There are now just hours to wait until the start of the industry ‘night of nights’, the 2020 Australian International Olive Awards Gala presentation.

While medal winners have already been announced, the major awards will be revealed during tonight’s Virtual Presentation event. Presented by AIOA Head Steward Trudie Michels and MC Kent Hallett, the action starts at 5.30pm following the final session of the AOA 2020 Virtual Conference.

Growers, producers and industry supporters have registered to attend and will join in the excitement, suspense and celebrations as the results unfold. The Friday Olive Extracts and Olivegrower team will be there too (virtually, of course!), fittingly frocked up and with bubbles in hand!

Good luck to all award contenders – and for readers not able to attend, we’ll bring you the results in next week’s edition of Friday Olive Extracts!

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The federal government has released its plan to turn the agricultural sector in to a $100-billion industry within the next decade. The Ag2030 pulls together a number of recent announcement and budget measures under seven key priority areas: water infrastructure, trade and exports, innovation and research, stewardship, strong supply chains, human capital and biosecurity.

As an organisation that thrives off its strong community, the South Australian Country Women’s Association (SACWA) has found new ways to reach its members and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic, launching a weekly ‘Corona Crafts’ series. 

When the pandemic broke out earlier this year the initial reaction was do whatever it takes to get through this challenging time. Fast forward six months, we now accept that things have changed and are never going to be the same. For those of us working in Agriculture, we know just how important it is to safeguard the industry that feeds and supports our country – it’s for this reason that we must ensure the changes we implement are to protect it for the long term.

The multi-year run of federal government equipment depreciation write-off offers to farmers continues to grow more generous. In addition to this year's federal budget allowing producers to spend unlimited amounts on new machinery and eligible farm infrastructure and then claim an instant tax write-off, they can now write off outstanding depreciation entitlements left over from past equipment purchases.

On the eve of International Rural Women's Day, the National Farmers' Federation is celebrating a boost to the number of women in leadership positions in agriculture, an achievement assisted by the NFF's Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program.

Got something to sell - like Howard, who’s selling an olive oil bottling machine? 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, extra oil - or even your grove. Howard is selling an Italian olive oil bottling machine (and other equipment) so he came to us to help spread the word. 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.

Key requirements of the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 came into effect on 11 October and all new and imported second-hand quad bikes sold in Australia must now conform to the new requirements. Additional requirements for general use quad bikes will apply from 11 October 2021. 

The standard requirements do not apply to second-hand quad bikes other than those imported into Australia: this allows the existing quad bike fleet to upgrade over time to quad bikes that meet the safety standard, while ensuring that suppliers do not import these vehicles to avoid the safety standard requirements.

Find out more on the ACCC website here and view the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 here.

A conservation group is warning that the development of an effective coronavirus vaccine on a global scale could ravage shark populations worldwide, as researchers race to produce a vaccine using an oil derived from sharks. Squalene, a compound that is harvested from the livers of sharks, is a common moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics. It's also used in malaria and flu vaccines as an agent that boosts the immune system's response.

We do not track our own mental health well enough: not as individuals and certainly not as a community. This needs to change and can change: right now.

For Mental Health Week, a bunch of forward-thinking organisations have banded together to give people the opportunity to get insight into their own mental health - for FREE. You get access to a mental health report that shows you how you are tracking, good or bad, providing the opportunity to make changes where needed. If you consent, your anonymous data will also contribute to insights into the mental health and wellbeing of the community - data which will subsequently be reported for you and everyone else to see.

So help yourself, and vital mental health research for years to come: register now and help spread the word.

This webinar with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook. The outlook will be based on model projections for rainfall utilising current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions. The information presented will be of particular relevance to the industry in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and NSW.

This webinar format is an online presentation which allows you to ask questions. It will be recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits.

Details: Friday, 16 October 2020 at 12pm AEDT

Event number: 165 827 5852, Event password: DaleGrey

Register here.

