A heavy band of cloud has been producing an unusual and out-of-season downpour over parts of Western Australia's north this week. But weather forecasters say a climatic phenomenon developing off the state's north-west coast could bring more wet weather in months to come. And it's not just WA's north.

As a bumper olive harvest comes to an end, researchers at the University of New England are measuring a yield increase of up to 300% on last year in the Boort region of Victoria. Teams from UNE's Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC) and NSW Department of Primary Industries have been sampling individual trees to validate remote sensing techniques for measuring tree health, water stress, yield and oil quality. Their findings will contribute to valuable tools under development for delivering vast improvements in yield forecasting, water use and disease detection.

Bridget McKenzie and Perin Davey are pushing to change the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. (ABC News: Matt Roberts) 

A bold move by the National Party to split from its Coalition partner and try to rewrite the Murray Darling Basin plan has been defeated in the Senate. Nationals senators abandoned the party's Cabinet ministers and their Liberal colleagues, putting amendments to legislation that would effectively rewrite the plan and prevent the Commonwealth from buying water rights from irrigators.

South Australian River Murray water allocations will open at the full 100 per cent for the 2021-22 water year. Irrigators will start the 2021-22 water year with 100 per cent of their allocations.

A backyard rush to crush has seen more than a tonne of olives harvested from gardens in southern Tasmania, as the popularity of a community pressing event continues to grow. The 1,239 kilograms of fruit took three days to process and produced 166 litres of oil which will be bottled and shared among attendees and volunteers.

An application to use controversial poison bromadiolone to fight NSW's relentless mouse plague has been knocked back. In May, the NSW government made an urgent application for the poison to be made available for perimeter baiting.

The recent virus transmissions in several states reminds us all that 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:

A Brisbane man has avoided jail for attempting to import more than 2000 live Oxalis plant bulbs, risking Australia’s prized biosecurity status.

New legislation passed by Federal Parliament could see those flouting Australian biosecurity laws fined up to $1.11 million. The upgraded penalties were part of new biosecurity legislation which passed Federal Parliament, giving courts access to higher penalties from January 2022. 

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 Monica, who’s selling an Olio Mio 350 processing unit, and Michael, who’s got manual harvesting equipment for sale.. 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.

There are people in Australia who want to work on farms right now but their visas won't let them. Jamson Agin is a Victorian farm worker and is being sent back to Malaysia, but his employers don't want him to go.

Following the Annual Wage Review 2021, the Fair Work Commission has announced a 2.5% increase. The new national minimum wage will apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2021. This means if you have a weekly pay period that starts on Mondays, the new rates will apply from Monday 5 July 2021.

More information here.

For terms and conditions and further information please contact Ben on 0422850699 or Greg on 0407599409, or email newmed.olives@gmail.com

Applications for the 59th Australian Export & Investment Awards open on 1 July - if you’re an Australian business achieving export success, this is your opportunity to share your achievements.

Applications will initially be judged at the state and territory level, with winners automatically progressing as national finalists in their category. Applications close on 6 August – more information and enter here.

The demand for organic, all-natural, healthy and functional foods and beverages across Asia and the Middle East is at an all-time high and interest in Australian food and beverages remains strong due to our reputation for product safety, quality and proximity to market.

If developing a successful Malaysia export business is on your agenda, register for Trade Organic’s Export Masterclass – Malaysia on 13 July, being delivered in collaboration with industry experts including Export Connect and Asialink.

More information and register here.

Presented by the Australian Olive Association’s OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane over six weeks, three AOA OliveCare® Best Practice webinars are of interest and value to all olive growers, processors and marketers of olive products, whether current members of the OliveCare® program or not.

Each is being run as a one hour Zoom meeting, with a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute interactive Q&A session providing opportunity to clarify queries or issues.

Registration: attendees must register to gain access to each webinar, with a link to the session provided upon sign-up. Registration is FREE for all attendees.

The first webinar has already been held, with two further sessions on the way:

Webinar 2: EVOO & Flavoured Olive Oil Production Best Practice - 29 June, 12.30-1.30pm AEST. Register here.

Webinar 3: Table Olives/Olive Paste Production Best Practice - 13 July, 12.30-1.30pm AEST. Register here.

Further details on the OliveBiz website here or contact Liz Bouzoudis - secretariat@australianolives.com.au, 0478 606 145.

Along New Renwick Road outside the Omaka Landing development, birds forage amongst the fruit dripping from loaded mature olive trees. With the olive harvest season fast drawing to a close, it would seem the liquid gold these trees produce is set to line the pavement rather than grace the tables of fine diners.

The Spanish cooperative Oleoestepa, the largest in the country in the production of quality extra virgin olive oil, has just launched the first bottle of PDO ectra-virgin olive oil made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET) from other bottles.

A few projects for the development of new super-high-density (SHD) olive farms in Tuscany are garnering attention from investors. Banca Carige and Banco Bpm have just approved a line of credit worth €5.3 million for ArteOlio, an agribusiness startup focusing on intensive olive farming. Its principal project is to develop more than 500 hectares of new olive groves in the region.

We’re now nearly half-way through 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!

Olive oil and table olive imports to Brazil continue to rise, further establishing Latin America’s largest country as an important market for both products.

Exports of standardized Greek olive oil to European Union countries and non-EU countries grew a spectacular 225% in the 2002-20 period, totaling 52,735 tons, from 14,851 tons in 2002, the Greek Association of Olive Oil Producers (SEVITEL) said in a report on Tuesday.

Researchers are currently studying the genetic traits of the newly-discovered autochthonous varieties to see how they cope with the area’s extreme weather.

21-Jun-2021 By Elaine Watson

California’s olive oil producers are clashing over proposed state legislation on olive oil labeling that supporters say is essential to ensure consumers are not being misled, and critics say is a blatant attempt to restrict competition.

The United States Court of International Trade has ruled that the arguments used by the U.S. Commerce Department as the basis of the 35-percent tariff it imposed on black Spanish table olive imports in August 2018 are “not in accordance with law.”

Closing date for entry forms and samples, AGOA – NE VIC

OliveCare® Best Practice Webinar 2: EVOO & Flavoured Olive Oil

OliveCare® Best Practice Webinar 3: Table Olives/Olive Paste Production

Soil Health and Biology Masterclass 2021

Entries open Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Entries open, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Results announced, AGOA – NE VIC

AGOA Presentation Dinner – Wangaratta, VIC

Entries close, 2021 WA Olive Awards

Entries close Olives NZ EVOO Awards – New Zealand

Olives NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ

Results announced, 2021 WA Olive Awards

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

Subscribe to Olivegrower & Processor magazine secretariat@australianolives.com.au