Areas across Australia are experiencing some wild weather, with warnings of more to come. Here's what happened overnight, what people are waking up to and what's going to happen today.

The Government says its climate ambitions are being tempered by the needs of rural Australia, arguing those on the land will be hung out to dry if the country looks to cut emissions too drastically. So what do farmers have to say about it?

Australia is looking to its farmers to bolster the amount of carbon held in soil as part of its plan to become carbon neutral by the middle of the century, but it is not clear to what extent carbon could become a commodity.

Plane loads of seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands have been a welcome sight for Australian farmers desperate to find labour during the global pandemic. In the last 18 months, around 12,000 workers have come into Australia from countries such as Vanuatu and Samoa.

Frankland River producer has been recognised for having the best olive oil in WA. The Frankland River Olive Company, best known for its olive oil brand Jingilli, was awarded the best oil of show trophy at the 2021 Olive Awards.

Congratulations to all the 2021 WA Olive Awards winners in what was a highly competitive year. We’ll feature them and other competition winners in the December edition of Olivegrower & Processor, so don’t miss our celebratory Awards issue – if you’re not a subscriber already, you can sign up here. 

With lockdowns lifted and borders re-opening, 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:

Pulse crops could be farmers' best weapon against sky-rocketing fertiliser prices, with the organic nitrogen they put back into the soil allowing growers to cut back on their urea bills. 

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.

South Australia's viticulture and horticulture sectors are counting the cost of a destructive hailstorm on Thursday last week, which caused mass damage in regions including the Adelaide Plains, Barossa, Adelaide Hills and Riverland.

AusNet has released its compensation plan for landowners willing to give the company access for transmission lines for the Western Transmission Network Project.

Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in global markets, encouraging small to medium enterprises to market and promote their goods and services internationally.

EMDG is now operating as a forward-looking grant program, allowing grant recipients to plan their marketing and promotional activities with confidence, because they will know how much they will receive over the life of their grant agreement. Applications are open now and close 30 November 2021.

Find out more at this free Austrade webinar on 15 Nov 2021 from 1-2pm AEDT. Register here.

The International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) has commenced an additional Melbourne – Brisbane – Hong Kong service departing Sundays. This is the seventh IFAM service operating from the east coast to Hong Kong. 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.

Horticulture businesses across the state are receiving extra support to attract and retain new workers, thanks to the Victorian Government’s new round of the Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus.

The new Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus encourages workers who have never worked in agriculture to take up a role in horticulture and receive $2,430 on top of their wage for 40 days’ work. 

This Sign-on Bonus is available to workers who start work on or after 1 November 2021 and is available until 31 December. New workers need to complete the first 10 days’ work and apply for the first $810 instalment of the bonus within 30 days of starting work. Workers then have 90 days to complete the additional 30 days’ work to receive the extra $1,620 instalment of the bonus.

While it’s not in the olive harvest season, the program may be helpful for those of you who also have other crops. Find out more and apply here.

The world has recovered unevenly from the pandemic. With infections from the latest wave coming under control and vaccination rates picking up pace, governments are easing local restrictions and opening their borders to international visitors. 

But what does this mean for Australian businesses in 2022 and beyond? A panel of economic experts will discuss how these current conditions will affect the global economy, the Asian region and Australia, and the opportunities and risks in the post-pandemic recovery.

Details: 18 November @ 2.00pm AEDT – free. More information and register here.

Register now for the livestream of the sold-out Zero Emissions Farming: Towards 2050 conference. This single-day conference will explore the benefits of zero-emission farming, showcasing the latest research and technology information, and industry progress towards CN2050.

Details: 10am-4pm AEDT, Wednesday 17 November – free. More information and register here. 

From the hot and dry summer to the Covid-fueled labor shortages and unrelenting spread of Xylella fastidiosa, many farmers in Puglia find themselves in an emergency.

The Stato-Regioni Conference has earmarked the funds to help producers improve quality and sustainably increase production.

 

Weather fluctuations have severely affected the olive harvest in Egypt, with an erratic rise in temperature during the blooming season in March causing this year’s yield to fall by at least half, according to agricultural sources.

Jerash lies at the north-western side of Jordan and is one of the most agriculturally rich governorates in the country. Jerash’s olive trees are known for the supreme quality of their olive oil, which is pressed at local olive mills.

Researchers in Andalusia found that agricultural intensification hurt olive groves by eliminating the natural predators of pests and depleting soil quality. 

 

More than 100 countries have agreed to act to preserve natural habitats and biodiversity. How they intend to do this remains to be seen. 

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!

Mining sites in Turkey’s southern Aydın province whose coal reserves have expired are being rehabilitated and turned into agricultural land for olive oil production within the framework of a sustainable mining project.

Among the main tenants of the plan are animal welfare, emissions reduction and front-of-pack nutrition labeling. It will now be up to the European Commission to propose the formal legislation.

Judging, Hunter Olive Show

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project Field Day – Northland, NZ

Olives SA AGM – Stepney, SA

OSA/Woodside Farm grove rejuvenation visit – Woodside, SA

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

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