Nursery, fruit, nut and forestry industries in Western Australia should be on the lookout for the exotic pest, polyphagous shot-hole borer (Euwallacea fornicates) after a recent detection in Fremantle, Perth in August 2021. Polyphagous shot-hole borer is a tiny beetle that bores into living trees which can result in tree death.

For many South Australian growers an end to fruit fly restrictions is high on their Christmas wish list. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) introduced restrictions limiting the movement of fruit following outbreaks in the Riverland in December 2020 and Greater Adelaide in 2019. 

Farmers may be deeply affected by net zero policies of the two major parties, and a big shake-up is possible to both the carbon market and farm landscapes around the country if they are fully adopted.

Cobram Estate Olives (CBO) has completed a fully underwritten institutional placement, raising $50 million. The company said it received strong interest from both existing institutional shareholders and new investors, with demand to participate in the placement reportedly in excess of the funds CBO sought to raise.

Anyone could be caught in a natural disaster — and most of us carry something in our pocket that could help us stay safe, or even alive, when it strikes.

We blind test and review 25 supermarket and grocery chain extra virgin olive oils from brands including Bertolli, Cobram Estate, Moro and Squeaky Gate to find out which one is a pantry must-have for all your cooking needs.

For many people, terms like "supply chain" and "logistics" may be likely to cause the eyes to glaze over.

While the networks that provide the goods consumers buy at supermarkets may be taken for granted, they are absolutely crucial.

Borders are opening and closing, and restrictions keep evolving, so 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:

Salvatore Tarascio started growing olives in Australia in 2015, 85 years after his grandfather first cultivated them in Sicily. Now he is one of the country’s top producers.

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.

A two-year trial of spreading fish farm waste on a marginal southern Tasmanian farm to condition the soil has been described as an outstanding success.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of megafires in Australia and putting entire ecosystems at risk, new research by the CSIRO has found.

A reminder for exporters that new registration processes for food processing and storage facilities handling product for export to China, and product labelling requirements, come into effect on 1 January 2022. The new requirements may impact your food manufacturing, processing or storage business and those currently exporting food products to China may need to register your business with China in advance of the requirements coming into effect. 

You can access information about China’s new requirements for imported food on the DAWE website here, including FAQ and recordings of webinars held in October and November.

Further questions can be directed to exportlisting@agriculture.gov.au.

Soil health is closely linked to soil microbiology. A new fact sheet from the Soil Wealth ICP project outlines information on a broad group of soil microbes including fungi, bacteria and pseudomonas, and explains how different levels, numbers and ratios of these microbes can impact the overall health of your soil and crops.

Access the fact sheet here.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) has announced new airfreight capacity from Melbourne to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh, commencing this week. From 18 December, IFAM will also be supporting new flights from Sydney to Vancouver. Check the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound for details.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) supports Australian exporters to continue to supply international markets via critical global air connections. 

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.

Agriculture Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria, along with the Labour Hire Authority, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and the Victorian Farmers Federation, are running a harvest webinar to assist horticulture producers in navigating current requirements.

The webinar provides information on:

Each webinar will end with question time, or questions can be submitted at registration.

Details: Wednesday, 19 January 2022 from 4-5pm – free. Register here. 

Local producers have joined forces with scientists In Chania, Crete, to identify, analyze and transfer the DNA identity of olive oil from the field to the bottle, achieving authenticity and traceability for their local products.

For generations, families in Italy, and all across the Mediterranean Basin, have relied on the olive tree for its golden elixir: olive oil. The tree grows naturally in this part of the world and, for centuries, olives were as reliable as the rain, wind and sun. But, in olive-producing regions of Italy, a changing climate is making the business of harvesting trees all the more uncertain and irregular.

Intensive groves will outnumber traditional farms thirty years from now, and the number of olive oil-producing countries will rise to 80, says Juan Vilar.

We’re nearing the end of 2021, 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!

A local beer producer has partnered with olive growers from Coldiretti, a leading farmers’ association, to produce Birra Olea near Rome. Olive leaves are the key ingredient.

After climate change wreaked havoc on the 2021 harvest, one of Croatia’s leading producers believes the olive farming paradigm in the country must change.

The Olive Growers Council of California (OGCC) has called on the United States government to keep tariffs on table olive imports from Spain in place, despite the latest ruling from the World Trade Organization.

Southeastern Spain, which is home to some of the largest olive oil-producing provinces in the country, is heading for a 40-percent reduction in water resource availability by 2050, according to the Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographics.

AOA office Xmas closure

AOA office re-opens 

Olives NZ Conference and Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

Field tour, 2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Exhibition – Devonport, Tasmania

15-16 October

2022 AOA National Olive Conference & 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

Advertising: editor@olivegrower.com.au

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