24 May 2024

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

Today's Top Story

URGENT!!

Have you got Olive Lace Bug in your grove?

Olive Lace Bug (OLB) has been a prominent pest in many growing areas in recent times, including areas where it has not been present in significant numbers in the past.

All growers should check their groves carefully for signs of OLB and act immediately if they are found.

In particular, growers who use contract processors and find OLB in yet-unharvested groves – or while harvesting – should contact the processor and discuss. Leaf matter with harvested fruit can transport OLB to the processor’s property and spread the pest infestation to their trees, and potentially those of any other growers accessing the property.

Information on treatment and control

The Australian Olive Association (AOA) has a range of information and resources on OLB available on the OliveBiz website. Covering life cycle, preferred environment, identification, and control and treatment options, they provide easily accessible, targeted information to help if you think you may have – or have identified - an outbreak.

Here are direct links to some of the information:

And if you, or someone you know, is still unsure if Olive Lace Bug is present or how to deal with it, please contact the AOA so they can assist. Email Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au.

Australia

‘We call it our farm’: meet the Australians swapping supermarket shopping for farm shares

‘It’s a partnership’: visitors on the Echo Valley farm tour in the Southern Downs, Queensland. Photograph: Aston Brown/The Guardian.

Eighty families pay the bills of a family farm in south-east Queensland in exchange for fresh produce as part of a community-supported agriculture model.

Calls to better resource National Fire Ant Eradication Program after nearly 40,000 reported sightings

When Amanda King and her mother Leanne Williams were bitten by fire ants, they were not prepared to become frontline recruits in the federal government's battle with the pest.

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.

I can’t afford olive oil. What else can I use?

If you buy your olive oil in bulk, you’ve likely been in for a shock in recent weeks. Major supermarkets have been selling olive oil for up to $65 for a four-litre tin, and up to $26 for a 750-millilitre bottle.

We’ve been hearing about the health benefits of olive oil for years.

And they’re backed up by very strong science. Yet these health professionals are rolling out canola and sunflower oil as “healthy and cheaper alternatives”. Really? Cheaper maybe; alternatives in terms of health benefits, no way!

Varroa resources for the Australian beekeeping community

AgriFutures Australia and the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) are unveiling a new suite of varroa–focused resources.

Beekeepers will be able to access a series of interviews and factsheets over the next few weeks, covering a range of Varroa related topics.

If you’ve got bees on your property you can access the resources here - and if you know someone else who does, send them the link!

And a final piece of important information around current pest/disease risks:

What is bird flu and what do we know about the two strains detected in Victoria?

Millions of wild birds have died in the avian influenza H5N1 outbreak sweeping the world since 2020. (Reuters: Ronen Zvulun)

Two different strains of avian influenza — also known as "bird flu" — have been detected in Victoria.

Australia's first-ever human case of the virus manifested in a child returning from an overseas trip in March, but was only confirmed over the weekend. Meanwhile, a recent outbreak at an egg farm led to hundreds of thousands of chickens being euthanased.

Lots of us have chooks, ducks or geese on our properties, so this is an important issue to keep on top of.

Watch - AI Explained: It's maths, not magic (a simple guide)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all around us. But how does it actually work?

The CSIRO sheds light on what is happening behind the scenes in your favourite AI-driven apps and programs.

Understand AI in four minutes here.

Opportunities

EOI invited for ACCC Supermarkets Inquiry producers roundtables

*New deadline for registering expressions of interest to participate: 5pm AEST today, 24 May*

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is holding an inquiry into Australia’s supermarket sector, examining, among other things, the pricing practices of the supermarkets and the relationship between wholesale, including farmgate, and retail prices.

The ACCC is interested in hearing directly from primary producers via a series of roundtable meetings to find out about:

the level and nature of competition at each level of various grocery supply chains;
relationships between the parties at different levels of various grocery supply chains;
factors affecting the price of inputs along grocery supply chains;
any other concerns.

Roundtable locations and dates

Toowoomba, QLD - 30 May, 1:30pm-3pm AEST
Shepparton, VIC - 3 June 1:00pm-2:30pm AEST
Renmark, SA - 5 June 1:30pm-3:00pm ACST
Launceston, TAS - 12 June 1:00pm-2:30pm AEST
Bunbury, WA - 13 June 11:30am-1pm AWST.

Meeting details and an agenda will be provided to successful participants closer to the event.

If you would like to attend one of the meetings and contribute to the Inquiry, please express your interest via this form by 5pm AEST on Friday, 24 May 2024. Please note EOI’s from stakeholders in Toowoomba have already closed.

There may also be limited capacity for virtual roundtable meetings for stakeholders who cannot attend the in-person meetings (TBC). If you would like to attend a virtual round table meeting, please indicate on the form above.

Further information

Further information about the inquiry, including the issues that the ACCC will be examining, can be found on the ACCC’s website here.

Questions can be directed to supermarkets@accc.gov.a u.

Events

Identifying cyber threats

Your online accounts have passwords and privacy settings, so your information is safe, right? Well, maybe not. University of Adelaide researchers are studying web scrapers, automated tools used to collect cyber data, to determine their legal limitations, ethical implications, threat levels, and potential upsides.

Join the June edition of the Research Tuesdays series to learn how cyber data collection is being used, and how your online information may be targeted.

Details: Tuesday, 11 June 2024, 5.30 pm (Adelaide time) – Free.

CSIRO Conversations: The future of Australian farming systems

“What could productive, resilient and sustainable farming systems look like in Australia by 2050?”

This is the question the recently released Ag2050 Scenarios Report examines through the exploration of trends, risks, opportunities and evidence-based scenarios.

Join the CSIRO for this free webinar, as a panel of experts from research, government and industry come together to discuss the the current landscape, significant trends and plausible scenarios for Australian agriculture and farming systems in 2050.

Details: Tuesday, 11 Jun 2024 - 11.00am to 12.00pm AEST.

More information and register here .

New Zealand

2024 EVOO Certification program now underway

The 2024 Olives NZ EVOO certification program is underway, certification documentation and OliveMark licence has been emailed to members and also available on the Olives NZ website.

The 2024 NZ EVOO Awards entries will close on 6 September, so producers are encouraged to submit oils for Certification ASAP after harvest to ensure the results are back in time.

A reminder that it is a requirement for those operating with the Packaging Exemption under the NP1 Food Control Plan to have the oil certified and be licensed to use the OliveMark.

International

Renewed concerns of extra virgin olive oil shortages in Spain

Extra virgin olive oil supplies from the world's largest producer are expected to fall short of both domestic demand and export needs, potentially signaling an impending global shortage.

Olive oil production rises, while prices gradually fall

Estimates about olive oil production in Greece are optimistic this year, although safer conclusions will be available in about a month’s time … However, although no firm conclusions can be drawn yet, there is a feeling that the harvest will be higher than last year’s.

Olives with higher phenol content more resistant to Anthracnose

Researchers found that olive varieties that maintained high concentrations of certain phenolic compounds during ripening were less likely to develop anthracnose.

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!

Substituting dairy with whole grains and olive oil lowers non-communicable disease risk

In a recent review and meta-analysis published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, researchers collate and discuss the results of a host of substitution-model-based epidemiological studies aimed at investigating the long-term dietary associations of different food items (mainly dairy products) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including all-cause mortality, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Olive oil-enriched Mediterranean diet may lower risk for arrhythmia recurrence

In patients with atrial fibrillation who had ablation, those assigned a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil were less likely to have arrhythmia recurrence than those with no dietary restrictions, researchers reported.