30 September 2022

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

Today's Top Story

Caught up in the Optus data breach? Here's how to replace your passport, drivers licence and Medicare card

New ID replacement options for victims of the Optus data breach.

Former and current Optus customers whose personal identification details were exposed in last week's cyber attack are being told to replace those documents to prevent identity theft and fraud. Here's what you need to know about changing your drivers licence number, passport or Medicare details.

Australia

Australian farmers invest in robots, autonomous vehicles to combat worker shortage

A Queensland tech company is building robots capable of mowing, slashing and spraying. (Supplied: Dean Collins)

Robots are being used to commercially farm more than 405,000 hectares of Australian farmland, with growers seeing them as the answer to workforce shortages.

And on the other end of the technology scale …

Antique 1904 Ivel tractor restored by husband-wife duo sells for record-breaking $375k

Three Springs farmer Sue Illingworth has collected tractors for five decades. (ABC News: Phoebe Pin)

A 120-year-old vintage tractor restored by West Australian farmers has set an Australian auction record, selling for $375,000. Constructed years before the term "tractor" was coined, the 1904 Ivel agricultural motor was the rarest item in John and Sue Illingworth’s collection.

If you’ve got any old mechanical treasures in a shed somewhere, this may be the time to find them a new home and make a few $$$!

ACCC Food and Grocery Code Supplier Survey

Direct suppliers of Aldi, Metcash, Coles, and Woolworth are invited to provide feedback on their dealings with grocery retailers. Businesses should have received details of this survey from the retailer by email.

All information provided is strictly confidential and is used by the independent reviewer to create an annual report which helps the ACCC and other stakeholders to identify areas of concern and improve conduct.

This Survey will close on Monday, 3 October. Any questions can be directed to fgc@treasury.gov.au.

You can find out more about the Food and Grocery Code here.

Victorian Farmers Federation releases Child Safety on Farms guide at coroner's advice

Luke, Elise and Daniel Thompson feature on the front page of the guide. (ABC Rural: Kellie Hollingworth)

School holidays for 10-year-old Elise Thompson mean motorbike riding, getting the sheep yards ready for new stock and having friends visit from Melbourne. Safety will also be a high priority at her family's Manangatang farm.

COVID restrictions: stay informed

While restrictions have now largely lifted, 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:

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

Motorists face higher fuel prices as excise cut ends but farmers, trucking industry expect relief

A temporary cut to a government fuel tax ends this week, but industry figures say the ensuing price rises will not necessarily be bad news for farmers and truck drivers. The fuel excise was halved earlier this year in response to the increasing cost of living.

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.

January 2025 deadline set for mandatory e-tagging of sheep and goats around Australia

State agriculture ministers have agreed to mandate electronic tags in sheep from January 2025. (supplied)

It will be mandatory in Australia for farmers to tag sheep and goats with electronic identification tags from January 1, 2025. The electronic identification (EID) tags are already used in cattle across Australia, but Victoria is the only state where it is mandatory for sheep and goats.

For those of you who farm more than olives …

Help shape the new Austrade website

Austrade is improving its website to make it easier to use and needs your input to make sure they get it right.

They’re asking you to review the proposed website structure and take a short, interactive and anonymous survey to help them understand how to make Austrade's information, services and news easier to find online.

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete and is open until 4 October. You can access it here.

Farmers diversify into gum-tree harvesting as forestry industry struggles to grow more timber

Simon Noble says there's a strong demand for local firewood. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown).

Simon and Philippa Noble have been farming along the Murray River in the north-east of Victoria for 30 years. During that time, they have farmed Murray cod and merino sheep but have always had future plans for harvesting timber.

A contemplation, perhaps, for those with additional land unsuitable for olives.

Opportunities

Vic: Agri-food Export Essentials series

Agriculture Victoria’s Small-Scale & Craft and Pathways to Export Programs are delivering a tailored Agri-food Export Essentials online series to support Victorian agricultural producers build their capabilities to export more products to more markets, more often.

The four-part series focuses on the fundamentals to consider before starting your export journey and introduces trade specific modules to build export confidence:

The first event, 2022 International Business Planning and Market Entry Essentials, was held on 28 September. The remaining three are:

Wednesday, 12 October, 2-3:30pm - Export Marketing, Freight and Logistics

Wednesday, 26 October, 2-3:30pm - Export Documentation, Procedures and Payment

Wednesday 9 November, 2-3:30pm - Export Risk and Available Assistance

Find out more and register here.

