Trials to turn waste from potato farms into fertiliser and energy are underway in regional Victoria in a bid to be environmentally friendly and lower the costs for farmers. The research and development project based in Mollongghip, between Ballarat and Daylesford, aims to convert agricultural waste, known as biomass, into hydrogen.

Australian exporters are calling on the Federal Government to extend a freight subsidy they say is vital in keeping supply chains open and protecting their businesses. The call to extend the International Freight Assistance Mechanism comes amid projections international travel will remain on hold for the rest of 2021. 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this week bemoaned the fact Australia had no COVID-19 hotspots, and questioned why most domestic borders remained closed to her state. She based her statement on the Federal Government's definition of a hotspot, which counts the number of cases in a specific geographical area over a three-day period.

As shown by the article above, 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: 

First mice and now plague locusts are rearing their heads in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales for the first time in years, thanks to recent rain. The region has already seen a wave of adult locusts last month, and now their eggs are hatching and hungry. 

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.

In November 2019, off the back of the toughest drought in Australian history, my family farm at Ebor was ‘smashed’ by the Ebor fire at one end of the property and the East Cattai fire at the other end.

This took out approximately 20kms of boundary fence and $700,000 in infrastructure. These catastrophic fires completely devastated our landscape in a few hours. Come March, we had just re-opened our farm tourism and function centre, when COVID-19 hit. This shut down our tourism business for much of the remaining year.

The federal government is offering $5 million in funding in hopes it will help encourage Australians to take up seasonal work opportunities in horticulture. The Harvest Trail Service, which has been expanded into 16 regions, including Adelaide-Barossa and SA South-East, aims to ensure major horticulture areas have access to the workers they need.

Victoria is copping criticism from farmers and the federal government over a lack of plans to fill the shortage in farm labourers, despite its commitments to bring overseas tennis players to the Australian Open and to accommodate international students.

With summer now here, the perfect activity to get you out in the sun is to go olive picking! Olive groves all around Australia are blooming all year long and are wonderful to go strolling through! Let’s take a look into 6 different olive groves you can visit Australia wide.

The Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme (HARPS) is a retailer-led scheme designed to assist with compliance to food safety, legal and trade legislation for suppliers to the major grocery retailers in Australia. To date, over 3,000 audits have taken place across the growers and suppliers to the HARPS participating retailers.

HARPS Version 2.0 is now available for public consultation and you’re invited to comment, with the Public Consultation feedback period now extended to Sunday, 31 January.

Download the HARPS Version 2.0 Standard and associated documentation, and provide your feedback, here.

Victorian farmers can apply for a new round of State Government grants to help them invest in Internet of Things (IoT) technology designed to make farming easier and more accurate. Round two of the On-Farm IoT Trial enables farmers in Wellington Shire, City of Greater Shepparton, Buloke Shire, Loddon Shire and Moira Shire to apply for up to $25,000 to test IoT technology on their farms, expanding the number of farmers who can take part in the trial program.

Technology selected by more than 90 farmers taking part in round one of the Trial includes soil moisture probes, security cameras and surface level monitors for dams.

Find out more and apply here. Applications close on 29 January.

The Farmers2Founders ideas program is a 12-week program designed for primary producers who want to work out if their business idea is worth pursuing. The scheme provides access to funding, tailored resources and dedicated business coaching over the three months, along with the opportunity to grow your network across the agrifood industry.

Applications to join the program close on Friday 12 February. Find out more here.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) continues to provide new and extended flights for export freight, now including Vietnam and Taiwan to expand the reach into key Asian markets.

Routes announced this week include: (new) Brisbane to Hanoi via Singapore, Cairns and Perth to Narita, Perth to Taipei via Narita, Melbourne to Bangkok and Sydney to Los Angeles (extended) Brisbane to Dubai, Melbourne to Los Angeles and Perth to Singapore.

Contact your preferred freight forwarder to access available flights.  

For more information and flight details, visit the IFAM webpage or download the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound.

