01 March 2024

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

Today's Top Story

This is Oleo Latte, the olive oil designed by Ricardo Vélez to make a different kind of coffee

The well-known cocoa chef has joined forces with Almazaras de la Subbética to create a special EVOO to emulsify milk for coffee.

Looks like the olive-oil-in-coffee thing is here to stay. Should we be getting on board?

Australia

After a weird summer of floods and heatwaves, scientists explain why weather extremes are 'on steroids'

Australia's summer has been a mix of storms in the eastern states, flooding in the tropics, and seemingly endless heatwaves in Western Australia. (Andrew O'Connor, Dean Barlow)

When winds as high as 260 kilometres per hour tore down transmission towers in South Australia in 2016 and plunged the state into an electricity void, it took people by surprise. The sight of high-voltage transmission lines, crumpled on the ground was almost surreal. Eight years later, as fierce storms broke over Victoria, images of wilted towers were again causing consternation.

Australian olive growers begin harvest with mixed expectations

Due to low crop yields, some Australian growers have started harvesting earlier. However, others have reported more favorable outcomes and are planning to begin picking their olives in April. Michael Southan, the chief executive of the Australian Olive Association, confirmed that the harvest will be slightly down from last year.

How did Coles and Woolworths become so powerful? The story of the big two supermarkets

Australia is the land of the supermarket duopoly - where the big two of Coles and Woolworths control 65 per cent of the grocery market. Over the years, this concentrated supermarket sector has faced criticism and scrutiny, and it's been reaching fever pitch again in recent months, with a number of investigations underway into their business practices during the current cost-of-living crisis.

Many of us have no doubt wondered …

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.

Outback residents often unable to call triple-0 leave town as Telstra outages reach boiling point

Fed-up residents say their "safety is at risk" and some are moving away to the cities as Telstra outages continue to let down remote communities, but one independent provider is expanding and hoping to pick up the slack.

Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull train sights on pumped hydro in the Hunter Valley

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is exploring the New South Wales Hunter Valley to build two pumped hydro energy projects, technology he says will play a key role in a low-emissions, reliable-energy future.

Something to keep your eye on for Hunter growers.

Opportunities

New tool for hospitality to get started with reuseables

For those of you with cafes or farm shops as part of your business, Sustainability Victoria has released a new guide for hospitality businesses to eliminate single-use takeaway packaging. The practical tool is full of tips on how to choose the right system for your business, cost considerations, and how to tell your customers and staff about the change. All the advice in the guide is based on the real-world experiences of the Reuse Pilots Fund recipients.

Find out more here.

Churchill Fellowships cultivate new ideas in horticulture

Growers nationwide are encouraged to apply for a Churchill Fellowship, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel the globe in the quest for new ideas that will benefit the Australian horticulture sector.

Hort Innovation is offering up to four fully-funded fellowships for transformational projects that spark positive change and help develop a prosperous and sustainable horticulture sector.

The 2024 round of Churchill Fellowship applications is now open, closing on 1 May. Find out more here.

New Zealand

ONZ Conference and 2024 NZ EVOO Awards

Olives NZ has confirmed the dates for its 2024 Conference and NZ EVOO Awards presentation.

The bi-annual conference will be held on Saturday, 12 October at the Rydges Hotel in Wellington. The 2024 NZ EVOO Awards event will be held in the evening, following on from the Conference program.

Full details are still to be confirmed and program suggestions are welcome. In the meantime, SAVE THE DATE and get ready to book your trip to Wellington.

Olives NZ EO Emma Glover is also gauging interested in holding a Field Day on Sunday, 13 October, at a grove in Kapiti, following positive feedback on the Field Day held in conjunction with the 2023 Awards event.

Please send your Conference program and Field Day ideas and comments to Emma at admin@olivesnz.org.nz.

International

Italian farmers, producers confirm production rebound

According to the latest update from the European Commission, Italian olive oil production is expected to reach 324,000 tons in the 2023/24 crop year. Due to poor harvests in Spain and Greece, Italy is anticipated to produce one-third of Europe’s olive oil this year.

In Spain, a years-long drought is pitting locals against the tourism industry

The Spanish region of Catalonia and its capital, Barcelona, are facing one of the worst droughts in recorded history. Reporter Marta Martinez says it's pitting farmers and locals against the region's huge tourism industry.

GROWER TO GROWER

Have a question? Need some advice? Ask a fellow grower!

The FOE team regularly hears from growers with questions about grove or production practices, or equipment, that they just can’t find the answers to. They’re things other producers are likely know about and/or experienced themselves. So we’ve set up a new Friday Olive Extracts feature, Grower to Grower, where you can send your questions and have them answered by your peers.

Just send the details to editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll put them out to the Friday Olive Extracts community - that’s thousands of readers across the globe.

Experts back olives in a hotter, drier world

Olive farming may play a critical role in the future of agriculture. Researchers have suggestions for doing it right.

A 4000-year-old olive and a weeping beech: The 2024 finalists for European Tree of the Year revealed

Italy's entry to the European Tree of the Year competition. Valerio Atzori Corpo

The European Tree of the Year award brings together trees with the most interesting stories from around Europe while promoting the importance of our connection with nature.

We are, of course, backing Italy’s entry, an olive tree in the Sardinia estimated to be 3000-4000 years old.

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

Now that we’re back after the break, the Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) team will continue to bring all the latest industry news and events to your Inbox every week during 2024. 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!

Meeting of organic olive producers of Estella

The Allotarra association was created about twenty years ago by organic olive producers in Estella. “Since then, more members have been joining the association and we have gradually been placing more olive trees,” explains Eusebio Gaintza. Currently there are about 60 hectares of olive groves among ten members.

New Law in Italy establishes role of farmers in protecting environment

Along with protecting Italy’s natural landscapes and promoting the cultivation of traditional crops, the law seeks to curb the rural exodus with economic incentives.

Olive oil prices are skyrocketing. Here's how my startup is managing to keep costs low.

Graza cofounder Andrew Benin talks about how the company keeps prices and quality low.

Putting out a high-quality olive oil is difficult for a young brand, but it's even harder now as prices hit record highs. Before I launched Graza in early 2022, we purchased nearly 50,000 liters of olive oil from Italy for about $3.10 a kilo. Fast forward to this month — when we made our most recent purchase — prices had shot up to $9.30 a kilo.