Wet and dry winter; NZ curveball; Global production down

27 May 2022

Brought to you by Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor www.olivebiz.com.au

Today's Top Story

BOM's winter outlook signals yet more wet weather for the east, dry days further west

It looks like the east coast could be in for yet more wet weather this winter but that is less likely to be the case in the south-west. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)

The Bureau of Meteorology's winter outlook is here and it is not great news for those hoping for a break from the wet weather. La Niña is stubbornly hanging around and it looks like a negative Indian Ocean Dipole is on the way, so a wetter than average winter is expected for much of the country.

Australia

Weather, climate and their outcomes are the ‘hot topic’ issues in this week’s news …

Global warming may have worsened series of flood disasters, says Bureau of Meteorology

A swiftwater rescue crew evacuates a stranded resident in Warwick, Queensland, on May 13. (Supplied: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services)

A perfect storm of factors created conditions for devastating flooding across Queensland and NSW this year and global warming may have made them worse, says the Bureau of Meteorology.

NSW flood relief payments delayed to farmers due to fraudulent claims

Only 820 out of 2,500 applications for the $75,000 primary producer grants have been processed 12 weeks after catastrophic floods caused widespread damage to livestock and crops.

NSW Far west town of Menindee about to flood, but some wish it had happened much sooner

WaterNSW is increasing the amount of water released at Menindee ahead of massive inflows. (Supplied.)

WaterNSW will release more water from Menindee Lakes to make space for the massive inflow of water coming down inland rivers. Downstream communities have welcomed the decision but said it should have happened much earlier because crucial farmland and wetlands were crying out for water.

COVID restrictions: stay informed

Infection numbers are high at present, so it’s important to keep up with the current status of pandemic regulations across Australia. You can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below:

Vic- https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/
ACT - https://www.covid19.act.gov.au
New South Wales - https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Queensland - https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/
South Australia - https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/
Tasmania - https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/
Western Australia - https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus

Man dies on farm west of Ballarat after being found with 'critical injuries'

Worksafe is investigating the death of a man on a farm in Victoria's west (on Wednesday) morning. Ambulance Victoria was called to an incident in the hamlet of Crowlands, 24 kilometres north-east of Ararat, just after 10am. Worksafe and police have confirmed the death and say investigations are underway.

Another tragic reminder of the importance of best practice in farm safety, particularly around vehicles and machinery.

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 – like Anthony, who’s looking for high quality fresh or brined olives.

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.

New Doppler radar sensitive enough to track locusts and rain bursts fills big gaps in western NSW

A new Doppler weather radar capable of detecting a locust swarm, a flock of birds or a remote rain shower has been unveiled in the central west of NSW, promising more accurate data for farmers and pilots. The new tower in Yeoval, near Wellington, is the last of three installed after the commissioning of Doppler radars in Brewarrina and Hillston.

Opportunities

Women’s leadership development scholarships

Women in farming and agriculture can now apply for a leadership development scholarship from Women & Leadership Australia. Providing world-class leadership development programs for women at all stages of their careers, Women & Leadership Australia brings together the latest in leadership theory and practice, with a focus on applied learning, building networks and a flexible, part-time delivery to fit in with your schedule.

Scholarships are now available to encourage more women to enhance their impact at work and beyond, and to support the development of women leaders at all levels. Partial scholarships of $1,000-$5,000 will support participation in one of four courses designed for women in non-leadership roles through to senior leaders.

Applications close on 9 September - find out more here.

SA: Opening our Great Outdoors - Accommodation grants

The Opening our Great Outdoors pool is funded by the Regional Growth Fund to support economic generating regional tourism initiatives. Grants of $20,000 to $500,000 are available to support and stimulate private sector investment in new or improved regional accommodation for quality tourism products and experiences. A maximum of 30% co-contribution from the State Government of the total project cost.

More information and apply here.

New Zealand

Oil pressers optimistic despite low olive produce

Olive oil growers in Wairarapa are optimistic about the season's harvest, despite some very wet weather to start with. Leafyridge Olives manager and grower Craig Leaf-Wright said the weather had thrown growers a curveball.

International

Global olive oil production expected to slip to 2.9m tons

Global olive oil production is expected to fall to 2.9 million tons in the 2022/23 crop year, according to the latest estimates published by the United States Department of Agriculture. According to USDA data, production will fall by 11 percent compared to the previous crop year and finish 8 percent below the rolling five-year average.

Oleotourism begins to sprout in Greece

Professional tasting instruction from the producers at Markellos Olive.

Oleotourism, the form of rural tourism based on activities related to olive oil production, has recently started to gain momentum in Greece. Mills and agri-food businesses are increasingly diversifying from their main activities and turning to tourism to disseminate the culture of olive oil.

Study reveals impacts of climate change on Spanish olive sector

A recent report from the Coordinator of Agriculture and Livestock Organizations (COAG) found that climate change has resulted in €550 million of losses per annum for the Spanish agricultural sector, equivalent to approximately 6 percent of its total value.

Mediterranean diet helps beat depression in young men

Young men with a poor diet saw a significant improvement in their symptoms of depression when they switched to a healthy Mediterranean diet, a new study shows.

Amid growing inflation, Italians prioritize high-quality food purchases

Food prices in Italy have increased by 6.2 percent in the past year, mainly due to global inflationary pressures. However, Italian families do not seem interested in limiting grocery spending. According to the latest report from the Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market (Ismea), Italians intend to cope with the rising inflation by cutting other expenditures instead.

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

We’re now well into 2022, 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!

Drought continues to concern growers in Chile

With the olive harvest in full swing across Chile, producers in Latin America’s second-largest olive oil-producing country expect a slight decrease from last year’s record yields.

Worsening drought conditions predicted in southern and central Europe

The extraordinary drought crippling northern Italian agriculture has been expanding east. The vitality of plants is being hampered as a result of dry conditions which now cross Europe, from the southern Alps to Ukraine, according to the last update of the Global Drought Observatory analytical report published by the Joint Research Center (JRC) of the European Commission.

Nutri-Score does not penalize traditional food specialties, survey finds

Cassoulet is a French specialty with white beans, duck leg, sausage and bacon.

A survey of food specialty samples conducted by the French consumer association, UFC-Que Choisir, found Nutri-Score labels do not penalize traditional products with protected status from the European Union.

Olive oil gets a ‘C’, which is at least better than butter.