Drought/heat tree damage; Olive wastewater superfood; ‘Olives in flagrante’

06 September 2024

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

Today's top story

Italy’s severe drought damages olive trees ahead of harvest

Olive trees in Italy’s major olive-growing regions have been damaged by heatwaves and severe drought conditions ahead of this year’s harvest.

Australia

‘Nonna Caterina was right’: olive oil wastewater heralded as new superfood

The bitter-tasting and previously discarded by-product has been found to have many health-giving properties.

As the 3G shutdown looms, anxiety is growing over regional phone coverage

Former journalist and goat farmer Peter Klages lives a life of tranquillity on his property in Campbelltown, 45km north of Ballarat. But he is increasingly worried the upcoming nationwide closure of 3G networks will leave him completely isolated. "[The reception] is very, very weak.”

And he’s not alone:

Lack of mobile connectivity 'confronting' regional Australians

Producers and farmers in regional Australia have been living with connectivity issues for years. (ABC Rural: Daniel Fitzgerald)

More than 50,000 complaints were made about mobile and internet services in regional, rural and remote Australia over four years. Families and businesses in these areas are being forced to use UHF radios and satellite phones for reliable communication.

No doubt many FOE readers are also affected by poor connectivity. If you are, contact your service provider and lodge a formal report about the issues you experience: the more who do, the more likely we are to have real action.

Farmers paid to protect environment, improving biodiversity

More than 60 hectares of snow gum woodlands and grasslands are protected on this Snowy Mountains property. (Supplied: Colin Elphick/NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust)

There are growing concerns about the rate and effects of land clearing. Federal and state governments are preparing to strengthen legislative controls. Farmers are weighing up the benefits of schemes that pay them to protect the environment.

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.

Supermarkets to record super profits during cost-of-living crisis: NFF

The NFF Horticulture Council has today reaffirmed its call for tighter government controls on supermarket trading practices as annual profits are reported by the major listed companies.

Listen: Sniffing the soil to gauge soil health

Electronic noses are hitting the soil in Tasmania. Developed by the Tasmanian Institution of Agriculture, an e-nose called the QUOLL has been deployed for its first ever on-farm trial at TIA's Forthside research farm this week. The soil sniffers will detect the aroma of the soil to find out what is going on underground.

Have your say on the future of Drought Hubs

A review is being undertaken of the Future Drought Fund (FDF) Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs and farmers, agribusinesses rural communities are being invited to provide feedback on their performance.

The eight hubs were commenced in April 2021 to connect producers, industry, agribusinesses, natural resource management practitioners and communities with regional experts, innovations, and new practices, to enable the tailoring of drought-proofing to individual regions.

A 2023 Productivity Commission Inquiry found the hubs could be clearer about their roles, so the review will look at how the hubs are performing, how they’re governed and operating, and how effective the program is.

Have your say here or find out more here.

Opportunities

Survey: Securing the next generation in farming and food careers

Securing the next generation in farming and food careers is a research project investigating how and why young people aged 15-35 years enter, stay or leave jobs and careers in the agriculture.

The researchers are inviting young people (aged 15-35 years) to participate in a 10-15-minute survey, and/or interview about their employment pathways in agriculture and agri-food.

If you fit the criteria, please consider taking part. Your opinion will help shape the future of agri-food jobs. Please also pass on the research details to anyone you know who may be interested.

Complete the survey here; and to express interest in an interview, or ask any questions, please get in touch with Cathy Waite via 0481 095 593 or cwaite@unimelb.edu.au.

Free Circular Economy 101 course

Sustainability Victoria has announced its first Circular Economy 101 Micro Course.

This free 3-week online course will introduce the concept of circular economy, where you will learn about the benefits of adopting circular economy principles, explore different approaches and develop strategies to implement them within your organisation.

Find out more and register here.

Events

Registration is now open for the 2024 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition, being held in Bendigo, VIC from 23-25 October.

This year’s program includes:

Plenary sessions
EVOO blending workshop
Trade exhibition
Conference Dinner
Field tour - Wednesday 23 (optional – additional ticket required)
2024 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner – Friday 25 (optional – additional ticket required)

Find out more and register here

The National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition is facilitated by the Australian Olive Association, partially funded by Hort Innovation using the Olive R&D levy, with in-kind contributions from the Australian Olive Association and funding from the Australian Government. The event is also supported by a range of industry sponsors and exhibitors, the Melbourne Convention Bureau and the Victorian Government.

Judging underway for 2024 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA)

Expert judging panels across the globe are now hard at work appraising entries in the 2024 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) and entrants are counting down the weeks until medal results are announced on 7 October.

The winners will be announced at a gala Presentation Dinner in Bendigo on 25 October, held in conjunction with the National Olive Conference & Exhibition. Will your EVOO, Flavoured Olive Oil or Table Olives be named 2024 Best of Show?

Don’t miss the chance to be there as the winners are announced, and accept your trophy: book your AIOA Presentation Dinner tickets here now and join your peers as we celebrate the best olive products and producers of 2024.

2024 Platinum Sponsor

AgEnviro Labs

International

Study looks deeper into olive oil’s health benefits

Olive oil has long been touted for its ability to lower heart disease risk. So University of Florida researchers set out to dig deeper to learn how much olive oil is beneficial.

SpinMagIC: 'EPR on a chip' ensures quality of olive oil and beer

Michele Segantini demonstrates the compact size and the portability of one of the EPRoC-Sensor with a permanent magnet. © Luca Segantini

The first sign of spoilage in many food products is the formation of free radicals, which reduces the shelf-life and the overall quality of the food. Until now, the detection of these molecules has been very costly for the food companies.

Promising crop forecasts suggest olive oil price relief

A better olive harvest expected this autumn in key EU producers could put an end to the sky-high olive oil prices seen earlier this year, experts say.

Thieves try to steal almost half a tonne of olives as harvest begins in Spain

Police find group ‘collecting olives in flagrante’ near Seville, with lucrative fruit a tempting target for criminals.

Tesco shoppers slam sign of the times as olive oil security tagged

The 'liquid gold' is becoming increasingly expensive due to tough weather conditions in the Mediterranean hitting olive growers, driving up prices there and abroad.

Tesco shoppers have slammed the supermarket for a 'bleak' sign of the times after the retailer put security tags on yet another kitchen staple - its entire range of olive oil.

Europe, now the UK. Will we see it here?

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

We’re now well over half-way through the year and the Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) team 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!

Revised estimations and minor adjustments for global olive oil production in 2024/25 by 4E

A hundred days after its initial estimates for the global olive oil production for the 2024/25 season, the “Greek Scientific Society of Olive Encyclopaedists” (4E) has revisited the previous data and made adjustments.