Despite Malta’s olive pressing season being in full swing, growers are having a much easier time finding empty slots to book their olives in to be pressed – despite the loss of the facility with the largest capacity on the islands.
The bumper olive harvest of 2025 led to striking images of long lines of cars parked to the side of Saqqajja Hill as growers waited their turn at the Tal-Kanċillier olive press.
Patience was a must, with many turning up in the early hours of the morning to secure their spot.
On the day WhosWho.mt went on the scene, one man said he had arrived at 3.30am – and he was not even near the front of the line.
The huge queue was no coincidence. The Tal-Kanċillier owners are known industry stalwarts who have invested heavily in modern machinery, building a reputation over the years solely by word-of-mouth.
The news – broken by this newsroom – that Tal-Kanċillier would be shutting its doors therefore left many growers in shock.
Several people, who spoke to WhosWho.mt on condition of anonymity given their position as private citizens producing olive oil in limited quantities, spoke in stark terms about the impact of the closure.
“It was simply the biggest and most professionally run olive press in the country,” said one grower.
“Thank God they didn’t close last year,” said another, recalling the long hours spent waiting in their car.
The desert-dry weather of 2026 has resulted in a poor olive harvest that should be adequately catered for by existing presses, some of which have also invested in upgrades.
“But what will happen when we have a good year?” asked a third grower. “Will we have to go up to Sicily just to press olive oil from Maltese olives grown in Maltese soil?”
The rapid decline in the quality of oil derived from olives cut down mere days before poses a serious challenge.
“Ideally, you cut the olives and press them on the same day. They’ll hold for a few days, but after a week the difference in the quality of oil will be noticeable. After two weeks they might as well be thrown away.”
The urgency to get the olives from tree to press is compounded by the short harvesting period, with the first heavy rains of September creating ideal conditions for flies and pests that find olives just as attractive as humans do.
“So you have a situation where the harvest period is short – although it differs slightly depending on the specific variety of olive, the soil, and other conditions – and the pressing period is short. That makes it difficult for growers.”
In fact, social media groups dedicated to agriculture often have members advising growers to book a spot at a press before cutting their olives.
This year, that won’t be a problem. But the hole left by the closure of Tal-Kanċillier will not be easy to fill, leaving growers anxious about their options in the years ahead.
