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12 January 2024
Brought to you by Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor www.olivebiz.com.au
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Widespread oil fraud uncovered in Spanish supermarkets
How trustworthy are the labels on food items? Recent events in Spain have raised serious doubts regarding olive oil. On January 15 (sic), a joint operation by the Guardia Civil, inspectors from the Junta de Andalucia, and the General Directorate of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation unearthed a fraudulent olive oil operation.
This is a growing issue as the European olive oil supply becomes more tenuous - and yet more proof for Australian consumers that fresh, locally-grown olive oil is the best to buy.
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Mid-January already! And that means Friday Olive Extracts (aka FOE) is back, bringing you another year of information, news, events and everything else you need to know as part of the olive world.
We hope you had a time over the great holiday season, with the chance to relax and recalibrate ready for the new year ahead. For growers, we also hope your groves have remained unscathed by the numerous wild weather events we’ve experienced over the past month or so.
And as we launch into 2024, please remember that FOE is your newsletter, so if you’re planning an event, have a ‘Grower to grower’ query, or see an interesting news item you think your fellow readers would like to know about, please send the details to editor@olivegrower.com.au.
All the best for 2024,
Gerri and Sandy, the Friday Olive Extracts team.
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Trevor Cross says his Bundaberg farming operation lost $9 million in 2023. (Supplied: Growcom)
As grocery prices rose and major supermarkets made billion-dollar profits last year, one of Australia's most generous farmers lost $9 million — and he is now considering whether rock-bottom "1978" prices will force him to leave the industry he loves.
And in the meantime you can …
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Share your story about dealing with the supermarkets | |
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The recent focus on the behaviour of the major supermarket retailers has presented significant opportunities to seek a fairer go for Australian growers.
On 6 December 2023, the Senate resolved that the Select Committee on Supermarket Prices be established to inquire into and report on the price setting practices and market power of major supermarkets.
Information on the Select Committee Inquiry and how to make a submission can be found here.
Further to the Inquiry process, growers and other parties can also provide feedback through the Australian Greens portal here. The portal is confidential, and information is securely stored and can also be anonymous if the person providing the information chooses not to include their name/contact details. Any information provided through the portal and used in the inquiry or in Parliament is protected by parliamentary privilege.
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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.
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New NSW Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order
Restrictions now apply on the movement of fire ant carrier material, both into NSW from the fire ant infested area of Queensland, and from the Fire Ant Movement Control Area in South Murwillumbah.
Anyone bringing organic mulch, compost, growing media, manure, soil, hay, straw, chaff, silage, potted plants, turf, agricultural equipment, earth moving equipment, sand, gravel, chitters, coal fines, coal stone, overburden and decomposed granite into NSW from Queensland must comply with the NSW Biosecurity (Fire Ant) Emergency Order (No 4) 2023.
Find out more about red imported fire ants and the emergency order, including a plain English guide, here.
And while we’re on critters …
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Australia is home to about 170 species of land snakes with some 100 species considered venomous. (Supplied: Chris Hay)
Summer in Australia equals snake season and, according to reptile catchers, there are plenty going around at the moment. But can snakes – or "danger noodles", as they're known on social media — be stopped before coming into your backyard or even your house?
There seem to be a lot around this year (your editor is seeing them regularly, at least!), so this is valuable information. And while we’re on the topic, have you all got a snake bandage in your ‘outside on the property’ kit?
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New farm biosecurity guides | |
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A farm biosecurity plan is an essential tool for farmers who want to prevent, eliminate, and minimise biosecurity risks on-farm. It is recommended that anyone who keeps or owns livestock, or operates a cropping or horticulture business, has a biosecurity plan for their property.
Agriculture Victoria has released a new video series of five farm biosecurity guides to help you through the process. You can view the videos here.
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Submissions invited on APVMA chlorpyrifos proposed regulatory decision
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has released its proposed regulatory decision on the reconsideration of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used for the control of pests.
Public consultation on the proposed decision is open until 11 March 2024.
Find out more here and make a submission here.
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Industry Growth Program grants
The Industry Growth Program is specifically designed to support commercialising and growing businesses, particularly those within the National Reconstruction Fund’s priority areas, which include value-adding resources, renewables and more.
Participating businesses get connected to an Industry Growth Program Adviser, who provide tailored advice to support your commercialisation and growth projects.
Matched grant funding ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 is available to support early-stage commercialisation projects. For more mature projects, grants from $100,000 to $5 million are offered. Applications are now open – find out more and apply here.
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Webinar: Co-ops 101 for Olive Growers | |
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The AOA’s extension program is getting off and running early this year, with an interactive webinar exploring the opportunities provided by co-operative business operations.
Combining learning and discussion, the session will look at how mutuality and co-operation can collectively solve a problem and form foundations for shared ownership among olive growers. It will specifically cover the foundations of ‘what is a co-op’, with case studies shared for inspiration and discussion.
Hosted by the AOA, the webinar will be presented by Clare Fountain from Co-operative Bonds, supported by the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM). Clare has contributed to national co-op development programs Farming Together and Co-operative Farming, and is currently contributing to the Care Together program of the BCCM.
Details:
Wednesday, 7 February @ 11:00-11:45am AEDT.
Register here.
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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.
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Buena Vista Edible Schoolyard integrates extra virgin olive oil into the curriculum to encourage consumption among young students.
In one of California’s least healthy counties, a grassroots effort is underway to promote healthy eating habits among children with extra virgin olive oil at its core.
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Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news | |
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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!
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The tree's circumference measures 23.5m. Photo ©Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
Located in the municipality of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the olive tree, which is over 2,000 years old, was already awarded the French ‘Arbre remarquable’ (exceptional tree) label in 2016. With a circumference of some 23.5m, it has taken root atop a stone wall.
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Farmers in Greece call for subsidies amid low yields
In Greece, olive growers and oil producers gathered outside regional government buildings nationwide, seeking financial aid to cope with this year’s extremely poor olive harvest. The demonstrators demanded that all olive growers in the country receive €200 per stremma (a traditional Greek unit of measurement equivalent to 0.1 hectares) of olive trees to strengthen their income.
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Friday Olive Extracts is Published by: | |
Olivegrower Communications: | |
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Olivegrower & Processor
December Issue
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Australian and New Zealand
Olive Industry Directory
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