16 June 2023

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

Today's Top Story

Travellers fined $5,500 each for trying to bring plant cuttings into Australia

A traveller was fined for trying to bring plant cuttings and fruit into Sydney. (Supplied: Department of Agriculture)

Plant cuttings disguised as botox, tea, and seafood have cost four travellers entering Australia $22,000 in fines. The passengers were each issued with maximum fines of $5,500 after separately attempting to breach Australia's biosecurity border control in a five-day period last month.

The scariest line is “The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the plants could have carried a number of diseases, of which the most feared was xyella (sic)”.

Australia

Fertilizer Australia concerned about rising imports of incorrectly labelled products

Fertilizer Australia has launched a national fertiliser labelling awareness campaign. (Supplied: Fertilizer Australia)

Fertilizer Australia says there has been an increasing amount of fertiliser coming into the country that is incorrectly labelled. The organisation has launched a national fertiliser labelling awareness campaign in response, saying incorrect, or no labelling, can risk plant health, human health, the environment and food safety.

Free-trade talks between Australia, EU stall over prosecco, parmesan, mozzarella, feta naming rights

Cheesemaker Giorgio Linguanti rides a bright blue Vespa with the words "I love mozzarella" emblazoned across the front. A proud dual citizen, Melbourne-based Mr Linguanti seamlessly blends his two cultures, using recipes from Italy and milk from Australia to make bundles of creamy burrata, bite-sized balls of bocconcini and shavings of parmesan, among other varieties, at his factory in Thomastown.

The significance for us here is the use of ‘Kalamata’.

Roadmap to 2026 Murray Darling Basin Plan review unveiled by Sir Angus Houston

Climate change and sustainable water limits will be two of the four key focuses of the review. (Flickr: Michael Storer)

The chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has warned there will be less water available for irrigators and the environment, in the lead up to a review of the basin plan for the first time in a decade.

GROWER TO GROWER

Have a question? Need some advice? Ask a fellow grower!

The FOE team regularly hears from growers with questions about grove or production practices, or equipment, that they just can’t find the answers to. They’re things other producers are likely know about and/or experienced themselves. So we’ve set up a new Friday Olive Extracts feature, Grower to Grower, where you can send your questions and have them answered by your peers.

Just send the details to editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll put them out to the Friday Olive Extracts community - that’s thousands of readers across the globe. Alan’s had his query from last week answered, so we know it works!

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.

Future Drought Fund interim report released

The Productivity Commission has released its interim report on the effectiveness of Part 3 of the Future Drought Fund Act 2019.

The Commission is inviting written submissions and brief comments in response to the interim report, with a closing date of Tuesday, 11 July 2023.

Visit the Productivity Commission’s website here to view the interim report; and participate by making a submission or brief comment on the report.

Shake-up of Pacific worker scheme leaves farmers seeking backpackers to harvest fruit, vegetable crops

New guidelines mean workers from the Pacific must be offered 30 hours of work per week. (ABC Rural: Daniel Fitzgerald).

Unions and farmers are at odds over changes to the way foreign workers are employed on Australian farms. Growers say they'll be forced to employ fewer workers from the Pacific as the Australian government introduces changes to its Pacific worker program.

Everyone in the world has 24 hours, but how do they spend their time? This is what the average human day looks like

For all humanity's differences, there's one inescapable factor that unites us: time. With only 24 hours in a day, researchers have used this universal concept to crunch the numbers and work out what the average global human day looks like.

This is interesting reading. But nine hours’ sleep when you’re up at six … who has time for that?

Spooner-Hart visits IOC

Australian pest and disease expert Professor Robert Spooner-Hart, a researcher at Western Sydney University and regular on the AOA’s field day program, visited the Madrid headquarters of the International Olive Council (IOC) in May. He introduced members to the work of the AOA and provided a detailed description of the olive oil and table olive sector in Australia.

The IOC published an article about the visit, which you can read here.

Opportunities

New study to help Aussie farmers curb chronic pain

Whether it’s a lack of appropriate services, time or simply a ‘she’ll be right’ approach, farmers often face

many barriers when it comes to seeking health care, say researchers at the University of South Australia.

