For the first time workers on Australian farms will be guaranteed a minimum rate of pay when changes to the Horticulture Award come into effect on April 28. The Fair Work Commission set the deadline for major changes to the award on Tuesday, having determined last November that a minimum floor price should be set for workers paid a piece rate.

The continuing lack of rapid antigen tests is contributing to a widespread lack of agriculture workers across the Riverina and NSW. The lack of workers comes three months after NSW Farmers released a ten point plan, highlighting the need for RATs to keep the workforce moving throughout further outbreaks.

The latest iteration of a pest and disease trapping robot has landed in the Adelaide Hills, ready to capture, identify and warn industry of any threats to horticulture farms and vineyards. Deployed off the back of a trailer, the $100,000 Sentinel 7 features high volume air samplers to collect airborne fungal spores, plus multiple suction traps that draw in insects within its immediate vicinity and migratory bugs from distances of up to 80 kilometres with the help of wind currents.

With the Omicron variant sweeping across the country, it’s more important than ever to keep up with the constantly changing status of pandemic regulations. You can access state-specific information on COVID-19 from the links below:

Agriculture Victoria is also running COVIDSafe information sessions and workshops for small and medium Victorian businesses. The sessions will provide updates on the latest COVIDSafe Plan information and mandatory requirements, as well as tips on how to implement the Plan in your business. Sessions will be held on:

Register here.

In addition, a new simplified and more user-friendly COVIDSafe Plan template has been created and is now available from the Victorian Government website here.

A West Australian vineyard is one of the first in the state to become carbon positive and they say it makes the wine taste even better. While most businesses are targeting carbon neutrality, Oranje Tractor Farm near Albany on WA's south coast sequesters six times more CO2 and CO2 equivalents than it emits.

The procedures employed by Kosher Australia and other reliable kosher authorities allow kosher consumers to have confidence in the foods they buy for their families.

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.

Bondi in summer isn't exactly what Moa Hoflin imagined. "It's very quiet," the 21-year-old Swede told the ABC. "I knew that Australia had been closed for a while, but I did think it'd be a little busier."

A new national agriculture visa program is currently being designed in consultation with industry. The new agriculture visa will supplement the existing Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, which will remain the primary scheme for meeting agricultural workforce shortages.

The required amendments to the Migration Regulations 1994 to enable the new visa are expected to be in place from 30 September, however the final program design continues to be developed. The arrival of the first workers under this new scheme will occur from late 2021, subject to quarantine arrangements and agreement with partner countries.

To keep industry informed, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have released an updated fact sheet, which is downloadable here.

The DFAT website is the central point for accessing information about the visa program as it evolves and will be updated as further details about the visa are finalised.

Australian farmers, producers and manufacturers can now apply for financial support from the Coles Nurture Fund to help them innovate and grow. 

The Fund provides grants of up to $500,000 for small-and medium-sized businesses to develop new products, technologies and processes. Businesses with innovative ideas, fewer than 50 full-time employees, and turnover of less than $25 million in annual revenue are eligible to apply by the closing time of 5pm (AEDT) on Friday, 25 February.

Find out more and apply here.

A Horticulture Certificate III program has been recently developed and is being offered at the Bass Coast Adult Learning Centre (BCAL) in Wonthaggi. The Certificate III is the horticulture industry standard qualification and is nationally recognised. 

This program is well suited to school leavers interested in exploring a career in horticulture, those looking for a change in direction and people who are developing a new business and would like to hone their horticultural expertise.

For more information contact Bass Coast Adult Learning – Bill Street on 5672 3115 or visit the BCAL website here www.bcal.vic.edu.au.

Rocket Seeder is a 3-6 month startup accelerator program helping Australian Food and Agriculture innovators and founders take their business to the next level.

Led by some of the brightest minds in the Australian Food and Agriculture industry, Rocket Seeder’s vision is to support early stage startups that are aligned United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build an ecosystem that will have a positive impact in Australia and beyond.

Find out more and apply here. 

Colleagues, friends and family are invited to a celebration of Steve's life, to be held on Saturday, 5 February in Balingup. The ceremony will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. 

RSVPs are requested for those attending and a password is required to access the stream. Please see further details here. 

The dates have been announced for this year’s Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA). The country’s most important and prestigious olive competition, the AIOA is now also a major event on the international calendar, judged by experts in six countries across the globe. 

It’s a ‘must-enter’ event for all EVOO and table olive producers, so add the dates to your diary and get your entries in as soon as they’re ready:

Entries open: 1 June 2022

Entries close: 26 August 2022

Medal winners announced: 3 October 2022

Awards Dinner: 14 October 2022, in conjunction with the 2022 AOA National Olive Industry Conference & Trade Exhibition – Devonport, Tasmania

More information: www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au or email Competition Convenor & Chief Steward Trudie Michels at aioa@australianolives.com. 

After pausing last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Winston Churchill Trust is planning once again to fund around 100 people from diverse walks of life, so they can explore international best practice and innovation in a field of their choosing. It is a non-academic program and no specific qualifications are required to apply.

As Churchill Fellows, the recipients will receive an average of $28,000 each and Trust support to explore international best practice and innovations in a field of their choosing during 2023.

A series of virtual information sessions based around specific themes are being held to inspire project ideas and guide people through the application process. One of these will focus on horticulture and viticulture, and is being held on Monday, 21 February.

Registration for the virtual sessions is essential. Book and find out more about the Churchill Fellowship program here.

As the olive-milling season in Jordan comes to an end, experts warn against the dangerous effects of the waste it generates and call for more sustainable solutions.

Local olive oil has become a luxury for most of the population amid financial and political turmoil.

Bonolio partners with more than five hundred small farmers who grow cultivars typical of long-standing Sicilian traditions.

As part of OCP’s Al Moutmir demonstration program, more than 1,506 demonstration platforms dedicated to olive trees were installed during the 2020-2021 agricultural campaign.

We’ve started another new year, and Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) will continue 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!

An ambitious project is underway in northwestern Sardinia to renew abandoned olive farms in Surigheddu and Mamuntanas on the outskirts of Alghero.

Five Greek olive oil experts discuss their expectations for the future of Greek olive oil. They express concern about substantial challenges that the sector must confront. Yet they also offer hope that by focusing on producing high quality olive oil, Greek producers will be able to impress more consumers around the world with distinctive Greek flavors.

Officials in Spain anticipate olive oil prices to remain steady after rising rapidly in the first half of 2021. Despite prices remaining steady for the past seven months, there are fears that drought in southern Spain and rising production costs could dampen these gains.

ABARES Outlook 2022 Conference

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Nelson

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Canterbury

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Northland

Olives New Zealand 2022 Annual General Meeting – Online

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Wairarapa

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day - Hawke’s Bay

AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Wagga Wagga, NSW

Entries open, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au 

Entries close, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au 

Medals announced, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au 

Olives NZ Conference and Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

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

Awards Dinner, 2022 Australian International Olive awards

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au 

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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