Good seasonal conditions and strong commodity prices had already loaded the gun in a farm spending frenzy, but the federal government's investment incentives pulled the trigger. The shopping spree has left the yards and showrooms of machinery dealerships bare, while silo manufactures can't find enough staff to meet demand and shed builders are flat out keeping up with orders.

NSW farmers are calling for a $25,000 rebate from the State Government for properties affected by the worsening mouse plague, which they say has escalated into an "economic and public health crisis". NSW Farmers chief executive Pete Arkle said such a rebate should be available for every farm business affected by the plague to pay for 50 per cent of the cost of mouse baits.

Mouse bait manufacturers have been given permission to double the lethality of their products in a big win for grain producers. Mouse plagues can have a devastating impact on farmers, affecting crops and feed grain stocks. That has been the case this season in parts of New South Wales, where shocking vision has emerged of mice in plague proportions. Youtube Bait is not proving effective enough to end the NSW mouse plague.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg shovelled $200 million into a national soil strategy and promised at least $630 million to improve aged care in rural and remote communities, in a largely positive budget for regional and rural Australians.

Ongoing infection leaks and restrictions mean that it’s important to keep up with the changing status of pandemic regulations. You can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below::

Got something to sell? Or want to buy? Go direct to your target market – olive growers and producers 

If you’ve got something industry-related to sell, you can reach your target market directly with Olivebiz Classifieds. Our online Classifieds service is an easy and inexpensive solution to advertising your unwanted equipment, extra oil - or even your grove. And if there’s something you’re looking for, it’s the ideal way to get the message out loud and clear to your peers and industry associates – the most likely to have what you need.

Olivebiz Classifieds cost just $40 for AOA members ($100 for non-members), including a text ad and link through to either your web page or images hosted on our site. And you don’t need to be a tech-head: just send us your info and we’ll post it up for you.

Olivebiz Classifieds are online now at www.olivebiz.com.au/classifieds. To arrange a listing, contact Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au.

Save the Quad Bike in Australia is calling on federal assistant treasurer Michael Sukkar to place a three year hold on Quad bike legislation requiring all new quad bikes to have roll bars installed.

A push to derail new safety rules for quad bikes has been described as "crazy" by the Rural Doctors Association of Australian. As well, the RDAA has accused quad bike manufacturers of not valuing the lives of Australian farmers.

The Australian Olive Association (AOA) operates a communications and extension program for the benefit of growers and our broader industry. With several years of the current program now completed, they are seeking your feedback to help measure the impact of the program. 

They want to identify the most effective platforms for delivering R&D outcomes and technical information to you, and how this information has assisted your business. They’re also keen know if there are other sources of technical information you use, to ensure they’ve got the right mix.

The survey asks questions about various aspects of the communications and extension program. All answers remain confidential and will only be reported as aggregated numbers or anonymous comments.

If you haven’t completed the survey yet, please grab a coffee and take five or 10 minutes to add your input.

Take the survey here.

There are over 70 contingency plans on the PHA website’s Pest Information Document Database, which provide technical and scientific advice to support decision making and response activities following the detection of a plant pest. These documents are especially valuable in the early stages of a response when information is required rapidly.

The Streamlining Plant Pest Contingency Plans Project, delivered by Agriculture Victoria using funding from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), has developed a nationally agreed, modular structure for these documents that improves their functionality. A Contingency Plans Portal is also being developed, allowing for the modular development, management and updating of the information in each plan. We’ll update when it’s complete and available for use. 

In the meantime, you can view the Pest Information Document Database here.

Due to a change in host range, extended emergency quarantine measures for plant tissue and plant hosts to minimise the biosecurity risk posed by xylella to Australia will be introduced from 1 June 2021. Find out more here.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) continues to provide new and extended flights for export freight, including a strong focus on key Asian markets.

New and extended flight routes announced recently include: Adelaide to Singapore, Melbourne to Los Angeles and Sydney to Narita. Incoming flights have also been extended. 

Contact your preferred freight forwarder to access available flights and for more information and flight details, visit the IFAM webpage or download the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound.

