International News/Trends

The European Commission is set to pay up to €20 million ($26.5m) to subsidise the temporary storage of 100,000 tons of extra virgin and virgin olive oil. It’s hoped that taking the oil off the market for up to four months will bolster below-cost farm-gate prices in Spain, the world’s biggest producer and the EU’s olive oil price leader.

Details of an alleged international olive oil scam – in which palm, avocado, sunflower and other cheaper oils were passed off as olive oil – were released today by Spanish police. They said the oils were blended in an industrial biodiesel plant and adulterated in a way to hide markers that would have revealed their true nature. The oils were not toxic, however, and posed no health risk, according to a statement by the Guardia Civil.

Tunisia’s Ministry of Agriculture has decided to buy large quantities of olive oil from producers, at the current consumer price that has been fixed at 3.6 dinars per litre. The decision was adopted to help the sector (one of the driving forces of the national agricultural sector) after prices on the international market were lowered.

Perhaps the Aust & NZ governments could do the same, and persuade parliamentary catering services to use olive oil exclusively – Ed.

Ollioules, a medieval town with about 13,000 inhabitants is situated in the heart of the beautiful Haute Provence Cote d’Azur region of France. The name Ollioules comes from the Roman word Oliolis which means olives. Like many other groves in the South of France, the ancient olive trees in Ollioules suffered badly during the glacial frosts of 1956. The owners responded by cutting away the damaged wood. It worked: the stumps grew again and many trees were saved. Before this traumatic winter, there were 12 olive mills in this historic town. Today, in Ollioules, there is a cooperative mill dedicated to olive growers and producers of the region.

Mafia involvement in the Italian food industry is rife, with revenue from the agriculture and food sector generating 5.6% of the entire organised crime business in the country, finds a new parliamentary report.
Not surprisingly, olive oil is one of the food items specifically mentioned in the report – Ed.

Food & Hotel Asia is another international tradeshow opportunity for Australian producers, with previous exhibitors positive about the merits of attending the show. The 2012 event will be held in Singapore from 17–20 April 2012 and encompasses five specialised trade shows, along with an informative conference program. The expo will feature an international mix of food and drinks, from raw ingredients to ready-to-eat products, aimed at meeting the sourcing needs of trade professionals across the food and beverage industry.

Only three Australian and four New Zealand producers have taken advantage of the listings available in the Olive Oil Times’ international online Olive Oil Guide. The guide provides each olive oil brand with its own page on the Olive Oil Times website, complete with producer information, production methods, tasting notes, suggested food pairings, accolades, a link to the producer’s website and retail outlets where consumers can buy products. Producers are allowed one free brand submission, with a small fee charged for each additional brand submission. Learn more https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/olive-oil-guide-faq/17815