Hassa — The Eastern Face of the Amanos

Hassa is one of the quiet but powerful districts of Hatay olive growing. Its 4,250 hectares of groves hold more than 1.45 million trees, and annual production reaches 27,564 tonnes — making it the second-largest producer in Hatay. While the district rarely captures the culinary headlines given to coastal groves, its steady agricultural rhythm provides a backbone for Hatay zeytinyağı supplies, delivering substantial fruit volume to regional mills year after year.

The real difference: yield

What sets Hassa apart is not area but output per unit of land. The district returns roughly 6.5 tonnes per hectare, well above the Hatay average — there are districts in the same province with larger groves and smaller crops. High yield points to healthy tree age and good husbandry, which for a commercial buyer is a direct quality signal. A tree that receives balanced moisture, regular pruning, and seasonal soil care produces olives with sound cell structure and lower baseline cellular decay prior to harvest.

For olive oil production, higher fruit vigor directly affects chemical stability. When fruit develops without severe drought shock or unchecked pest damage, the risk of early enzymatic breakdown drops. Fruit harvested at the optimal maturity window yields raw oil with cleaner aromatic profiles and low initial serbest asitlik (free acidity). In Hassa zeytinyağı production, this productivity translates into predictable raw material lots, allowing processors to plan pressing schedules efficiently without fruit sitting in field sacks where fermentation and acidity spikes typically occur.

The eastern foot of the Amanos

The district sits on the eastern slope of the Amanos (Nur) Mountains. That position does two distinct things for local olive cultivation: the mountain's shadow blunts the harsh midday heat of the interior plains, and sloping ground drains rather than holds water, keeping root systems aerated. The olive tree prefers a well-drained hillside to a flat field with a high water table, as soggy soil conditions promote root rot and weaken fruit retention during late summer.

The microclimate created by the mountain barrier also introduces cooler night temperatures during early autumn. This diurnal temperature shift slows down rapid oil accumulation inside the fruit, encouraging a gradual synthesis of aromatic compounds and polyphenols. Early harvest (erken hasat) practices here take advantage of this gradual maturation. Olives gathered while still green or turning straw-yellow undergo soğuk sıkım (cold extraction) at temperatures below 27°C, locking in fresh botanical notes and keeping free fatty acid levels low.

However, farming the eastern slopes presents logistical challenges. Mountain foothills require manual labor on terraced plots, where mechanical harvesting equipment cannot easily navigate. The inland climate also experiences drier late summer spells compared to the humid coastal belt of Hatay, meaning growers must carefully monitor soil moisture and harvest timing to prevent premature fruit drop.

What we source here

Most of what comes from Hassa is bulk and wholesale, though select early harvest lots are preserved for retail and specialty packaging. We handle several distinct commercial categories:

• Natürel sızma zeytinyağı (Extra virgin olive oil): Cold extracted from freshly picked olives, characterized by free acidity below 0.8%, suitable for raw consumption, table service, and specialty bottling.
• Natürel birinci zeytinyağı (Virgin olive oil): Well-balanced oil with mild acidity, providing a reliable cooking base for professional kitchens and food manufacturers.
• Rafine zeytinyağı & Riviera zeytinyağı: High-smoke-point oils produced through gentle refining and blending, designed for industrial frying, baking, and large-scale catering.
• Salamuralık sofralık zeytin: Carefully selected firm table olives processed in traditional brine to preserve fruit texture and natural flavor.

Every batch brought from local groves is evaluated by serbest asitlik measurement at our own laboratory in Düziçi. This testing is performed for internal classification and customer information purposes, helping us match each lot to its ideal commercial destination, though it does not replace official test reports. Our guide to olive oil grades explains what each category means in detail.

Oil sourced from this area works particularly well for hotels, restaurants and catering (HORECA) businesses, retail grocers, and export supply chains. The region offers steady volume, a consistent analytical profile, and flexible packaging formats. We supply perakende zeytinyağı in 1-litre glass bottles for retail shelves and home kitchens (evsel tüketim), 5-litre tins for food service, 16 kg tins for commercial kitchens, and toptan zeytinyağı shipments of up to 25 tonnes at once in food-grade road tankers.

Direct procurement from Hassa growers

We work directly with olive farmers across Hassa throughout the harvest calendar. Producers can bring raw lots to our collection points, where we conduct on-site free sample testing for acidity and sensory inspection. Once lots are evaluated, we offer fair pricing based on prevailing market conditions, verify net weight on certified scales, and settle payments immediately. Growers interested in marketing their crop can visit our buying page for intake guidelines and seasonal schedules.

Ordering and shipping

Because market conditions and seasonal harvest volumes influence wholesale pricing, rates move over the course of the campaign and are not published on the site. You can use our online order form or leave a request, and our team will call with current pricing tailored to your requested volume and packaging specifications.

We accept payment via bank transfer (EFT/havale) or credit card, and provide full commercial invoicing for both corporate clients and individual domestic orders. Whether you need single carton deliveries for household use or multi-pallet consignments for hospitality venues, our logistics network provides dedicated cargo and freight shipping to all 81 provinces across Türkiye.

Get in touch

Growers: see our buying page for crop evaluation and collection details. Looking for product? Browse our range of packaged and bulk oils or write to us to discuss contract terms for your enterprise.