2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition – let’s reconnect!
Friday 14 - Sunday 16 October, Devonport, Tasmania
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It’s finally happening! Registration is now open for the first face-to-face national olive industry conference since 2019, and we’re all excited about the chance to finally get together again. This year’s content 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.
Running concurrently with the plenary days, 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 will be updated regularly. Program:
Friday 14 - Optional Field Day
p.m. - Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner - Paranaple Centre, Devonport
Saturday 15 - Conference Day 1 + Trade Exhibition
p.m. - Conference Dinner
Sunday 16 - Conference Day 2 + Trade Exhibition
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The National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition is supported by the Tasmanian Government and partially funded by Hort Innovation using the olive R&D levy, with in-kind contributions from the Australian Olive Association. The event is also supported by the industry sponsors and exhibitors. |
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Peter and Nikki Thompson say their property, Echo Hill, is farmed as naturally as possible. (ABC Rural: Lucy Cooper)
Demand for food bearing labels such as 'organic' or 'sustainable' is soaring, but some farmers are questioning if the name is really worth the pain. While some industry groups say labels help consumers make a choice, and getting the right credentials can offer a valuable point of difference for producers, others fear they present a barrier for those wanting to adopt some of the practices associated with them.
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A review of the Water for the Special Environment Account (WESA) has found a key commitment of the Murray Darling Basin Plan cannot be met by the deadline, 2024. It found the additional 450 gigalitres to be returned to the environment from water efficiency projects can't be done by 2024. So far just two gigalitres has been recovered to reach that 450 target. Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek says she'll work with basin state ministers, to deliver basin agreements.
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The state government is allowing scrub camping on the far side of the Wonnangatta River near Dargo. (ABC Rural: Peter Somerville)
A Gippsland farmer has described his shock at the location of several new campsites being established on what he considers "totally inappropriate" sections of land licensed from the Victorian government.
The access logistics mean this is also an important issue for neighbouring properties and, as this article references, for those using nearby roads.
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COVID restrictions: stay informed
With new variants and a new wave of infections spreading across the country, 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:
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Retiree Richard Wilkinson has lived with three alpacas on his WA property for more than 15 years — but his backyard now has a sombre silence after a string of deadly attacks. Mr Wilkinson, 81, came down to feed breakfast to his beloved pets six weeks ago to find two had been savagely attacked by domestic dogs.
An important reminder for us all of the need to ensure our dogs – and importantly, visiting pets not used to livestock – are secured and not roaming.
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Weeds cost NSW agriculture an estimated $1.8 billion a year, and a new commission could help target the problem, Labor leaders say.
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Got something to sell? Or want to buy? Go direct to your target market – olive growers and producers
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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 Gisela, who’s got coils of Netafim dripline 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.
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Winter weather safety in the grove
Winter grove management (including that beloved task of pruning!) can involve exposure to extreme weather conditions like storms, wind, rain/hail, fog and lightning.
These weather conditions can cause an increase in safety incidents due to:
- lower body/hand temperature making handling and gripping objects difficult
- increased risk of muscle strain from cold, or restrictive thick/heavy clothing
- overheating if clothing does not allow heat or sweat to dissipate
- injuries from handling wet or damp objects, or large objects in wind
- low body temperature from wind chill.
The SA Wine Industry Association and the Wine Grape Council of SA have produced a notice for members around managing the risks of working in bad weather, and things to think about with extreme weather conditions.
The information is just as relevant for winter work in the olive grove, so download the document here and put it to use. |
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Hundreds of thousands of pensioners can fill acute worker shortages in regional Australia, the farmers and seniors’ lobby says as it urges the federal government to deliver a cut to their income tax to get them working on farms.
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Vic: EOI open for Ready for Growth program |
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Ready for Growth is a Victorian Government initiative designed to support 1,000 Victorian businesses with high-growth potential to access new markets and create jobs.
The program, being delivered by Business Victoria and BDO Australia, provides businesses with tailored advisory services by expert Growth Facilitators.
There are no out-of-pocket expenses, however participating businesses will be required to commit a minimum of seven to 14 hours over several months to work with their Growth Facilitator to realise their growth goals.
To submit an EOI, businesses must meet the Requirements for Participation of the program.
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Insight – Export opportunities in India’s booming grocery and food sector
The latest Austrade Insight article covers India’s growing population, rising incomes, and increasing rates of urbanization, which are driving demand for agricultural, fisheries and forestry (AFF) products.
- The ‘grocery and food retail market’ is the largest segment of the Indian retail sector, valued at US$570 billion in 2021. This is forecast to rise to US$850 billion by 2025 (Invest India 2022).
- Indian imports of AFF products reached a record US$37.3 billion in 2021 (UN Comtrade 2022).
