La Niña #3; Goats for hazard reduction; Olive oil vs Alzheimer’s

16 September 2022

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

Today's Top Story

BOM declares La Niña, increasing flood risk for third year in a row

After months of speculation it is finally Bureau of Meteorology official: we are in the third La Niña in a row. So why does this climate driver bring so much rain and what should we expect this summer?

Australia

Fair Work Ombudsman cracks down on compliance to ensure farm workers are getting paid correctly

Ensuring farm workers are being paid correctly is the focus of the investigations. (ABC Rural: Emma Brown)

Dozens of farm businesses across the country have been found to be non-compliant in an ongoing blitz by the Fair Work Ombudsman to ensure workers are getting the right pay.

Have you had olive bud mite in your grove?

Image: Junta de Andalucia

Hort Innovation are working on a data generation project for olives, evaluating the efficacy of Oberon miticide against olive bud mite. There are currently no registered/permitted miticides for use on olives.

They are keen to hear from growers who currently have olive bud mite in their grove, or have a history of olive bud mite, to be involved as trial sites.

Grower co-operators will be paid crop compensation for any olive trees used during the small plot trials.

Any growers with experience of olive bud mite are asked to send details to the AOA at secretariat@australianolives.com.au.

COVID restrictions: stay informed

While restrictions have now largely lifted, 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:

Vic- https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/
ACT - https://www.covid19.act.gov.au
New South Wales - https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Queensland - https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/
South Australia - https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/
Tasmania - https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/
Western Australia - https://www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus

Bega Foods says cutting farm prices will sell more Australian peanuts, but there's no sign consumers will pay less

Consumers reacted angrily to news Australian farmers were being paid less for their peanuts. (Unsplash)

Bega Foods says its move to pay farmers less for their peanuts will help more shoppers choose Australian-grown, but finding them on the shelves could be harder than you think. Domestic supply is still recovering from years of drought and as growers reconsider planting this season, there is no sign consumers will pay less at the shops.

More ‘interesting’ discussion around the local vs imported issue.

Farmer confidence dips to its lowest point in three years

Rising input costs and disease pressures have driven Australian farmer confidence to its lowest point in three years, but analysts say there's room for optimism. It's the first time the rural confidence survey has gone into negative territory since December 2019.

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 Ben, who has an OMB semi-manual labeller to sell. 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.

RFS deploys goats to reduce fuel loads as wet weather stymies hazard reduction burns

The goats are proving useful in keeping fuel loads down where burns and machine work aren't feasible. (Supplied: RFS Cudgegong District)

The Rural Fire Service in Central West New South Wales says a trial using goats for hazard reduction has been a huge success as wet conditions complicate conventional reduction efforts.

Something to contemplate as summer approaches, if you’ve got steep, inaccessible land on your property.

Opportunities

Northern winter flight schedules take off!

Many international airlines have announced new and increased flights on key routes to some of Australia’s major trading destinations (e.g. US, Japan & Indonesia). This opens significant cargo capacity for airfreight out of Australia.

Find out more about Austrade’s Export Supply Chain Service (ESCS) here.

Application period extended for Women & Leadership scholarships

Applications are still invited for Women & Leadership Australia (WLA)’s professional development scholarships, open to women across all areas of the farming and agriculture sector.

Scholarships of $1000-$5000 are available for four leadership development courses, aimed at encouraging more women to increase their impact at work and step into industry leadership roles.

The leadership programs support women at all levels across all sectors and industries, bringing together a focus on applied learning and the latest in leadership theory and practice.

Find out more about the courses and scholarships, and apply, here. Applications now close on 7 October 2022.

Events

2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition – don’t miss out on the info-fest!

Friday 14 - Sunday 16 October, Devonport, Tasmania

We’re in countdown mode now, and gearing up to get together for the info-fest that is the 2022 AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition. Have you booked your tickets – and if not, why not?

From zero waste to biennial bearing

The program covers a diverse range of topics, including: zero waste, getting started in table olive production, Xylella fastidiosa, promotion and marketing, and business value-adding.

