The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and the NSW Local Land Services (NSW LLS) are providing assistance to landholders and communities with animal welfare-related issues resulting from the current floods in NSW.

Growers impacted by the floods can call the Agricultural and Animal Services Hotline on 1800 814 647.

Access more information here, and keep up-to-date with the current situation via the NSW Farmers' Association NSW Flood Information webpage here.

The Hort Innovation Communications Team has also pulled together an online resource for growers, and others affected by the recent flooding, to help them access key information and assistance. Access the webpage here. Note: the page will be updated with further advice and links as they become available.

We’ve all been concerned about our New South Wales growers and how they – and their groves – are being affected by the recent flooding rains, so Friday Olive Extracts chased down a couple for a status report.

Mid-week Alan Smith’s Hunter Valley property was ‘mega wet’ but with no flooding and there was only minor flooding in the surrounding vicinity.

In the Broke Valley along the Wollombi creek, Marie McKell reports there a number of larger groves on the valley floor which have sodden ground and saturated fruit. With the harvest for oil still weeks away, they’re hoping the ground will dry out enough to allow harvesting machinery in, and that the fruit will dry out sufficiently.

All affected growers are now dealing with the issues of delayed ripening and the increasing risk of fungal diseases over coming weeks. Lace bug, already a problem in early March, is also likely to be ‘a real nuisance’ in April.

With promising crops for the first time in several years, let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the rain stops and the sun shines on their groves, so that everything dries out in time for a great harvest. Good luck to all!

People have been urged to take care with flash flooding in parts of Gippsland following a deluge of more than 200 millimetres of rain. Flash flooding is occurring in Mallacoota, Yarram, and Won Wron where the highest totals have been recorded.

Wet weather in northern New South Wales has given some landowners a reprieve from the mouse plague, but a CSIRO researcher says it will not necessarily wipe the rodents out. Mouse numbers exploded in parts of regional Queensland and New South Wales months ago.

Got something to sell? Or want to buy? Go direct to your target market – olive growers and producers  – like Carlo, who’s taking EOIs for 2021 EVOO.

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, extra oil - or even your grove. Carlo knows it works, so he’s using it to take orders for his 2021 EVOO. 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.

More than 2.5 million sterile fruit flies have been released in the Riverland, as the region battles five outbreaks of Queensland fruit fly, which could cost local farmers and communities millions of dollars.

It’s important to keep up with the changing status of pandemic regulations, so you can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below:

The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board is providing grants to support community groups and individuals to undertake local-level community projects relating to sustainable agriculture, sustainable water use, river and wetland biodiversity, terrestrial biodiversity and people. Two programs are available:

With a funding pool of $330,000, the Grassroots Grants Program supports not-for-profit community-based organisations, volunteer groups and individuals who work locally to help manage the Murraylands and Riverland region. There is no minimum or maximum amount for grants and applications can be made across three value ranges: $1,000 and under; $1,001 to $10,000; and $10,001 and over.

For more information contact Senior Project Officer Phil McNamara on 0447 099 034.

The Agricultural Knowledge Grants Program supports agricultural and horticultural groups to deliver knowledge, training and skills-building events that achieve improved sustainable agricultural land management outcomes. Groups can apply for workshops, field days, crop walks, webinars, bus tours or other events which focus on the following land management/farming issues:

Grant funds can be spent on things like guest speakers, transport or equipment hire. Projects which develop information resources such as factsheets, videos and podcasts on the land management/farming issues listed will also be considered. 

For more information contact the Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator Zoe Starkey on 0408 416 684. 

Applications close at 5pm ACDT on 12 April 2021, and guidelines for both grants are available here.

To give more Australian businesses access to export knowledge and expertise, Austrade is providing easy to navigate export help, market insights and advice online.

Learn the basics of exporting, assess whether you’re ready to export and find the right market for your products with Austrade export services.

Find out more here.

The Australian Government has announced the extension of the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) to keep global air links open, despite the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IFAM continues to provide new and extended flights for export freight, including a strong focus on key Asian markets.

New and extended flights announced in the last two weeks include: Brisbane to Dubai, Melbourne to Hong Kong and Perth to Singapore. Incoming flights have also been extended. 

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.

