Registrations are now open for the 2021 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference. Running from Tuesday, 12 October to Friday, 15 October, the event will consist of four two-hour sessions held each day at 3:00-5:00pm (AEST). Held via Zoom, the sessions will feature informative presentations from experts with delegates invited to ask questions and contribute comments live.

Registration is required, and you can register for all sessions or sign up separately for each.

Cost: AOA Members - Free; Non-Members - $30 plus GST per session or $100 plus GST for all sessions.

Tuesday, 12 October – The Big Picture (the economy, trade, export, local markets) – register here

Wednesday, 13 October – Biosecurity (Xyllela, fruit fly, other threats) – register here

Thursday, 14 October - Factors Influencing Olive Yields (frost, biennial bearing, canopy management) – register here

Friday, 15 October - Olives & Olive Oil in Food - (table olives, cooking with olives, health and wellness) – register here

Followed at 5:30-7:00pm by 2021 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Gala Presentation – FREE registration here

Full week of sessions - register here

If you’re looking for the good oil then look no further. In just 10 years Australian olive oil has transformed from a cottage industry to large agribusiness placing $1.5 million in growers’ pockets. This transformation has come about, quite simply, by Australians buying Australian.

A new on-farm biosecurity check-in means everyone can play their part in protecting Queensland agriculture from the spread of plant and animal pests and diseases. ‘Farm Check-In’ was developed to assist visitors manage and understand biosecurity risks before they enter agricultural properties.

A group of wine industry environmentalists are turning feral olive trees removed from Fleurieu Peninsula national parks into a biochar product to boost the health of McLaren Vale vineyards.

Nearly 85% of quad bikes assessed by Australia’s consumer law regulators were compliant with the first stage of a new national safety standard that came into force in October last year, new figures from the ACCC reveal.

The ACCC and state and territory consumer protection agencies have co-ordinated national market surveillance to determine whether quad bike suppliers have complied with the stage 1 requirements of the Quad Bike Safety Standard.

Find out more here.

Two weeks ago, Plunkett Orchards near Shepparton had about 65 employees working on-farm.

But the coronavirus outbreak in the town quickly saw more than 20 per cent of the workforce going into isolation, as well as the orchard's two main tractor drivers and two of its four managers.

Continuing lockdown regulations in many 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:

The winners of the 2021 Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards Olive Products category were announced last weekend with local producers taking the top gongs. The Champion Award went to Ashbolt Farm for its First Harvest EVOO, (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), with Reserve Champion awarded to Freshfield Grove for the Freshfield Grove Community EVOO.

There was a 10% increase in entries this year, including EVOO and infused oils, and pitted and flavoured olives and flavoured olives, with entries from Tasmania, NSW and Victoria.

View the full results here.

Hort Innovation members who pay a statutory or voluntary levy are required to complete an Annual Levy Return form to secure voting rights for the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and any other general meeting of members held between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022.

All completed Annual Levy Return forms must be received by today, 10 September 2021.

The quickest way to submit your form and ensure it meets the deadline is online via this link. You’ll need your unique member number and PIN, which have been provided to you recently via email and post.

If you have questions about completing your Annual Levy Return or are unable to find your member number and/or PIN, please contact Link Market Services on 1800 660 083.

They've battled droughts and fires in recent years, but some East Gippsland farmers will now have to wait a month until floodwater recedes from their land.

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, 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.

Increased exports, drought mitigation and new foods are at the centre of $150 million in research spending by governments and Australia's farming industry.

The entry period for the 2021 WA Olive Awards has been extended until Monday, 13 September, providing a few more days to have your EVOO and flavoured oil entries included in this year’s judging.

Delivery options to make the judging deadline are still available: please contact Chief Steward Ellen Slobe at entries@oliveswa.com.au if you haven’t organised delivery yet and still want to have your olive oil(s) included.

Download the Entry Pack.

