22 March 2024

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

Today's Top Story

Authorities in Puglia confirm culprit in olive tree devastation

Image: AP

Officials rebuffed a recent study that implied Xylella fastidiosa was not mainly responsible for the millions of ravaged trees.

Australia

Upper House Inquiry and report into gold, silver & lead mining sabotaged by Government: Greens

The Greens have accused the Government of deliberately sabotaging an Upper House Inquiry into the impacts of heavy metal mining projects, including Cadia’s controversial gold mine, resulting in a report with findings and recommendations that contradicts the weight of evidence heard throughout the inquiry.

You can listen to NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann’s speech to Parliament on the issue here.

New Qfly outbreaks declared in SA

A Queensland fruit fly outbreak has been declared in Salisbury North and Barmera B. Check the fruit fly outbreak map to see if you're living or working in the red outbreak area, or yellow suspension area, and find out what you need to do.

Important information for olive growers in or near these regions, with control regulations affecting practices around fruit movement.

National Fire Ant Eradication Program rolls out across NSW Northern Rivers region

Fire ant baiting begins in NSW's Northern Rivers region. (Source: National Fire Ant Eradication Program)

Residents and landholders across a 5-kilometre area of South Murwillumbah in New South Wales are being told to expect helicopters and crews of pest controllers as efforts ramp up to eradicate an incursion of fire ants from Queensland.

And also important in the information mix, especially for those in the baiting area with animals:

‘Wildly toxic’ poison used on fire ants is killing native Australian animals, experts warn Senate inquiry

A “wildly toxic” chemical used to combat fire ants and the varroa mite in Australia is banned in Europe and harmful to humans - and it is poisoning waterways and killing native fauna, experts warn.

Telstra, Optus 3G network shutdown raises phone service fears for rural residents

There are concerns the shutdown of the 3G network will make it harder to communicate during emergencies. (Supplied: Danny Henderson).

Promises of the same, if not better service are failing to convince some rural landholders as Australia's 3G network is progressively shut down. Farmer Jane Porter, who lives at Numinbah in the Tweed Valley in northern NSW, said she used to have decent 3G phone service in her top paddocks but that stopped when a new 4G tower was activated on a mountain nearby.

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 Len, who has a six-blade pruner 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.

Greens push for powers to break up Coles and Woolworths 'duopoly'

The Greens will introduce a bill to parliament that would grant powers to break up Coles and Woolworths if they were found to be misusing their market dominance. The supermarket giants have faced accusations of gouging Australians to improve their profits, using their market power to squeeze out competitors and set the terms of trade.

Russell Calder was so ill he couldn't speak, then he discovered the power of worms

Worms are nature's recyclers, breaking down nutrients from plants and animals. (ABC Landline: Tim Lee)

The discovery changed his life and now others are seeing the benefits of replacing chemicals with "Mother Nature's perfect gift to plants".

Queensland farming lobby launches legal challenge against Great Artesian Basin carbon capture trial

AgForce is seeking a judicial review of a 2022 decision that found the project did not need to be assessed under federal environmental laws.

Opportunities

RegTech Impact Survey for grower businesses

Freshcare and Hort Innovation, in collaboration with DAFF, are engaged in a project exploring the application of Regulatory Technology (RegTech) to streamline compliance processes for grower businesses.

The aim is to alleviate the challenges posed by system duplication in meeting industry, regulatory, and crop-specific requirements.

To facilitate the research, a grower survey is being conducted. Your valuable input will shed light on the issues growers encounter, including time constraints, financial burdens, and training needs, as well as the multitude of systems in use.

Find out more and access the survey here. Responses close on 5 April.

Events

The AOA’s annual Olive Oil Processing Workshop is a must-attend for anyone wanting to improve the quality of their olive oil, while ensuring maximum extraction.

The course covers every aspect of processing quality olive oil, from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage. Along the way you’ll learn a lot about olive oil chemistry, and the practical aspects of oil extraction.

The course is presented by international Olive Oil Consultant Pablo Canamasas - Quality, Chemistry, Processing – and Rio Vista Olives Master Miller Jared Bettio - Processing. Between them they have a wealth of technical skills and hands-on experience, and are keen to impart it to their industry peers.

Run over two days, the course covers topics including: Pre-season arrangements, Oil chemistry basics, Agronomical aspects impacting on oil quality, Determining optimal harvesting times, Crushing & Malaxing, Use of processing aids, Centrifugation equipment options and principles, Oil storage and filtration.

The first day ends with a networking dinner, before the second day’s processing demonstration and tasting of the oils produced by the various methods.

Details:

When: Thursday 18 April – Friday 19 April 2024

Where: Rio Vista Olives, 262 Carawatha Drive, Mypolonga, SA

Cost: AOA Members & Olive Levy payers: $275 inc GST; Others: $375 inc GST. Includes all meals.

This event is part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL22000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.

Webinar: Where will exports take your business?

In an increasingly dynamic and competitive global market, it’s never been more important for small, medium, and emerging exporters to understand and optimise international logistics.

Getting this right can be tricky, so don't leave it up to chance! Join this 1-hour masterclass webinar hosted by Agriculture Victoria’s Pathways to Export Program and gain:

Enhanced understanding and clarity surrounding agri-food and beverage export processes.
Increased confidence in managing international logistics operations.
Tools and strategies to become more capable and successful exporters in the global marketplace.

When: Tuesday, 26 March, 2pm-3pm AEST.

More information and register here.

International

Spanish campaigners lobby for glyphosate ban after EU fails to reach consensus

The world’s most used herbicide was found in concentrations exceeding the legal limit in Mar Menor, spurring advocates to call for a ban in Spain.

Spanish olive oil exports plummet due to production shortfall

Spanish olive oil exports declined by 35.8% in 2023 to 684,500 tonnes, valued at €4.15 billion, according to data from the country's Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism.

The 12 ultimate hero foods: how to improve your meals in seconds - without really trying

‘A capsule pantry of ingredients that are always in fashion…’ Composite: Guardian Design/Getty images

They are the familiar ingredients that can add punch, zing and umami to even a five-minute recipe. Here is a guide to getting the very best out of them.

One is, of course, olive oil, the section starting with ‘I absolutely couldn’t cook without olive oil’. Worth reading and sharing.

GROWER TO GROWER

Helen has contacted the FOE team with a query about black scale: can you help?

We have a very small hobby olive grove in the Grampians, about 5 years old. This summer we've been very surprised to see a few of the trees have some black scale.

We're wondering if anyone else is experiencing this in the area or over this summer?

Are there particular varietals that are more susceptible to the black scale?

Any thoughts on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Please contact Helen at energiansa@yahoo.com.au.

If you’ve got a Grower to Grower question, send the details to editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll put them out to the Friday Olive Extracts community.

Researchers develop easier, cheaper method for measuring free acidity

Brazilian researchers have developed a new method for calculating the free acidity of olive oil and other edible oils. The findings, published in Food Chemistry, indicate that implementing this new technique uses 90 percent fewer chemical

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

We’re now well into 2024 and Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) team 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!

Scientists discover new beneficial property of olive oil

Scientists from the University of Porto in Portugal have found that the antioxidant properties of olive oil may improve the effectiveness of the treatment of neuroblastoma.