After a forced hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, planning is well underway for the 2021 Hunter Olive Show. Key dates have been confirmed, as follows:

This year’s competition also sees the introduction of an additional major award, with the title of Best Varietal EVOO of Show also up for grabs. 

For more on the competition and the new award, don’t miss the March edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

The 2021 Olives New Zealand AGM will be held on Sunday, 21 March from 5-6.30pm (approx) by Zoom meeting.

Papers have been sent out to members this week, noting that the positions of President, Vice President and Treasurer are due for nomination. While the incumbents are available for re-election, other nominations are welcome.

For more information contact EO Gayle Sheridan at admin@olivesnz.org.nz.

The next round of Focus Grove Field Days will be held in April as follows:

Friday, 9 – Hawke’s Bay, 2pm start at Aquiferra, Hastings

Monday, 12 – Northland, 11am start at Olives on the Hill, Mangawhai

Wednesday, 14 – Canterbury, 12 noon start at Terrace Edge Vineyard & Olive Grove, Waipara Valley

Thursday, 15 – Nelson, 11am start at Kakariki Olives, Richmond; 2.30pm at Neudorf Olives, Upper Moutere

Friday, 16 – Wairarapa, 11am start at Leafyridge Olive Grove, East Taratahi; 2.30pm at Bella Olea, Greytown.

The key aspects of this round of Field Days are nutritional advice - recommendations following on from leaf tests; and disease management - sprays applied since October; pruning - review of post-harvest pruning, need for secondary pruning; crop load - review of flowering translation into fruit set; other observations, for example weather challenges.

Storm Filomena has caused an estimated €12 million of damage to olive growers in the Community of Madrid alone, according to the regional branch of the Association of Young Farmers (Asaja Marid).

In a unique Greek-American collaboration, the World Olive Center for Health is working with the UC Davis Olive Center to raise money for olive oil research by selling extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) called Eureka. Packaged in a box that looks like a bar of gold, Eureka contains two vials of high phenolic “liquid gold” - that is, especially healthy EVOO.

Over the past three decades global olive oil consumption has nearly doubled, rising from 1.7 million tons in the 1990/91 crop year to 3.2 million tons in 2019/20, according to data from the International Olive Council (IOC).

With 2021 now underway, 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!

Mose Subure, 27, and five other young villagers from the "cliff village "started working early on Dec 23, 2020. They bundled in batches all the plastic steel tiles that are used for building their house, and have them fixed with splints. They prepared to go back to the village through a steel ladder. These materials are necessary for building a homestay there.

Consuming refined foods associated with the Western diet may counteract the benefits of adhering to the Mediterranean diet, according to a new study from the Rush University Medical Center of Chicago.

For much of the Greek olive oil sector in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic provoked the perseverance required to meet challenges and achieve success. With great dedication, many Greek olive oil producers turned a year of illness, lockdowns, and grief into a time for honoring olive oil’s health benefits and flavors and emphasizing its key role in a healthy diet. 

Olive oil prices in Puglia continue to slide despite lower production in 2020. Coldiretti believes the government must do more.

AOA office closure

Healthy Soils Field Day - Exeter, TAS

Healthy Soils Field Day - Rushworth, VIC

Healthy Soils Field Day - Tooperang SA

Healthy Soils Field Day - Hunter Valley NSW

Healthy Soils Field Day, Hampton (via Toowoomba), QLD

Olives NZ AGM (Zoom)

Soil CRC Participants Conference

Healthy Soils Field Day - Lowden (via Donnybrook) WA

Entries close, Berlin Global Olive Oil Awards – Berlin, Germany

Entries close, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Registrations close/samples due, EVO IOOC – Palmi, Italy

Farm2Plate Exchange 2021 – Scenic Rim, Qld

Winners announced, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld

Entries open, Hunter Olive Show

Entries close, Hunter Olive Show

Awards night, Hunter Olive Show

2021 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition - Devonport, Tasmania

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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