Winners will be announced at the WA Olive Awards Night on Thursday, 21 October 2021 – and celebrated in the December ‘Awards’ edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

The current NSW lockdown has seen the Hunter Olive Show committee make some changes to the schedule for this year’s competition, to ensure it can proceed smoothly.

The judging date has been moved to 23 October, when it is expected that lockdown restrictions will be eased enough to enable a COVID-safe judging day. This has also enabled a three-week extension of the closing date, with entries now accepted until Friday, 24 September.

HOA treasurer Alan smith said the organisers are very pleased with the entries received to date, ensuring another great competition this year, and confirmed that all entries are being safely stored at 16 degrees in a dark room to preserve product quality.

Access full competition details and enter here.

The focus will be firmly on the Australian olive industry in October, as Cobram Estate hosts a bid for the largest olive oil tasting session ever held - anywhere.

In May 2009, 12,909 people gathered in Spain and set a Guinness World Record for the biggest olive oil tasting event. Cobram Estate is now challenging Australians to break that record by hosting what it hopes will be the biggest olive oil tasting ever held across the globe.

With COVID restrictions calling for a virtual event, participants will join Dr Joanna McMillan, chief oil maker Leandro Ravetti and Cobram Estate co-founder Rob McGavin online for a mass tasting session. They’re aiming to have more than 13,000 Australians take part, ensuring the Spanish record is well and truly beaten – and creating a buzz around Australian EVOO.

AOA members’ 50% discount

This is a great promotional event for our industry, putting Australian EVOO on the world stage in a completely different arena. And it’s something we can all get behind, by taking part in the tasting ourselves (a great way to exercise your EVOO palate) and spreading the word to our networks.

To make that easier, there’s a 50% discount for AOA members to purchase tickets for themselves, friends and family – just use the promo code AOA when registering to get your tickets at just $5 each.

Details:

Cobram Estate Go for Gold virtual EVOO masterclass and tasting

Thursday, 28 October @ 7.30-8.30pm AEDT

$10 $5 using AOA promo code - includes delivery of tasting pack

Find out more and sign up here before Thursday, 30 September to ensure time for pack delivery.

Entries close today for the 2021 Olives NZ EVOO Awards, the country’s premier extra virgin olive oil competition.

The winners will be announced on Saturday, 9 October at the 2021 New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards Dinner, being held at the Rydges Wellington Airport Hotel, Wellington.

More information and register here to join the celebrations.

Britons who enjoy a Mediterranean feast could face shortages of Italian pasta, extra virgin olive oil and tomato sauce as a result of Brexit bureaucracy issues, Italian producers have warned. Imports of Italian pasta to the UK fell by 28 per cent in the first five months of this year, while olive oil fell by 13 per cent and Made in Italy tomato sauce by 16 per cent.  

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has approved a new set of laws and regulations governing olive oil quality standards for the first time in almost 40 years.

For terms and conditions and further information please contact Ben on 0422850699 or Greg on 0407599409, or email newmed.olives@gmail.com

Too much fun in the sun? Don't panic. You can use olive oil for hair that is feeling particularly dry and brittle to quickly bring it back to life. Your strands will thank you.

The Turkish Ministry of Commerce has again permitted bulk olive oil exports after banning them in March. The Turkish government initially decided to prohibit bulk exports over concerns about price speculation and shortages in the domestic market.

We’re now more than 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 project, funded by the European Union under the ENI CBC MED program, launches a new application management system which aims to improve business management, innovation and knowledge exchange.

Following the Mediterranean diet was linked with the normal development of an important part of the nervous system in depressed patients.

Entries close Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Entries close, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Entries close, Hunter Olive Show

AOA Technical Webinar - Table olive cultivars

AOA Technical Webinar - EVOO storage considerations

Olives NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

2021 Virtual National Olive Conference - Online

Results announced, 2021 WA Olive Awards

World’s Biggest Virtual Olive Oil Tasting

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

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