With planning and arrangements now well underway, the key dates have been announced for this year's Australian International Olive Awards: 

The Major Awards will be announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner held during the 2021 National Industry Conference & Exhibition in Devonport, Tasmania, while all entrants will be notified of medal wins in early October.

Competition Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels said this year's event is set to be an exciting one, with an increase in entries expected due to the bumper harvest. 

"Quality is also looking great, thanks to the focus on grove maintenance by many growers during the recent low-production years, so we're expecting a highly competitive field of entries," she said.

"We're currently finalising the international judging team, which will again include expert panels in Old and New World producing countries across the globe, who will no doubt have their work cut out in selecting the 'best of the best' from this year's entries."

With harvest just around the corner, the entry period will be here before we know it, so add the dates to your diaries now - then get your entries in!

More information here.

At last, after all the Olives SA volunteers' hard (really, really hard!) work on the NOVA site over the past 18 months or so, the trees are looking great and they are looking forward to the first harvest in years. OSA President Michael Johnston said all indications are that it should be a really good one, as there is "lots of fruit on the trees".

But there are also a lot of suckers, so they need to do a tidy up of the trees before the harvest and have scheduled a working bee dedicated to de-suckering this Sunday, 28 March from 10am-2pm.

Your editor can vouch for these being fun team working days in the grove – with the added bonus for this one that you can check out how well the trees have responded to the TLC lavished on them so far.

Anyone interested in helping out is welcome. Just bring your tools for sucker removal, and your lunch, and head out to Mudla Wirra Road, Wasleys (approx. 50kms north of Adelaide).

More information or any queries, call OSA President Michael Johnston on 0419 815 839.

The CRSPI Online Climate and Emissions Reduction in Agriculture Forum 2021 is happening on 29 and 30 March 2021, exploring the state of climate change research in Australian agriculture.

Sessions include ‘The Big Picture’ chaired by APL CEO Margo Andrae; ‘Agriculture in a low emissions economy’ chaired by Australian Farm Institute Executive Director Richard Heath; as well as updates from major climate projects, Government bodies and Research and Development Corporations.

Register now to learn more on what’s happening with agriculture and climate change, what Australia’s farmers think and where the industry is heading.

The event is online and free to attend. Register here.

Join researcher Dr Kelvin Montagu and Tasmanian vegetable grower Darren Long in Manjimup, WA to hear about their experience with and research into cover crops in the horticulture industry.

Cover crops protect the soil from water and wind erosion, as well as add biomass to help maintain and build soil organic matter. Including viewing of cover crop plantings and commercial crops in-field, this practical workshop will help you:

Details: Friday, 30 April (subject to COVID-19 restrictions) – free – limited spaces available. 

Find out more and register here.

Researchers demonstrated that adopting the Mediterranean diet after suffering a heart attack could reduce the possibility of another and help lessen the damage brought on by cardiovascular disease.

From freezing temperatures to fruit-fly infestations, farmers and producers are dealing with regular interruptions to the “delicate dance” of producing olive oil.

Using sound vibrations, researchers may be able to disrupt the mating of spittlebugs in olive groves. Agriculture groups are calling for more research.

With 2021 now underway, 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!

Affecting 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, in which a part of the brain progressively damages over the years. A study carried out by the researchers at Panjab University (PU) has found that a component in olives is effective in treating Parkinson’s disease.

Euromonitor data projects that the value of olive oil sales in Indonesia will increase by 50 percent over the next half-decade. Andalusia hopes to capitalize on this growth.

Healthy Soils Field Day - Lowden (via Donnybrook) WA

Entries close, Berlin Global Olive Oil Awards – Berlin, Germany

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Hawke’s Bay

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Northland

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Canterbury

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Nelson

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Wairarapa

Entries close, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Registrations close/samples due, EVO IOOC – Palmi, Italy

Farm2Plate Exchange 2021 – Scenic Rim, Qld

Winners announced, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld

1 July

Entries open, Australian International Olive Awards

Entries open, Hunter Olive Show

Entries close, Australian International Olive Awards

Entries close, Hunter Olive Show

Awards night, Hunter Olive Show

15 October

Results announced, Australian International Olive Awards

2021 National Olive Conference & Trade 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

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