It’s countdown time, with just hours to go until the announcement of the ‘big gongs’ of the 2021 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA). The sensational 2021 harvest and record entries means the stakes are high, with plenty of tough competition to be named 2021’s Best!

Who will take the major awards, and the accolades and sales which go with them? 

We hope you’ve registered so you can be there as the winners are announced at the AIOA Virtual Gala Presentation, starting at 5pm AEDT. Frock up or trackie down, grab a beverage of choice and join us for the celebrations!

We’ll also share all the news in next week’s Friday Olive Extracts, and in detail in the December ‘Awards’ edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

Leading agriculture advocacy groups are calling on the Victorian government to urgently clarify the confusion around unfair dismissal, privacy rights and employer and employee obligations ahead of the looming mandatory vaccine deadline.

Quad bike dealer Dean Johns prepared for today's introduction of new safety protection laws for quad bikes by clearing out all non-compliant machines. From today, new quad bikes, also known as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), need to meet new stability guidelines and have rollover protection at the point of sale.

The cost of sea freight has spiralled out of control during the pandemic, but there are some signs it may have hit its peak. Australia is an export nation so there is a lot riding on freight costs.

The severe weather season is here, and floods and cyclones are on the forecast. The Bureau of Meteorology has just released its outlook for the severe weather season, and senior climatologist Greg Browning says, like every year, we need to be prepared. 

Australia's farmers are making an impassioned plea for a fair go in the effort to achieve an economy-wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050. For that to happen, there must be an economically viable pathway to neutrality while landholders need to be relieved of "unnecessary regulatory impediment", says National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson.

The continuing lockdowns across the country 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:

Every Tuesday morning, pilot John Williams takes two million passengers on a flight from Echuca to Cobram in Victoria. He doesn't even land in the Goulburn Murray Valley township — he drops them off mid-air. The passengers are sterile male fruit flies, released to help reduce numbers of the growing pest in the horticulture region.

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 Russell, who’s got fresh 2021 Frantoio EVOO for sale. 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 worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farms has launched a desperate bid to lure domestic travellers in Australia as the pandemic continues to lock out backpackers. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is marking its 40th anniversary in Australia in a time with few greater challenges.

The Victorian Government is investing in more accommodation for farm workers, with new facilities being built across the state. Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas visited Boort Lakes Holiday Park in the state’s north to meet owner Wendy James and unveil new facilities for seasonal workers, which will boost accommodation for the region’s workforce for the upcoming harvest and for years to come.

The New South Wales Farmers Association is calling on the state government to allow on-farm quarantine so the sector can bring in desperately needed workers for the grain harvest, meat works and horticultural crops.

Austrade’s latest China Insights video looks at fast-growing markets in China’s Southwest region. There are opportunities for both the food and beverage sectors.

Find out more here.

For October Mental Health Month SAMRI is offering its Be Well Tracker as a free resource, to help individuals learn more about their mental health and wellbeing. Be Well is a great initiative and the AOA has joined as a partner organization, agreeing that just like we work on our physical fitness to stay healthy, we should pro-actively work on our mental health.

The Be Well Tracker is a confidential platform that uses the results of a 15-minute survey to create a tailored and interactive report of your mental health and wellbeing, on key domains such as mental wellbeing, resilience, stress, mood problems, anxiety and burnout. Your data is kept secure and private. While you explore your own mental health, you also contribute to vital scientific research.

If you’re looking to check-in on your own mental health and wellbeing (and it’s a great idea), you can learn more about the Be Well Tracker here.

Austrade advisers from across Southeast Asia report on the latest challenges and opportunities for Australian exporters in the region. This includes insights into food trends.

Read the ASEAN region update for Australian exporters here.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) supports Australian exporters to continue to supply international markets via critical global air connections.

IFAM provides logistical and administrative support for international freight movements by aggregating cargo loads, negotiating with airlines, and dealing with partner governments to facilitate clearances and improve transparency of freight costs during the pandemic.

In preparation for peak summer season, IFAM is hosting virtual briefings for exporters, producers and agribusinesses across Australia.

Register now via email to freightbriefing@austrade.gov.au.

Australian agribusiness/food & beverage exporters to the UK and EU are invited to join this webinar to hear from Australian Trade and Investment Commission and Avalara representatives about tax compliance to trade in the UK and EU.

Topics will include:

Details: 28 October 2021 – 5.30-6.30pm AEDT. Free but registration is necessary.

Find out more and register here.

Industry members have spent enlightening afternoons this week attending the ongoing daily sessions of the 2021 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference. Attendance numbers have shown strong support for the online event and discussion sessions have answered a multitude of questions, particularly on yesterday’s topic of Factors Influencing Olive Yields. 

Today sees the final session on Olives & Olive Oil in Food - (table olives, cooking with olives, health and wellness), followed by the 2021 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Gala Presentation, so get your chores done early and clear your day from 3pm (AEDT)!

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the huge choice of extra-virgin olive oils on offer, then the results of the 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards will help. And it was Kāpiti and Wairarapa olive oil makers that took top honours this year, winning all five major awards for olive oil excellence.

The next round of Field Days under the Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures Project are scheduled as follows:

Hawke’s Bay – Wednesday, 20 October @ 2.00pm - Aquiferra, Hastings

Nelson – Tuesday, 26 October @ 11.00am - Kakariki Olives, Richmond; 2.30pm - Beulah Ridge, Upper Moutere  

Canterbury – Wednesday, 27 October @ 10.30am - Terrace Edge Vineyard & Olive Grove, Waipara Valley; “Two Old Soldiers” grove nearby

Wairarapa – Friday, 29 October @ 10am - Leafyridge Olive Grove, East Taratihi; 2.00pm - Bella Olea, Greytown

Northland - November - date TBA once travel is permitted under COVID.

The Field Days include visits to the “Manzate” Focus Groves following the previous recommendations, as well as the two other groves that are following a more organic or alternative approach.

More information about the Focus Grove Project here. 

The European Parliament’s agriculture and environment committees have voted to adopt the European Commission’s report on the Farm to Fork Strategy. Twenty members voted against the report while 10 abstained.

Dr Javier Fernandez Salvador is the executive director of the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute Olive Center. For more than 20 years before his current position, he worked extensively in organic production of various specialty crops and served on an organic review committee, worked in organic certification and conducted organic research. When asked to compare organic olives to other organic crops, he had a wealth of experience to rely on.

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!

Adolescents who consumed food items of the Mediterranean diet had higher levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in their blood serum.

Cooking healthy meals daily can be a daunting task. Make life a little easier by starting with an age-old essential that even the Romans swore by: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Here are five reasons why the golden liquid is probably the healthiest fat on the planet.

Italian farmers’ association Coldiretti said an increasing appetite for the Mediterranean diet was fueling exports, but warned a new labeling program could lead to setbacks.

Some initial estimates in Greece suggest that several regions will have lower olive oil yields in the 2021/22 crop year compared to the production of 2020/21. The common thread for the reduced crop is the erratic weather, which has disrupted the typical climatic conditions in specific areas.

2021 Virtual National Olive Conference - Online

Results announced, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Hawke’s Bay, NZ

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Nelson, NZ

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Canterbury, NZ

World’s Biggest Virtual Olive Oil Tasting

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Wairarapa, NZ

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Northland, 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

Advertising: editor@olivegrower.com.au

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