According to official sources, the Olive tree (Olea europea) was introduced into China over 40 years ago. However, the crop only started to expand at the beginning of the millennium. The areas of greatest potential for the development of olive growing are Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan. China currently has an olive hectarage of 86000 ha., of which 43% is under irrigation. More than 27% of the current surface area is under production. The average annual planting rate is of approximately 14 000 ha of olive trees. Source: Olive Oil Market
