05 April 2024

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

Today's Top Story

Scientists warn Australians to prepare for megadroughts lasting more than 20 years

Researchers say parts of Australia should be prepared for a megadrought in "10 or so years". (ABC News: Giulio Saggin)

New climate modelling suggests Australians should be preparing for the possibility of megadroughts lasting more than 20 years. Research from the Australian National University, published in a special edition of the journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, has indicated future droughts in Australia could be far worse than anything experienced in recent times - even without factoring in human impacts.

Australia

Flood and weather warnings triggered as major rain event unfolds across NSW and Queensland

Modelling indicates well over 100mm of rain is likely to fall along many parts of the coast and ranges in the next 48 hours. (ABC News)

A major rain event is unfolding across eastern Australia, triggering numerous warnings for heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds.

Glencore wants to inject CO2 into the Great Artesian Basin. What does that mean for towns reliant on its water?

A plan by mining giant Glencore to inject wastewater into the Great Artesian Basin has been described as "pure stupidity" by graziers and communities that rely on the basin for water. There are fears that injecting any substance into the basin could contaminate the water supply and impact water pressure across the basin, which supplies more than 180,000 people across inland Australia.

NSW Gov calls for feedback on proposed water law changes

The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released proposed changes to water laws, designed to give property owners and farmers improved access to water for firefighting, and is calling for feedback on the proposed changes.

The Water for Bushfire Preparedness and Firefighting Proposed Approach Paper outlines changes to make it easier for NSW landholders to lawfully take small volumes of water to fight bushfires threatening their properties. The current laws allow rural fire brigades to take water from a water source without a licence to extinguish or control a fire, however landholders are only exempt if there is an emergency and they have received a lawful direction from an authorised officer.

There are no provisions at the moment for farmers or landholders to extract water from rivers or aquifers to help them prepare for imminent bushfires or fight active fires on their own land without holding water licences costing thousands of dollars.

A technical advisory group set up to review and address the issue is proposing a new regulatory framework that is simpler and more accessible to landholders, while still being enforceable.

The department is now seeking broader feedback on the proposed approach. Find out more and share your views here before the consultation closes on 6 May.

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 Sandra, who has an Olinet 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.

Farmers and conservationists locked in a 'never-ending and unwinnable' battle against foxes

Foxes have been known to climb trees and tall fences to get a feed. (Supplied: Tweed Shire Council)

Foxes kill about 300 million native animals every year across Australia, and wreak havoc on farm animals like chickens and lambs. Opinion is divided on the effectiveness of current fox control methods, which include a bounty and baiting. Experts say a stronger response is needed to deal with the problem.

Australian supermarket prices surge above world average amid calls to break up Coles-Woolworths duopoly

Here’s how much Aussies pay for groceries compared to the rest of the world.

Sniffer dog 'Vespa' awarded at Sydney Royal Easter Show for record biosecurity interceptions

The six-year-old labrador made 739 interceptions at Sydney's international airport in 2023. (Supplied: Sydney Royal Easter Show)

A biosecurity sniffer dog named Vespa has won the 2024 NSW Service Dog Award at the Sydney Royal Easter show. The black labrador made a record-breaking 739 interceptions at Sydney's international airport in 2023. The companion dog award was posthumously given to Pistol, a black and tan kelpie, for saving his owner from a potentially deadly farm accident.

An ag-related good news story about dogs … your canine-loving editor couldn’t resist sharing this one!

Opportunities

SA: On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme

The Government of South Australia and the Australian Government offers SA primary producers a rebate of up to 25% (maximum $25,000) for the costs associated with new on-farm water infrastructure or for repairing or replacing damaged infrastructure.

The funding scheme is designed to support animal welfare during droughts, increase drought resilience, and aid in recovery from natural disasters. Eligibility includes property owners, share-farmers and/or lessees in the livestock grazing or horticulture industries.

Applications close 30 April 2024, or when funds are exhausted.

Find out more and apply here.

Core skill occupations list - stakeholder survey

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) in defining Australia’s skill needs and has developed a draft Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL). JSA is currently inviting feedback on the draft list through both submissions and a survey.

Currently there are three lists:

Skills that are confidently in (green)
Skills that are confidently out (red)
Skills that are under consideration (yellow)

Any growers who are employing staff or looking to employ staff from overseas in skilled occupations are invited to complete the survey.

Find out more and access the survey here.

Events

Last days to register for 2024 Olive Oil Processing Workshop

Time is running out to secure a place at the AOA’s 2024 Olive Oil Processing Workshop, with registrations closing this Thursday, 11 April. The annual event is a must-attend for anyone wanting to improve the quality of their olive oil, while ensuring maximum extraction.

The course is presented by international Olive Oil Consultant Pablo Canamasas - Quality, Chemistry, Processing – and Rio Vista Olives Master Miller Jared Bettio - Processing. Between them they have a wealth of technical skills and hands-on experience, and are keen to impart it to their industry peers.

Run over two days, the course covers topics including: Pre-season arrangements, Oil chemistry basics, Agronomical aspects impacting on oil quality, Determining optimal harvesting times, Crushing & Malaxing, Use of processing aids, Centrifugation equipment options and principles, Oil storage and filtration.

The first day ends with a networking dinner, before the second day’s processing demonstration and tasting of the oils produced by the various methods.

Details:

When: Thursday 18 April – Friday 19 April 2024

Where: Rio Vista Olives, 262 Carawatha Drive, Mypolonga, SA

Cost: AOA Members & Olive Levy payers: $275 inc GST; Others: $375 inc GST. Includes all meals.

This event is part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL22000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.

Webinar: Varroa mite update

Join the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries online to discover critical insights and actions you can take to protect our bee populations from the potential spread of varroa mite (Varroa jacobsoni), and learn about Asian honey bee.

Details: Wednesday, 17 April @ 6pm-7pm AEST.

There's no need to register - you can simply join at the time here.

New Zealand

Are alternatives to olive oil as good for you?

As olive oil prices increase due to a global shortage caused by extreme weather in olive growing regions, many Kiwis are pressing alternatives into domestic service. But are they as good for you?

International

Nurseries in Spain are running out of olive tree seedlings

High olive oil prices at origin, interest from private equity and farmers seeking to shift away from more water-intensive crops are fueling the shortages.

Italians have changed their olive oil purchase habits, survey finds

Despite rising prices and lower availability, 48 percent of Italian households continue to purchase as much olive oil as they did in previous years.

QMC to plant olive trees on PPP basis to address environmental issues

Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) has decided to plant olive trees on public private partnership basis to reduce pollution, address environmental issues and boost the green cover in the provincial capital.

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

We’re now well into 2024 and 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!

In Chile, mixed expectations replace high hopes

Producers anticipated another harvest exceeding 20,000 tons until poor climate conditions in the winter tempered their outlook.

Olive oil: Is Spain being ripped off?

A recent study by the Consumer and User Organization (OCU) has flagged a significant trend: the cost of extra virgin olive oil in Spain is surging past that of its European neighbours.

And in a similar vein …

Turkey watchdog considers new fines for price gouging

Turkey’s official anti-trust watchdog expects to impose a new raft of fines on some of the country’s top retailers and wholesalers after an investigation found they were colluding to drive up prices. The warning comes after five of the country’s largest chain stores, as well as a supplier of olive oil, were fined 2.6 billion liras ($155 million) following an investigation that concluded last year.