Ensuring Australian food supply chains stay resilient in challenging times

High consumer demand post-pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, catastrophic flooding and workforce shortages here and internationally have had significant impacts on Australian food supply chains. Discover what can be done in key areas to meet demand.

Events

2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition – still time to register!

Registrations extended until Thursday, 6 October - don’t miss out, book now!!

Friday 14 - Sunday 16 October, Devonport, Tasmania

With less than a month to go, we’re gearing up for the info-fest that is the 2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition. This year’s event is ‘live’ only, with no recording or streaming of presentations, so if you haven’t booked your tickets, get moving now!

From zero waste to biennial bearing

The program covers a diverse range of topics, including: zero waste, getting started in table olive production, Xylella fastidiosa, promotion and marketing, and business value-adding.

Grove management highlights include insight and learnings from the Olives New Zealand Focus Grove Project (which has seen an increase in tree production from 5kg to 25kg+ in participating groves via a targeted practice program), mechanical harvesting of table olives, and biennial bearing.

The Trade Exhibition will feature a range of leading olive industry suppliers and service providers, providing a chance to review your business needs and learn about the latest product innovations from experts in the field. A list of conference exhibitors is available here and is updated regularly.

Program:

Friday 14 - Optional Field Day; p.m. - Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner

Saturday 15 - Conference Day 1 + Trade Exhibition; p.m. - Conference Dinner

Sunday 16 - Conference Day 2 + Trade Exhibition

View the full program here and register here.

Registrations are open until Thursday, 6 October – don’t miss out, book now!!

2022 AIOA Presentation Dinner – THIS COULD BE YOU – BE THERE TO COLLECT YOUR TROPHY!

The judging is done and entrants already know if their EVOO, Flavoured Olive Oil and/or Table Olives have been awarded an AIOA Gold, Silver or Bronze medal. For those who won Gold, get excited, because you could also have won one of the major awards – maybe even BEST OF SHOW!

We’re getting together in person this year for the big reveal and the 2022 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner is sure to be a seriously fun celebration!

Highlights of the night include:

AIOA major awards announced – it could be YOU!
Great food, wine and conversation – catch up with old friends, make new ones and network!
Official AIOA winners’ photographs – your opportunity to have your AIOA win captured and promoted into the future!

Details:

2022 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner

Friday, 14 October from 6.30pm

Paranaple Centre, Devonport, Tasmania – in conjunction with the 2022 National Olive Conference & Exhibition.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO COLLECT YOUR AWARD AND HAVE YOUR SUCCESS CAPTURED FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD. Book your tickets here.

Major sponsors

New Zealand

Adverse weather dampens New Zealand harvest

Producers began 2022 with optimism for another excellent harvest, but rain and disease resulted in some producers yielding no oil at all.

International

Greece again adds kalamata olives to national list of plant varieties

In Greece, the term Kalamata olives has been re-registered on the national list of plant varieties as synonymous with the Kalamon cultivar. Once again, producers throughout the country can use the name Kalamata for their Kalamon table olives.

What is the olive oil controversy? Don’t worry, it’s perfectly suited to Indian cooking

Olive oil is heat-resistant and does not oxidise. It’s a super oil … And it can certainly be adapted for Indian cooking.

It’s great to see the truth about EVOO getting out to Indian consumers – a huge market with huge potential for Australian exporters.

Studies indicate labels like Nutri-Score help consumers make healthy choices

With Europe set to choose a mandatory food labeling system in the next six months, Nutri-Score remains the front-runner.

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!

Olive oil’s many human and planetary health benefits discussed at 4th annual International Yale Symposium

Leading experts involved in research and education related to the olive tree and its products gathered in Rome recently to discuss the positive health benefits of olive oil during the Fourth Annual Yale Symposium on Olive Oil & Health.

All crazy about olive oil: world demand grows by 5.3%

The world consumption of extra virgin olive oil is growing. In 2021, global demand reached 6.3 billion euros, 5.3% more than in 2018.

Growers and producers in Italy anticipate a challenging harvest

Rising production costs combined with lower-than-expected yields in some parts of Italy will force many olive-related companies to make tough decisions.