The Bureau of Meteorology has declared a La Niña is officially underway, signalling we could be in for a wet spring and summer. La Niña is a phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which describes ocean and atmospheric circulations over the Pacific Ocean.

After multiple drought years, this is great news! A wet summer means you’ll want to get your IPDM sorted, though – access the industry IPDM Project resources here.

Peak industry groups are calling for a new vote by Australia and New Zealand to give fresh juice a four-star health rating. Citrus Australia has joined with other groups asking Senator Richard Colbeck, Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, for the vote when ministers meet in November.

The first-ever trial using sterile male fruit flies dropped by aircraft to control the Queensland fruit fly population has been described as a resounding success. The trial called SITPlus Pilot was part of a Hort Innovation Project and towns in Victoria and New South Wales, which had Queensland fruit fly populations, were used in the program.

Plant Health Australia is reminding growers that your peak industry body is your main contact and source of information during biosecurity incidents.

As members of Plant Health Australia, the AOA has signed an emergency response agreement and has a seat at the table when decisions are being made about what will happen - if anything - in response to a new pest or disease found in Australia. They will attend meetings to discuss where the pest or disease has been found, diagnostic information about the pest or disease, who’s doing what, the actions that should be taken to eradicate or contain the pest, and who will be paying for it.

“In an emergency response, industry leaders are the best source of information when decisions are being made because they know the industry and how it works, its concerns, the supply chain and logistics, where people are, who’s who in the industry and how to contact them. Whether you are a card-carrying member of the peak industry body or not, they will be representing your interests during a biosecurity emergency.”

Find out more about the emergency response process here.

Regional, rural and remote Australians will soon have access to a digital connectivity hotline before the end of the year. The Federal Government has charged the National Farmers’ Federation with providing the troubleshooting service to assist with regional internet access and connectivity issues.

A senior bureaucrat with the Fair Work Ombudsman's office has told a Senate inquiry determining who is the original employer of many seasonal horticultural workers can be similar to negotiating a labyrinth.

Western Australians packing up to 'Wander out Yonder' during the spring school holidays are reminded to take precautions to prevent the spread of pests, weeds and disease. With State borders closed, it is anticipated there will be an influx of intrastate travel over coming weeks, elevating the biosecurity risk to WA's valuable agricultural industries and the environment.

Judging of the 2020 Australian International Olive Awards is complete and Head Steward Trudie Michels and her team are flat out collating the results and judges’ comments. There’s not long to wait for the first of the results, with just three more days until the announcement of 2020’s medals winners.

Judging this year was undertaken internationally by panels in six countries across the globe, providing an unprecedented opportunity for wide-ranging expert feedback, along with the recognition and marketing benefits that follow.

Those will start soon, with medal winners announced next Monday, 5 October via email. The major awards will then be announced during the online AIOA Virtual Presentation event on Friday, 16 October, sponsored by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The proceedings will start at 5.30pm, following the final session of the AOA 2020 Virtual Conference. Presented by Trudie Michels and Kent Hallett, attendance is FREE and all are welcome to join in the excitement, suspense and celebrations as the results unfold.

Register here - and good luck to all entrants!

SPONSORS

Day 2 of the 2020 AOA National Olive Industry Conference is all about Grove Management, with a focus on the new technologies providing improvements and efficiencies in groves and farms across the world.

From automated weather stations and water management to grove management via remote sensing satellites, the session will cover methodologies both available and being trialled in Australia, and the benefits and opportunities they offer to growers and the industry. In particular, you don’t want to miss Dr Kerry Walsh on harvest timing via infrared technology.

The 2020 Conference is going online this year, being held via Zoom from Tuesday, 13 October to Friday, 16 October as four x two-hour afternoon sessions. Each will have a theme covering one of the industry’s current key topics and will feature outstanding speakers, delivering content directly related to olive businesses:

All sessions will run from 3-5pm (AEST).

The interactive format provides plenty of opportunity for participant involvement, with Q&A and discussion time built into each session. Both the online format and the event schedule also greatly increased accessibility to the information, with plenty of time to get the day’s chores done then login and take part.

Registration is free for AOA members; for non-members the cost (GST incl) is $33 per session or $110 for the full program - or join the AOA first and attend for free!

Access the full 2020 Virtual Conference program and register here.

A free webinar led by the Department of Agriculture and Hort Innovation will present new horticulture trade opportunities under the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

Topics explored will include:

Participants will also be able to engage via a moderated discussion.

When: 2-3.30pm (AEDT) on Thursday, 8 October. More information and register here.

A reminder that the third round of Field Days under the new Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures Project is current underway, and includes both “Manzate” Focus Groves following the previous recommendations and other groves following a more organic or alternative approach.
The key aspects of this round of Field Days are:

Stuart Tustin will provide advice on dealing with issues that have arisen and further action. Remaining dates and venues:


6 October – Nelson: Kakariki Olives then Neudorf Olives


7 October – Canterbury: Terrace Edge Vineyard & Olive Grove


9 October – Wairarapa: Leafyridge Olive Grove then Bella Olea.

More information here.

Olive oil sales in Spain increased by nine percent in the first eight months of 2020 compared with last year, according to data released by the National Association of Edible Oil Bottlers and Refiners (Anierac).

21-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

Researchers in Denmark have developed a food fraud detection method for vanilla and black pepper, both of which can be adulterated for ‘high economic gain’, DTU’s Amelia Sina Wilde tells FoodNavigator.

Situated in the central Italian province of Perugia, students from the Ciuffelli Agricultural Institute of Todi – the country’s oldest agricultural school – are returning to a rather unique classroom this autumn.

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!

18-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The World Health Organization has called on global governments to remain focused on eliminating trans fats from the food supply, despite the new and unprecedented challenges being thrown up by the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Italian Ministries of Agriculture, Economic Development, and Economy and Finance have pledged €8 million ($9.3 million) in grants for Apulian mills impacted by the Burian snow storm of 2018.

With hotter summers, severe storms and prolonged dry spells in the forecast, the outlook for Europe's farmers is daunting. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase anywhere from 1 to 5.5 degrees Celsius (1.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit), with the strongest warming projected across the south of the continent in the summer months.

The ongoing debate about which universal food labeling system the European Union will adopt took a new turn this week after seven countries, led by Italy, presented their so-called non-paper at the European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Researchers across Europe demonstrated that consuming foods with a higher nutrient profiling score was associated with an increased mortality.

Olive harvest in Siliana drops from 84,000 tonnes to 9,000 

(TAP, Tunisia) – This year's olive production in Siliana governorate is estimated at 9 thousand tonnes, the equivalent of 1.9 thousand tonnes of olive oil. This season's olive harvest is down sharply compared to last season: 84 thousand tonnes, local commissioner for agricultural development in Siliana told TAP.

Results emailed to entrants, 2020 Australian International Olive Awards

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day – Nelson

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day – Canterbury

Olives NZ Focus Grove Field Day – Wairarapa

Olives NZ 2020 Conference – Wellington, NZ

Awards Dinner, 2020 NZ EVOO Awards – Wellington, NZ

2020 AOA Virtual National Olive Industry Conference

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

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

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