
Al-Shaloul explained that farmers’ differing needs affect the volume of purchases. Some prefer to prepare their equipment before harvesting begins, while others buy supplies as needed. He noted that higher sales do not necessarily translate into an equivalent increase in profits, given the costs of purchasing goods, transportation and operations. This makes commercial performance dependent on net returns rather than sales value alone.
As the harvest moves from the fields to the olive presses, another stage of economic activity begins. Farmers need their olives pressed under suitable conditions to preserve oil quality, while press operators must organize crop intake, provide workers and maintain equipment.
Mohammad Al-Omari, a worker at an olive press, said the season requires operational preparations that become increasingly important on days when several farmers request pressing services at the same time. He added that organizing crop intake, monitoring processing stages and maintaining equipment cleanliness are essential to ensuring smooth operations.
He pointed out that pressing costs should be calculated using a clear unit of measurement and the pricing method adopted by the press. For illustrative calculation purposes only, the pressing fee is assumed to range between JD 70 and JD 100 per tonne, while a press on a busy day may receive between eight and 12 tonnes, depending on the crop volume and operating capacity.
He explained that an increase in the quantity of olives delivered to a press may raise gross revenue, but it also increases operating requirements, energy consumption, maintenance needs and labor costs. Therefore, calculating actual returns requires deducting operating expenses from revenue rather than treating total receipts as net profit.
Al-Omari added that farmers pay close attention to the quantity of oil extracted from their crops, but yields vary according to the olive variety, degree of ripeness, seasonal conditions and the characteristics of the fruit. This highlights the importance of using appropriate harvesting and processing practices rather than relying on uniform estimates of production or oil extraction in all cases.
Alongside harvesting and pressing, the olive season also offers some home-based producers an opportunity to market food products, such as pickled olives and other pickles. These activities can provide additional income for families with the experience and capacity to prepare and market such products.
Samar Mohammad, a home-based producer, said working with products associated with the olive season allows families to benefit from demand for rural goods. However, it requires advance planning to secure raw materials and suitable packaging, as well as attention to preparation quality and safe storage.
Revenue and actual profit
She added that a home-based business may sell around 150 containers in an ordinary month, compared with 300 during the olive season. If the average price per container is JD 4, selling 300 containers would generate gross monthly revenue of JD 1,200, before deducting the costs of raw materials, filling, packaging, transportation and other expenses.
Mohammad explained that this example illustrates the importance of distinguishing between revenue and actual profit, as increased sales do not necessarily lead to a proportional rise in earnings. Marketing products through social media platforms can help businesses reach new customers, but it requires clear information about products, prices and sizes, as well as compliance with applicable food safety and licensing requirements, depending on the nature of the activity.
She noted that sustaining home-based businesses requires more than a seasonal sales boost. Their success depends on product quality, consumer trust, the availability of sales channels and the ability to manage costs. Developing marketing and packaging methods could give these businesses greater opportunities to benefit from local agricultural products.
Meanwhile, farmers’ financial calculations remain tied to crop yields and the costs accumulated since the beginning of the year. Expenses go beyond harvesting wages to include tree care, pruning, production supplies, fruit transportation, pressing and storage.
Olive farmer Ahmad Obeidat said assessing the success of the season requires calculating all expenses and comparing them with the value of the crop that can be sold or the portion retained for household consumption. He added that production volume is an important factor but is not sufficient on its own to determine economic viability, particularly when labor, transportation and agricultural service costs rise.
He noted that a farm producing five tonnes of olives incurs JD 450 in harvesting wages, JD 100 in transportation costs, JD 400 for pressing and JD 500 for tree care and production supplies, bringing the total of these expenses to JD 1,450.
Obeidat said that if the harvest yields 800 kilograms of olive oil, sold at an average price of JD 8 per kilogram, gross revenue would amount to JD 6,400. After deducting the expenses listed above, the calculated difference would be JD 4,950.
He stressed that this amount does not necessarily represent final net profit, as it may not include all direct and indirect expenses, such as equipment depreciation, land costs and the labor of family members. Actual selling prices and the quantity of oil extracted also vary from one farm to another.
