The New South Wales water watchdog has had another successful day in court over breaches of the Water Management Act. On Thursday, the magistrate in the Deniliquin Local Court accepted the guilty plea of a Moama landholder and a contractor for building illegal constructions on the banks of the Murray River.

The spending spree on new tractors is continuing across the country despite supply challenges holding up delivery. In the last year more than 15,700 tractors were sold, 37 per cent more than in the previous 12 months.

A new farm work visa will be offered to residents from 10 South-East Asian countries to help Australian farmers harvest their crops, but the nation's peak farm lobby insists it will only believe it when it sees it.

Outback Australia's workforce is collapsing but, while some employers are eager to see backpackers return to remote stations, others say this is an opportunity to correct past mistakes and rebuild the local labour pool.

The recent virus transmissions in several states reminds us all that it’s important to keep up with the changing status of pandemic regulations across the board. You can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below:

Fifteen years ago, this mountain in Wychitella in northern Victoria was just like any other, filled with undulating, native rocky grasslands. But it's now populated, as far as the eye can see, with wild wheel cactus, a noxious weed.

Australian farmers are on track to record their most valuable year yet, expected to sell $66.3 billion worth of produce in 2020-21.

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 – like Michael, who’s selling harvesting equipment - or extra oil, like Colleen’s ‘fresh and vibrant’ 2021 EVOO. 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.

A new project has been teaching primary school kids about agriculture and where their food comes from. The Victorian Farmers Federation's Kids to Ag project enables kids from across Victoria to visit a farm and see how it operates.

The differences in food and agriculture standards between the United Kingdom and Australia are emerging as issues of concern in the coming free trade deal. British farmers, environmentalists and consumers fear imports from Australia will compromise the UK's high animal welfare and food standards.

With the end of the financial year fast approaching, everyone is looking to their taxes. Whatever your business size, chances are tax will take up a bit of your time – but are you making the most of the opportunities it presents?

Rural Aid aims to enhance the resilience and sustainability of farmers and rural communities through the Stronger Futures and Disaster Assistance programs. The programs provide rural communities with the tools, knowledge and volunteers they need through initiatives such as webinars, town makeovers and counselling services, to help their region thrive. 

Originally formed to provide farmers with hay through the Buy A Bale program, Rural Aid has now grown to incorporate:

Disaster Assistance: respond & recover

Farmers are encouraged to register with Rural Aid no matter the season they’re experiencing, so if times get tough fast, they can provide help as quickly and easily as possible.  

Find out more on the Rural Aid website here www.ruralaid.org.au, or contact 1300 327 624 or contact@ruralaid.org.au for enquiries.

Discussion during the ‘COVID-19 – Next Steps for Your Business’ webcast provided some great insight from a panel of Government representatives including the ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh, Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker, ATO Deputy Commissioner Small Business Deborah Jenkins, ASIC Commissioner Danielle Press and Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson.

A recording of the live panel discussion is now available online, along with a free resource pack, providing some of the key information and tips. Watch the video and download the resources here.

Presented by the Australian Olive Association’s OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane over six weeks, three AOA OliveCare® Best Practice webinars are of interest and value to all olive growers, processors and marketers of olive products, whether current members of the OliveCare® program or not.  

Each is being run as a one hour Zoom meeting, with a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute interactive Q&A session providing opportunity to clarify queries or issues. 

Registration: attendees must register to gain access to each webinar, with a link to the session provided upon sign-up. Registration is FREE for all attendees. 

The first webinar has already been held, with two further sessions on the way:

Webinar 2: EVOO & Flavoured Olive Oil Production Best Practice - 29 June, 12.30-1.30pm AEST. Register here.

Webinar 3: Table Olives/Olive Paste Production Best Practice - 13 July, 12.30-1.30pm AEST. Register here.

Further details on the OliveBiz website here or contact Liz Bouzoudis - secretariat@australianolives.com.au, 0478 606 145.

Industry and government are coming together to run an on-farm workshop to discuss significant pests and disease issues that are affecting horticulture in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland.

The workshop will be run from 11am to 1pm (AEST) on Thursday, 1 July – venue TBC.

Experts in their field will present from the paddock on a rage of threats that have arrived, or have the potential to, and will also cover general biosecurity obligations and hitchhiker pests.

Save the date, and we’ll update with further details as they’re announced. 

The 2021 NZ EVOO Awards judging panel has been announced, as follows:

All judges have been trained to International Olive Oil Council Organoleptic Panel standard and most have judged internationally.

Based on the success of the 2020 remote judging process, and given the ongoing outbreaks of COVID in Australia and other potential risks, the Executive has decided that remote judging will be used again in 2021.

Awards information packs with entry forms will be emailed to all ONZ members in August, and will also be available on the Olives New Zealand website www.olivesnz.org.nz.

Olives New Zealand EO Gayle Sheridan reports that an Organic Products Bill has been introduced into the New Zealand Parliament. This is to provide for national standards for organic products to be set in regulation, and require businesses to be approved by the government to be able to market products as organic.

The formal proposal is now open for consultation here.

Olives, well-known for their characteristic bitter taste, are in high demand owing to the popularity of the oil they produce. The health benefits of olive oil are well known, ranging from antiviral, anti-cancer, to even anti-hypertensive effects. These benefits are attributed to "oleuropein," the most abundant olive secoiridoid found in olives.

The journey from olive to bottle is a short sprint, making virgin olive oil a natural standout among major edible oils. See how it happens in our infographic!

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!

When we reach for our olive oil, do we fully consider what went into producing that bottle? Here is one olive oil farmer's recollection of a day during harvest.  

Guardia Civil officers operating checks on the movement of olives during the 2020/2021 olive season, have investigated six individuals aged between 25 and 32 – most of them with previous criminal records – in the municipality of Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, suspected of the crimes of misappropriation and documentary falsification.

While the country’s long-standing drought finally broke, pests, blackouts and Covid-19 restrictions resulted in a harvest of mixed results thus far.

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

OliveCare® Best Practice Webinar 2: EVOO & Flavoured Olive Oil

OliveCare® Best Practice Webinar 3: Table Olives/Olive Paste Production

Soil Health and Biology Masterclass 2021

Entries open Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Entries open, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Results announced, AGOA – NE VIC

AGOA Presentation Dinner – Wangaratta, VIC

Entries close, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Entries close Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Olives NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

Results announced, 2021 WA Olive Awards

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

Advertising: editor@olivegrower.com.au

Subscribe to Olivegrower & Processor magazine secretariat@australianolives.com.au