Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have once again voted to exempt single-ingredient food items from any potential pan-European front-of-pack labeling system (FOPL).

West Australian scientists have made a breakthrough in the fight against chemical-resistant weeds, thanks to some similarities discovered in cancer research.

Australia Post has backflipped on its decision to cease carrying perishable items in a move welcomed by producers reliant on the service.

Farmers who have struggled through drought and floods have slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for pitting them against “inner-city lefties” and suggesting they don’t care about climate change.

The government is using cash to lure Australians into farm work in a bid to quell worker shortages, but job seekers say they’re applying in droves and being knocked back. It’s the latest instalment in the dichotomy that is presenting itself in the country’s fruit-and-vegetable picking trade. Farmers say they can’t get locals to do the work; locals say they can’t get hired because farmers don’t want to pay them a ‘reasonable’ wage.

The WA Government has given the green light for a charter flight of 150 Tongan workers to arrive in WA in late May to help ease the state's horticulture and hospitality worker squeeze. It comes less than a week after the Chief Health Officer denied an application for a flight of Ni Vanuatu workers to arrive in Perth on May 7, citing a lack of quarantine capacity.

The recent lockdown in Queensland has shown that it’s important to keep up with the changing status of pandemic regulations. 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

The entire New South Wales coast experienced its wettest week ever during last month's floods, according to a special report from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Extreme multi-day rainfall hit much of eastern Australia in late March, but it was NSW that bore the brunt.

A cyclone on one side and flooding rains on the other has set up an unusual autumn break for the far east and west this year. It's a rough concept but the 'autumn break' refers to the first good rains of the southern winter cropping season, usually triggered by a good cold front or two.

New data has found two-thirds of NSW irrigators are not complying with a critical new water law, four months after it became mandatory.

Got something to sell? Or want to buy? Go direct to your target market – olive growers and producers – like Graham, who’s got olive fruit to sell

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, extra oil - or even your grove – like Graham, who has just bought a farm with fruit he can’t process, so he’s listed it 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.

After introducing thousands of dung beetles to her property, a Queensland grazier is seeing incredible results. Adma Sargood introduced the beetles, originally from Africa, to her property between Charleville and Morven in November. When the beetles burrow into the cow dung on the land, they also dig down into the soil and bury the dung, which helps aerate and fertilise the soil.

Pairs of tighty whities are being buried in backyards and farms across the nation to check how healthy soil is. Soil Your Undies is a joint campaign by the University of New England (UNE) and CottonInfo. The experiment is to bury 100-per-cent cotton underwear for eight weeks and then dig them back up.

Rabobank is inviting food and agribusiness startups to showcase their sustainable solutions through their FoodBytes! Pitch program.

In 2021, one of the key innovation and investment priorities is sustainable supply chains – e.g. through blockchain and traceability, by-product upcycling, commodities processing, shelf-life extension, and clean food processing.

The annual multi-week program sees industry leading innovation to adapt to the new trading environment. While FoodBytes! Pitch is aimed at startups, the results have the potential to benefit all businesses.

Applications close on 16 May. Find out more and apply here.

The key dates have been announced for the 2021 Sydney Fine Foods Olive Show, as follows:

28 April - Entries open

2 June – Entries close

September (TBC) - Results announced.

More information and the competition schedule are available here.

The ongoing battle against fruit fly, which continues to threaten over half of Australia’s $13 billion horticulture sector and the 60,000 people it employs, is to be discussed at a national three day forum from May 4-6. Hosted by the National Fruit Fly Council (NFFC), the free online event, running for three hours on three consecutive days, will draw on a range of industry experts, government representatives, researchers, and growers to discuss fruit fly challenges and identify priorities for improved management of the pest.

Speakers including researchers, industry and grower representatives, regulators and growers, are being brought together to discuss possible solutions to managing the pest, which organisers say will be “an interactive discussion, providing the opportunity for people to provide input to the national discussion.”

Register here.

The Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre and Planet Ark Australian Circular Economy (ACE) Hub are delighted to present Smart and Circular, as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week 2021. In this online panel discussion you’ll hear how businesses across different industries are using data and technology to reduce waste and apply circular business models.  

This event is an opportunity to learn more about the circular economy and be inspired to think about how technology can help grow your business. 

Details:

Thursday 29 April, 3:30-5:00pm 

Melbourne Knowledge Week Digital Hub

Register here to join in online, and find out more about the Australian Circular Economy Hub here.

The 2021 Olives NZ Certification program is now underway and personalised Certification documentation will be sent out progressively to members as regions start to harvest.

Full details on the program are available on the Olives NZ website here, where the documentation is also available for download.

A bill that would require the olive oil industry to use California olives if it puts “California” on its labeling this week passed the Assembly Health Committee. Assembly Bill 535, authored by Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, received unanimous bipartisan committee support.

Extra virgin olive oil prices in Spain have reached their highest point since November 2018, according to data from the International Olive Council (IOC). The price of extra virgin olive oil in Jaén, which is considered the benchmark for Spanish olive oil production, reached €272 for 100 kilograms, 27.8 percent higher than it was one year ago.

Provincial Minister for Environment and Forests, Muhammad Ishtiaq Urmar here on Sunday said that over 70 million plants of wild olive trees were discovered in KP out of which grafting in 40 million would be achieved in next five years with assistance of Agriculture Department.

Spanish and Libyan researchers met in Andalusia to identify and characterize the most promising cultivars in the North African country. 

With 2021 now underway, 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 new round of Ph.D. scholarships has been awarded by the International Olive Council (IOC) to four students selected within its member states. The IOC will fund their research work for the next four years.

While Spain is the world’s largest exporter of olive oil, Mallorca´s production is more about quality, than quantity. There are 89 brands of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) on the island with many being recognised internationally and are proud of their Denomination of Origin (D.O.) status. The Consell de Mallorca has allocated €9,600 to create educational opportunities for school children and family outings using an App as it wishes to assist youngsters to appreciate the importance of this crop from both a health and economic point of view.

Entries open, 2021 Sydney Fine Foods Olive Show 2nd June

Global Market Insights Seminar – The Middle East and Africa

Entries close, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Registrations close/samples due, EVO IOOC – Palmi, Italy

Farm2Plate Exchange 2021 – Scenic Rim, Qld

Winners announced, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition

Entries open, 2021 Sydney Fine Foods Olive Show 2nd June

Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld

Entries open, Australian International Olive Awards

Entries open, Royal Adelaide Olive Awards

Entries open, Royal Tasmanian Fine food Awards

Entries open, Hunter Olive Show

Entries close, Royal Adelaide Olive Awards

Results announced, 2021 Sydney Fine Foods Olive Show 2nd June

Awards Dinner, Royal Adelaide Olive Awards

Entries close, Australian International Olive Awards

Entries close, Hunter Olive Show

Awards night, Hunter Olive Show

Results announced, Australian International Olive Awards

2021 National Olive Conference & Trade 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

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