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Spanish olive trees discover new home on Hungary's slopes as climate warms

White wine maker Csaba Torok, who grows olives on Hungary's warm southern slopes near Lake Balaton, thinks his trees from southern Europe have discovered an effective new home as Europe's environment gets warmer.

Torok, 55, got his first three little olive trees from Spain around 2008. 2 froze to death the first winter but one endured, triggering Torok to purchase around 200 more throughout the years to plant in his vineyard on Hegymagas, a volcanic butte development with bright slopes, ample rain and abundant soil.

I see these trees as an integral part of the future landscape here, Torok said, as he gathered the olives with pals, keeping in mind the local microclimate significantly matches the trees.

He takes his hand-picked olive crop to neighbouring Slovenia where his virgin olive oil is made and which he sells for 4500 forints ($ 12.35) per 0.1 litres.

As southern Europe is hit by more regular dry spells and scorching heatwaves, the locations where olive groves can grow seem shifting northwards, he stated.

Hungary's winters have actually ended up being palpably milder over the past years. Europe is the fastest warming continent on the planet, the European Environment Agency said last month, and faces a higher risk of dry spell in the south.

Spain, which usually supplies around 40% of the world's. olive oil, has actually suffered bad olive harvests in the previous two. years due to heatwaves and a prolonged dry spell, doubling olive. oil rates to record levels.

Recently, the Spanish farm ministry said the first. quotes for this year's harvest indicated a healing, with. 2024-2025 olive production projection at 1,262,300 tonnes, up 48%. from the previous harvest.

MEDITERRANEAN FEELING

In southern Hungary, near the city of Pecs, Gabor Stix has. been explore an olive grove for years, cultivating. trees for sale. Stix expects all his trees grown this year to be. offered by March.

Olive trees love this climate. ... One would think Hungary. is not appropriate for olive production, but it is, Stix stated.

Even north of Hungary, in Slovakia, people have been purchasing. olive trees for their gardens to have a Mediterranean feeling. In the town of Iza, garden centre owner Istvan Vass has. imported 25 truckloads of olive trees from Spain this year,. selling them for 300-500 euros each.

As buyers arrived to choose trees, Vass alerted that during. the first winter the trees might suffer damage from sub-zero. temperature levels, however covering them assists.

There are lots of olive trees planted outside in the. gardens and they cope really well, he stated.

(source: Reuters)