Read the full article here. |
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CSIRO Growing the Future Annual Lecture 2022
CSIRO's annual Growing the Future lecture is a national showcase of how excellent homegrown science is underpinning impact in the agriculture and food sector. This lecture highlights original and bold topics that intersect science and industry.
This year’s event focusses on Gold-standard evidence to support a green image for agriculture¸ and looks at the science of lifecycle assessment which measures impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, across the entire production chain.
Details:
Thursday, 15 September 5-6pm AEST – physical or online options – FREE.
Venue: Discovery Theatre, CSIRO Black Mountain, ACT.
Find out more and register here. |
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THREE WEEKS LEFT TO ENTER 2022 Australian International Olive Awards |
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Time is ticking by and there are now just three weeks left until entries close for the 2022 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA). Australia’s premier olive competition, the AIOA offers the chance to be named Best EVOO, Flavoured Oil or Table Olive of Show from a growing field of high-calibre international entries – and the promotion which ensues.
The AIOA prides itself on judging excellence, with all entries assessed and awarded on merit and all entrants receiving comprehensive judging feedback. Successful judging also provides eligibility for OliveCare® certification.
Other benefits include a listing in the 2022 AIOA Results Book, a great marketing tool for all medal and award winners, and NEW in 2022, the opportunity to purchase the professional product images taken for the Results Book, which can be used for social media, website and print media purposes.
New award categories
For the 2022 competition the Best of Show awards for flavoured olive oil and table olives will also now be split into commercial and boutique volume categories, meaning there are now six chances to win a coveted Best of Show award.
Key dates
Entries NOW OPEN
Entries close: 26 August
Medal winners announced: 3 October (via email)
Major awards announced: 2022 AIOA Gala Presentation, 14 October.
The AIOA offers an unprecedented opportunity for international recognition of winning products and producers. Don’t delay – find out more and enter here.
Major sponsors
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We've all been there: You splurged on a nice bottle of olive oil. You crack it open and pour some on a hunk of crusty bread - only to find it's extremely bitter.
Surely the big question is not how but why would you want to?
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Climate change and elevated temperatures impact the growth and development of olives and threaten olive oil quality, according to an agriculture researcher. “Olive fruits are forecasted to wrinkle and change in colour due to increasing temperatures in the Kingdom,” Murad Maitah, a researcher at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) and a professor of olive oil technology, told The Jordan Times.
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The island’s olive oil sector is looking to implement modern cultivating methods and production practices to improve quality and add value.
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Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news |
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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! |
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Oksana Mizina/Shutterstock
We see it all the time in the movies; a classic breakfast to start the day. There in front of you sits a plate full of eggs with a side of toast and a cup of coffee steaming in the morning sunlight. But what kind of eggs are they?
And everything else, we think …
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Olive oil could be next in the ever-growing list of items seeing shortages and extreme price hikes. A relentless heat wave in Spain combined with a lack of rain is threatening the country’s olive crop. The country’s agriculture minister warns that unless conditions improve in the coming weeks, oil production could be negatively impacted.
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Olive oil may be synonymous with southern European gastronomy but it is also a key ingredient for fraudsters, at least in France. The consumer fraud office has said that 40.9 per cent of the olive oils checked by its inspectors were swindles in one way or another.
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Olive trees cover many hillsides in southern Spain but a severe drought threatens to shrivel this year's harvest. Image: Pierre-Philippe Marcou.
In the scorching heat, Felipe Elvira inspects the branches of his olive trees, planted as far as the eye can see on a dusty hillside in southern Spain. "There are no olives on these. Everything is dry," the 68-year-old said.
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If the term unfiltered slapped on the front of a food label leads you to assume it's healthier, you're not the only one. And at times this may even be true; take fruit juice, for example.
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2022
22 August
Entries open, WA Olive Awards
26 August
Entries close, 2022 Australian International Olive awards
30 August
Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Northland field day
31 August
Entries close, 2022 NZ EVOO Awards
31 August
Results announced, 2022 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards
2 September
Entries close, 2022 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW
5 September
Entries close, WA Olive Awards
12-13 September
Olives NZ Processing Practices seminar – Canterbury, NZ
3 October
Medals announced, 2022 Australian International Olive awards
6 October
Awards presentation, 2022 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW
8 October
Olives NZ Conference and Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ
8 October
2022 Olives New Zealand Conference – Wellington, NZ
14 October
Field tour, 2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Exhibition – Devonport, Tasmania
14 October
Awards Dinner, 2022 Australian International Olive awards
15-16 October
2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Exhibition – Devonport, Tasmania
20 October
Awards Night, WA Olive Awards
22-23 October
SA Olive Festival - Nangkita Olives, Fleurieu Peninsula
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Friday Olive Extracts is Published by: |
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Olivegrower Communications: |
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Olivegrower & Processor
June Issue
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Australian and New Zealand
Olive Industry Directory
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