Details have been announced for this year’s Australian Golden Olive Awards (AGOA), run by Olive Producers of North East Victoria (OPNEV). Entries are invited for EVOO, Agrumato and Flavoured Olive Oil categories, with key dates as follows:

11 June - Return of invitation to participate form

5 July - Closing date for entry forms and submission of product samples

16 August - Chemistry results supplied to entrants

29 August - Golden Olives Awards announced

3 September - Presentation Dinner at Wangaratta.

More information and enter here.

The annual Soil Health and Biology Masterclass is being held on 4-5 August at Western Sydney University’s Hawkesbury Campus.

The 2-day masterclass will provide the core knowledge and principles to assist in incorporating soil biology and health in management practices to sustainably increase productivity and profitability. Growers, consultants and agronomists attending will: 

The $395 registration fee includes a tour of the research facilities and a networking dinner.

Find out more here and register here.

The second event in the Wellgrove educational webinar series on Olive Leaf Extract has just been announced, and you’re all invited to attend. 

Presented by Ian Breakspear, a herbal and naturopathic clinician, educator and researcher with almost 30 years of experience, the session looks at Olive Leaf Extract in relation to infections. Topics covered include:

When: Wednesday, 2 June 6-7pm AEST. Places are limited, register here to secure yours now.

Boniviri, a Sicilian start-up and benefit company, launches the first Italian “carbon neutral” organic extra virgin olive oil. The project envisages that the CO2 emissions generated by oil along the entire supply chain, from the field to the table, are calculated, reduced through sustainable choices and, finally, eliminated through reforestation projects.

Spanish olive oil exports to the United Kingdom fell by 35 percent in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2020, according to Spain’s Union of Farmers and Livestock Unions.

The latest data from Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food show that olive oil sales by both volume and prices continue to rise in the 2019/20 crop year, confirming a growing trend. Olive oil sales have reached 872,900 tons so far, 17 percent above the average sales of the last four seasons and eight percent above the previous year.

The third European conference on Xylella Fastidiosa last month brought together scientists from more than 60 countries to address the disease that become an existential threat to olive trees across the continent and to the European olive oil sector, which generates more than €5 billion a year and represents 67% of the world’s supply.

We’re now nearly half-way through 2021, and Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) continues to bring all the latest industry news and events to your Inbox every week. THE place to share olive industry news, event details and reminders, our industry e-newsletter keeps growing in popularity and we now have nearly 4000 subscribers across the globe. If you’re not one of them, you can sign up here.

And please remember that FOE is YOUR e-newsletter, so we’re keen to receive your news and help spread the word. Just email your information to Editor Gerri Nelligan at editor@olivegrower.com.au - it’s free, and the best way to reach your fellow industry members!

The price of Tunisian olive oil exports has increased substantially on international markets in recent months. From November 2020 to March 2021, export prices increased by 30-percent compared with the previous crop year.

A row of olive trees has been trimmed down at Jewett Farms in Moulton. Thao Nguyen /Contributor.

The 50 acres of olive trees on Dunham Jewett’s farm in Moulton, about 100 miles east of San Antonio, look like a war zone. What had been 10- to 12-foot-high trees with wide canopies are now nothing more than 2- to 3-foot high stumps, cut down following February’s devastating winter storms.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will vote on whether to recognize the 1.5-million-hectare olive tree forest that stretches across Andalusia.

Norco Primex Sustainable Farming Expo - Casino, NSW

Entries close, 2021 Sydney Fine Foods Olive Show 

Return of Invitation to Participate forms, AGOA – NE VIC

Closing date for entry forms and samples, AGOA – NE VIC

Soil Health and Biology Masterclass 2021

Entries open Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Results announced, AGOA – NE VIC

AGOA Presentation Dinner – Wangaratta, VIC

Entries close Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

9 October       

Olives NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

To include your event, or update your existing event details, email FOE editor Gerri Nelligan at editor@olivegrower.com.au

Friday Olive Extracts Editorial editor@olivegrower.com.au

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