27 JUNE 2025

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Today's top story

Carbon questions: Navigating the complexities of carbon farming

Carbon farming has been pitched as a way for farmers to diversify their income, but it’s complex, involves long contracts, and there are risks.

Australia

Meet the biologist hunting antibiotic-resistant bacteria threatening crops and livestock

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a growing threat to food crops and livestock, but promising new methods to destroy them are being introduced by a synthetic biology researcher at Flinders University, who has been awarded a prestigious ARC Laureate Fellowship.

FAME Director, Professor Robert Edwards, has been appointed an ARC Laureate Fellow to progress research that will control phages – viruses that kill bacteria – using artificial intelligence to better protect crops, treat livestock and ensure that food being consumed by the public is safe.

Life line for life on the land

Image: Telstra.

Two regional phone boxes have been nominated for Heritage listings, honouring the important roles they’ve played in rural communities.

Public phones provide a crucial connection to the outside world.

Two small towns in New South Wales and Queensland are now waiting for a call – to see if their public phones will become a nationally-recognised icon.

So much nostalgia! Any of our readers got a good phone box story? Share it with Telstra via 1800 007 403, dial #STORY from a phone box, or via their website.

SA landscape boards crack down on illegal dams in Mount Lofty Ranges

About 400 dams have been illegally built and 300 illegally enlarged in SA's Mount Lofty Ranges in the past 10 years.

Landholders are being advised they can either reduce the volume of water being captured on a property with an illegal dam or remove it.

Get your business and tax records straight this EOFY!

By Laura Thomas

With the grind of olive harvest over for another year, many producers would be looking forward to a well-earned break.

But for now that will just have to wait – the end of another financial year is fast approaching and it’s time to get your business and tax records straight!

Good record-keeping is critical for the success of any business and olive production is certainly no exception.

Strengthening biosecurity through national crisis planning

PHA’s General Manager, Resilience and Innovation, Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen joined national leaders at Exercise Convergence in Canberra to help test Australia’s preparedness for complex, overlapping emergencies.

Read how the exercise supports stronger national response planning.

Rheban farm on Tasmania's east coast changes hands as locals lead rural investment

The price for rural land in Tasmania has stabilised, but demand from interstate has risen. Farmers interstate are looking to Tasmanian land to help de-risk some of their rural portfolios from the diabolical affects of climate change.

The interest is predominantly coming from South Australia and Victoria, which have suffered through some challenging dry conditions.

Renew your AOA membership for continued discount eligibility

AOA membership renewals for 2025-2026 will be emailed next week, so keep an eye on your Inbox and please action payment within the invoice period.

Along with industry advocacy and representation at government level, membership of the national peak industry body, the Australian Olive Association (AOA), provides financial members with a wealth of direct benefits, including:

AOA events and classified ads discounts - over $250 in savings just when registering for both the annual Australian Olive Industry Conference & Trade Exhibition and entering the Australian International Olive Awards;
the opportunity to participate in the OliveCare® Code of Best Practice program, which provides assistance with queries on grove management, production, storage and other quality parameters; also access to the OliveCare® certification program;
access to exclusive content in the AOA website’s Members Lounge, including the Australian Standard 5264-2011.

If you don’t receive your membership renewal next week, check your SPAM folder in case it’s ended up there or contact Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au for a replacement copy and then pay promptly to ensure your continued eligibility for these and many more significant member discounts.

Reminder: The substantial member discounts for Australian International Olive Awards entries can only be applied for current financial members, so make sure you’ve renewed before you sign up!

Not an AOA member yet?

Find out more and apply to join at the AOA website - www.australianolives.com.au - or contact Administration Manager Elizabeth Bouzoudis at secretariat@australianolives.com.au.

AOA Classifieds

Got something to sell? Want to buy?

If you’ve got something industry-related to sell, you can reach your target market directly with our grower-to-grower service - AOA Classifieds.

Our online classifieds are 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!

Classifieds start from as little as $44 for AOA members ($110 for non-members) and are online now at www.australianolives.com.au/classifieds

For details, rates, or to create a classified, hit the button below.

AOA Classifieds

Biosecurity leads NSW, Qld budget ag spends

Boosting biosecurity was a central feature of both the Queensland and New South Wales 2025-26 budgets released on Tuesday, with a combined $184.9 million in extra funding announced across the two states.

These measures come alongside extra funding for priority areas within each state’s agriculture department, including investments in upgrades at several research facilities.

Events

Join the AOA's free webinar and make sure your olive labelling is spot-on this season!

Presented by Michael Southan, AOA CEO and OliveCare® Administrator, this free, online event will cover:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand;
Australian Consumer Law;
AOA product labelling guidelines;
OliveCare® Product Packaging, Labelling, and Distribution Best Practice checklist.

International

The Mediterranean diet has ranked #1 for 7 years in a row - what makes it so effective?

In its annual Best Diets ranking, U.S. News and World Report has awarded the top spot to the Mediterranean diet for the seventh year in a row.

According to the publication, this style of eating—inspired by the eating habits of people living in the Mediterranean region—has such serious staying power because it’s easy to follow long-term and has been shown to support heart health, bone, and joint health, and help prevent certain diseases, such as diabetes.

Falling olive oil prices spark concern in Spain

After reaching historic highs in 2023 and 2024, olive oil prices in Spain have returned to 2022 levels, with prices for all categories significantly lower.

Despite concerns about market manipulation and speculative pricing, a rebound in production and a positive outlook for the upcoming harvest have led to a dramatic decline in prices, reflecting a natural balancing mechanism between supply and demand.

The role of table olives in Italy’s culinary heritage

Table olives are among the most popular foods in Italy.

They are eaten at any time of day, from a quick snack to an appetiser, such as a pasta dish with olives, or a main course featuring fish and olives.

Every year, Italy consumes more than 120,000 metric tons of table olives, according to data from the International Olive Council (IOC). Only a few Mediterranean countries have higher consumption levels.

Low harvest, rising production costs continue to plague Argentina

The 2025 harvest in Argentina is expected to yield around 27,500 metric tons of olive oil, with varying impacts across different regions due to adverse weather conditions.

Rising production costs and lower export prices have created economic challenges for producers, who are looking to diversify into new markets like Asia to offset losses from other regions.

Tunisian olive oil exports at risk as US tariff grace period nears end

Tunisia’s olive oil industry, a vital part of its agricultural exports, faces renewed pressure as the 90-day tariff grace period granted by the United States is set to expire in July.

The warning comes from the Tunisian Observatory of the Economy (OTE), which released a report on June 19 outlining the risks for this strategic sector if new US trade tariffs are applied.

Send us YOUR news!

Friday Olive Extracts brings the latest industry news and events direct to your inbox each week.

As THE place to share olive industry news, event details and reminders, our industry e-newsletter keeps growing in popularity and we now have nearly 3,000 subscribers across the globe. If you’re not one of them, why not? Sign up here!

And please remember this is YOUR e-newsletter and we’re keen to receive your news and help spread the word. Just email Laura at comms@australianolives.com.au - it’s free and the best way to reach your fellow industry members!

Why olive oil prices are higher in Croatia

Croatian olive oil prices are on the rise, with an 18% increase in April 2025. Factors include consumer awareness, market trends and production costs.

Olive pomace ash shows promise as eco-friendly cement substitute

A new study has examined the use of olive pomace ash as a sustainable partial replacement for ordinary Portland cement in mortar.

With cement production being a major contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions, the research aims to reduce the environmental impacts of the industry.