Grove management highlights include insight and learnings from the Olives New Zealand Focus Grove Project (which has seen an increase in tree production from 5kg to 25kg+ in participating groves via a targeted practice program), mechanical harvesting of table olives, and biennial bearing.

The Trade Exhibition will feature a range of leading olive industry suppliers and service providers, providing a chance to review your business needs and learn about the latest product innovations from experts in the field. A list of conference exhibitors is available here and is updated regularly.

Program:

Friday 14 - Optional Field Day; p.m. - Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner

Saturday 15 - Conference Day 1 + Trade Exhibition; p.m. - Conference Dinner

Sunday 16 - Conference Day 2 + Trade Exhibition

View the full program here and register here.

2022 AIOA Presentation Dinner – Be there for the Celebrations!

It’s the olive industry’s ‘night of nights’ and we’re getting together in person for the first time in three years, so this year’s Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner is sure to be a seriously fun celebration!

Highlights of the night include:

AIOA major awards announced
Great food, wine and conversation
Official AIOA winners’ photographs – your opportunity to have your AIOA win captured and promoted into the future!

Details:

2022 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner

Friday, 14 October from 6.30pm

Paranaple Centre, Devonport, Tasmania – in conjunction with the 2022 National Olive Conference & Exhibition.

Book your tickets here.

Major sponsors

New Zealand

Registration closes today for 2022 NZ EVOO Awards and Dinner

Entries have now closed for the 2022 NZ EVOO Awards, with a satisfying 152 EVOOs now in the running for medals and the coveted major awards.

All will be revealed at the 2022 NZ EVOO Awards Dinner, where the industry will gather to celebrate awarded medals and congratulate major award winners.

The event is being held on Saturday, 8 October at Rydges Wellington Airport Hotel, following the Olives NZ Conference.

Registrations close today for both the Conference and the Awards Dinner, so book your seats NOW! Register here.

International

Yale experts look toward olive oil in the fight against Alzheimer’s, cancer and more

Courtesy of Rafi Taherian.

Yale students consume over five times more olive oil than the average American, according to Rafi Taherian, associate vice president of Yale Hospitality. Yale School of Public Health assistant professor Tassos Kyriakides GRD ’99 takes a shot of olive oil every morning before his cup of coffee.

And not just those at Yale …

Study: Oleocanthal regulates abnormalities in receptor responsible for Alzheimer’s

Researchers from the University of Louisiana-Monroe are working to create an oral oleocanthal-based supplement for Alzheimer’s patients.

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

We’re now well into 2022, 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!

Worst drought ‘in living memory’ threatens the world’s olive oil supply

The olive trees at the Green Gold Olive Oil Company’s Finca Fuensantilla in Beas del Segura, Spain, have suffered record temperatures and a lack of rainfall this year. (Alfredo Cáliz/Panos/Redux for CNN)

Manuel Heredia Halcón's grandparents planted the olive trees in his 1,200-acre grove in Andalusia, Spain, almost a century ago. The trees are renowned for their ability to grow in even the driest of soils, but this year, scorching temperatures and a severe lack of rainfall have taken a toll.

Public invited to learn about ‘all things olive’ at the library

The Paso Robles City Library invites the public to learn about all-things-olive on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 6-7 p.m. in the library conference room. Rudi Lasslett, from We Olive, will present an informative and delicious olive-oil tasting. Learn the process involved in making a fine olive oil, the different types of olive oils and their attributes, and the many health benefits derived from olives.

This is really taking olives and EVOO to the people!

Ahead of the harvest, olive oil production costs keep rising

The 2022 olive harvest in Italy will begin in the next few weeks but will be shrouded by uncertainty, with producers facing reduced yields and rising production costs.

Morocco’s olive oil exports rose by 47% in 2022

Morocco’s olive oil exports reached 13,200 tonnes in the first eight months of 2022, double the volume the country exported during the same period a year earlier. According to data from Morocco’s Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forestry, the country’s olive oil exports have so far totaled MAD 456 million this year, up by 47% from last year.