One condition that farmers experience a lot, but rarely seek professional help for, is the management of chronic pain. Untreated, chronic pain can cause serious distress and diminished productivity.

Now, a team of UniSA experts are exploring what chronic pain means to Australian farmers in a move to improve the way chronic pain management strategies are delivered in rural communities.

They are currently seeking farmers who have experienced chronic pain to participate in the ground-breaking study, confidentially talking about its impact on their life and work, and what they currently do to help manage it.

To get involved, or for further information, please email Assoc Prof Kate Gunn - kate.gunn@unisa.edu.au or PhD student Indika Koralegedera - indika.koralegedera@mymail.unisa.edu.au.

Events

Last day to enter Australian Golden Olive Awards

Today is the last day to return your Invitation to Participate in the 2023 Australian Golden Olive Awards, run by the Olive Producers of North East Victoria (OPNEV). One of the oldest competitions in Australia, the Golden Olive Awards is also one of the earliest and test results can be used to enter other competitions.

If you need a 2023 Invitation to Participate form, please email the Stewards, Mel and Rob, at shop@gooramaddaolives.com.au immediately so they can get one to you.

And you can find out more about the competition here.

2023 Australian International Olive Awards - Entries now open

The 2023 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) is now open for entries.

Australia’s premier olive competition, with increasing international recognition and status, the AIOA provides benefits for entrants including:

Entries individually assessed and awarded on merit.
All entrants receive comprehensive judging feedback.
Successful judging provides eligibility for OliveCare® certification.
Unprecedented opportunity for international recognition of winning products and producers.
Official AIOA Results Book, providing a great marketing tool for all medal and award winners.
The opportunity to purchase high-resolution professional product images for use in social media, website and media purposes at only $35 plus GST.

Find out more and enter here.

“I work so hard and it’s just wonderful to get something for all the hard work. I put my heart and soul into it, and I think it’s paid off with this award…and it’s expensive to make, so the boost in sales is such a bonus. Instead of three bottles, now people will ask for 12 – when it’s won Best in Show, it makes a great present.”

Liz Tonkinson, Leisal Rose, 2021 AIOA Best of Show EVOO

International

Research-focused conference in Pakistan showcases the potential of olive cultivation

The PakOlive conference focused on olive oil as a strategic crop in the face of climate change and the need to focus on quality and exports.

Senator Coons hosts Chemistry Caucus event on the chemistry of olive oil at Capitol with foreign dignitaries, Nobel laureate, House and Senate colleagues

U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Co-Chair of the Congressional Chemistry Caucus, hosted a bipartisan and bicameral caucus event on the chemistry of olive oil in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room at the U.S. Capitol, featuring a presentation by Pat O’Hara, the Amanda and Lisa Cross Professor of Chemistry at Amherst College, and her husband, Rich Blatchly, Professor Emeritus at Keene State College.

Introducing politicians to EVOO … maybe that’s the way we’d get some traction on issues like the Health Star Rating.

Spanish lawmakers approve €2B aid for agriculture sector hit by drought

While most of the funds are earmarked for improvements to water infrastructure and ranchers, the amount available to olive farmers is significantly less.

Friday Olive Extracts – send us YOUR news

The year is racing by and Friday Olive Extracts (FOE) continues 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!

Extra virgin olive oil: the survey by Il Salvagente

Back to talking about again extra virgin olive oil after re-test by the Lifesaver who tried to reveal what’s really on supermarket shelves. Unlike other tests, for this a rather bizarre request also arrived to the Antitrust from a well-known association in defense of consumers who had asked to “inhibit publication” because it could have altered the competition and the market.

European bird populations threatened by intensive farming, study finds

The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis).

Eliminating habitats and prey and the increasing use of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides have contributed to the dramatic decrease in Europe’s birdlife.

Changing times for olive groves: The impact of climate change on olive cultivation in Jordan

On his farm in Irbid in northern Jordan, Barakat Omari gazes out upon his olive grove, a legacy passed down from his father. However, his countenance is marked not by tranquillity, but by concern. The grove’s 400 olive trees, some with roots reaching deep into the past century, no longer produce as they once did. The culprit? A subtle but relentless adversary: climate change.