It is set to be another soggy seven to 10 days, with showers and storms forecast to linger along the east coast. The rain is not expected to be as heavy as the deluge that led to the recent flood emergency but, with catchments already sodden, flash flooding and renewed river rises are possible.

Farmers thinking their soil will be the new frontier of the carbon economy should think again, according to one of Australia's leading agricultural scientists. Richard Eckard, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, thinks there is a real danger in farmers being given the notion they can make a lot of money from selling soil carbon.

Australian carbon credits rose to record highs of more than $55 a tonne earlier this year, but in the past week the price has come crashing down. The carbon credit market plunged by more than 30 per cent following the announcement that people will now be able to apply to opt out of their fixed-delivery carbon credit contracts with the federal government and enter the far more lucrative open market.

Farmers that make money by selling carbon credits will receive a tax break, a key measure the Nationals say they secured in return for supporting the government's net zero by 2050 target.

With infection numbers rising again, it’s increasingly important to keep up with the status of pandemic regulations across the country. You can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below:

Renewable energy and agriculture are two of Australia's most important sectors - one will power the country in the future and the other will feed it. But the two are often locked in debate over land use.

The Bureau of Meteorology has added new features to Version One of the Murray–Darling Basin Water Information Portal (MDB WIP). Users can now search by town, river, catchment and current location, and more catchments and water storages have been added. 

The portal is a partnership between the Bureau of Meteorology, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and Basin state governments. It provides easily accessible information on water availability, allocation volumes, water trade and prices, weather and climate for the Murray–Darling Basin. Version 2 of the MDB WIP is scheduled for release in mid-2022 and will include additional streamflow information.

Provide your feedback

Basin communities and businesses are being encouraged to contribute their views on how to further improve the online portal.

Access the MDBWIP at the Bureau of Meteorology's water information webpage here and help shape the future of the project by sending feedback via the portal or by emailing water@bom.gov.au. 

Artificial intelligence and its sub-branches machine learning and deep learning are making their way into agriculture and agribusiness. They're helping make decisions and predictions once never dreamed of.

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.

The global market for halal certified products is set to nearly double by 2030 and Australian exporters are in prime position to profit after recent trade negotiations, officials say.

As fuel prices continue to climb, new modelling predicting the Inland Rail could cut some agriculture commodity transport costs by almost $100. The CSIRO found a shift from road to the Inland Rail could cut freight transport costs by up to $213 million a year. Horticulture would be the biggest benefactor, saving up to $99.21 per tonne.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) is supporting freight capacity to a number of destinations, with the recent announcement of extensions of multiple routes with Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines and Qantas to destinations including the USA, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and China. Check the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound for details.

IFAM supports Australian exporters to continue to supply international markets via critical global air connections. Contact your preferred freight forwarder to access available flights and for more information and flight details, visit the IFAM webpage or download the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound.

Known to many olive growers through his presentations at the AOA’s National Conference and Healthy Soils Field Days, composting guru and soil scientist John Barton is running a webinar looking at reducing fertilizer costs with soil carbon.

The hour-long session will work through the causes of currently high fertiliser prices, the way that fertilisers work in soils and plants, and how building functional soils with soil carbon can significantly increase the efficiency of fertilisers. This allows you to cut back fertiliser rates, while getting the benefits of improved soils. 

While backed up by science, John focuses on providing information in a simple way, linked to real world practical methods that can be used on any type of farm big or small, conventional or organic.

Details:

Monday, 28 March – 7-8pm AEDT. 

Facebook live event, no Facebook account needed, and available to replay later.

FREE – sign in here.

Join the National Fruit Fly Council for a webinar on Interspecies Competition in Fruit Flies. The webinar will discuss the biosecurity implications of having Qfly and Medly across Australia and overseas.

Details: 4 April 2022, 1:30- 3.30pm (SA time).

Find out more and register here. 

Returning as a face-to-face event this year, this highly-acclaimed and comprehensive program will be delivered by international master olive miller, Pablo Canamasas, and 2019 and 2021 AIOA Best of Show winners, Peter and Marlies Eicher of Salute Oliva.

The course covers every aspect of processing quality olive oil, from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage.

Along the way you’ll learn a lot about olive oil chemistry, and the practical aspects of oil extraction.

Wednesday 13 April and Thursday 14 April 2022

Boort Resource & Information Centre and Salute Oliva, Victoria.

*Pre-event webinar, 8 April, 8.00am - 12.00pm (AEST)

Cost: Members & levy payers: $250 inc GST, Others: $350 inc GST. Includes all meals.

More information and register here or for more details contact Liz Bouzoudis - secretariat@australianolives.com.au or 0478 606 145.

The evidence linking mental health and diet has grown, and we now know what we eat can impact both our mood and our risk of mental health conditions. The Mediterranean Diet has emerged as one of the best eating patterns for mental health, with studies showing links to improvements in depression symptoms, as well as links to a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

In this free webinar, Dr Wolfgang Marx from the Food and Mood Centre discusses the evidence for the Mediterranean Diet in mental health, as well as the role of polyphenols and EVOO in this space. Dr Hannah Mayr from Metro South Hospital and Health Service will then discuss the barriers and enablers health professionals face when recommending this dietary pattern in non-Mediterranean settings. 

Details: Thursday, 31 March - 12:00-1:00pm AEDT – Free.

More information and register here.

Italy' aims to revitalize its aging agricultural sector by providing financing for young farmers to purchase land.

New data gathered by the International Olive Council (IOC) show that global olive oil consumption has exceeded olive oil production during the last three crop years.

As the spring rapidly approaches, farmers enter a critical moment in the olive growing cycle. Pruning at the right time keeps the trees productive and healthy.

The goal is to monitor and combat the bacteria outbreaks that have been destroying traditional and monumental olive groves for nearly a decade.

We’ve started another new year, and Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) will continue 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!

Consuming high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil may help to delay the progression of one of the world’s most common types of cancers, a small study of 20 patients in Greece suggests.

Extracts from olive leaves can reduce knee pain and could be used as a natural alternative to painkilling drugs, a study has found. Researchers discovered people with high knee pain reported fewer aches over six months after taking a twice-daily olive leaf extract (Ole) supplement.

Italian olive farmers have until the end of March to ask for their share of a €30 million fund earmarked for recovery and innovation in existing groves and to establish new ones throughout the country.

EVOO tasting workshop – Subiaco, WA

AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Wagga Wagga, NSW

AOA Olive Oil Processing Workshop -Boort, Victoria

Olives SA/WEA seminar, Tasting and appreciating EVOO – Adelaide

Entries open, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

Hort Connections 2022 – Brisbane

Entries open, 2022 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW

Entries close, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

Entries close, 2022 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW

Medals announced, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

Awards presentation, 2022 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW

Olives NZ Conference and Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

Field tour, 2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Exhibition – Devonport, Tasmania

Awards Dinner, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

15-16 October

2022 AOA National Olive Conference & 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

Subscribe to Olivegrower & Processor magazine secretariat@australianolives.com.au