The Growth Asia Interactive Broadcast Series is currently underway, with a series of topics running weekly until 17 November. Presented by FoodNavigator-Asia and NutraIngredients-Asia, the in-depth online events focus on core categories primed for exponential growth across the APAC region, including Healthy Ageing, Probiotics and Prebiotics, Plant-based Innovation, Infant Nutrition, Active Nutrition and Reformulation & Fortification.

The sessions will provide insights from key international industry players, with the opportunity to submit questions to the expert panel during the live Q&A session. The live events will also be made available as on-demand downloads.

Attendance is free - register here.

The 2020 New Zealand Olive Oil Awards 2020 were presented at a celebration dinner held last Saturday, with Wairarapa producer Olive Black taking the coveted Best EVOO in Show award. The Wairarapa region is home to the largest number of growers in the country and took the lion’s share of the medals - 58 of the total 128 awarded – along with four of the five major awards. 

The major award winners are:

Olives NZ EO Gayle Sheridan said the judges were extremely impressed with the quality of the 2020 EVOO entries, with 33% awarded Gold. All up there were 42 Gold, 75 Silver and 11 Bronze medals awarded.

Congratulations to all medal and award winners. Look out for full coverage of the awards and winners in the December issue of Olivegrower & Processor.

Flavoursome oil from four Wairarapa olive groves hit the top of the scale on the weekend, winning four categories of the New Zealand Olive Oil Awards 2020. Commercial producer Olive Black was named Best in Show for its 2020 extra virgin olive oil.

Olive growers are celebrating “a sign of hope and rebirth” after harvesting healthy olives from trees recently reintroduced to the Xylella fastidiosa-ravaged region of Puglia. Farmers from Casarano, a commune located close to Lecce at the heel of Italy’s boot, have harvested olives from their two-year-old trees belonging to the Favolosa cultivar (or Fs-17).

Olive oil is a pantry staple—most of us have at least one bottle in the cupboard or adorning the counter. Maybe you like to have a specialty bottle around, or it's the kind of thing you buy in bulk. Either way, the day may come when you find yourself gingerly sniffing an open bottle, trying to remember when you bought it, and wondering whether it's still usable.

The evolving nature of the olive oil market, persistently low prices, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have fueled the formation of a new organization in the Spanish province of Córdoba.

You never know what’s going to go viral these days. It’s catching lightning in a bottle, really; you have to strike the right nerve at exactly the right moment. Apparently, the way to get people riled up last night was to ask them whether or not they like olives, as Twitter user Corey Edward soon found out.

The year is flying past, 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!

The head of conservation for BirdLife Europe applauded prohibitions on night-time intensive olive harvesting in Spain and Portugal.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Agriculture Department has distributed 9,300 olive saplings free of cost among farmers of Bajaur tribal districts to increase olive production. According to details, the provincial agriculture department, in collaboration with the central government’s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), plans to plant olive trees on 15,000 acres in tribal districts. 

A pair of Italian food scientists and nutrition researchers have reiterated their belief that Nutri-Score does not provide the most accurate reflection of certain food’s nutritional value.

The premium cooking oil market in South Korea has reached significant growth as ‘well-being’ demand among consumers continues to expand. The Korea Customs Service reported that imports of extra virgin olive oil, which currently leads the premium cooking oil market, reached 13,992 tons last year, breaking a 13-year record.

A survey showed that 80 percent of Italians habitually buy extra virgin olive oil. Strong domestic consumption paired with poor harvests in Europe could lead to a rebound in prices.

2020 Australian International Olive Awards Presentation

Applications close, Olive Wellness Achievement Award

Results emailed to entrants, 2020 WA Olive Awards – Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition

2020 National Agriculture Day – Australia

Soil CRC Participants Conference

Farm2Plate Exchange 2021 – Scenic Rim, Qld

Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld

AOA National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition – Devonport, TAS

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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