Olive Oil News

A second bumper harvest could see Spanish farmers driven from the land they have worked for generations, says a report in UK’s The Independent. Already faced with a glut of olives equivalent to 95 million litres of olive oil, this exceptionally dry winter means the Andalucian industry is braced for its second bumper crop in a row, which could see 285 million litres flood an already saturated market. Factor in a 70% increase in production costs, the stagnation of farm prices in the past 15 years and a Spanish economy on the rocks, and the result is clear: after years of overproduction, large sectors of the olive oil industry are going to the wall.

The inaugural Geelong Food & Wine Show will take place on 10-11 March 2012 at the Deakin Waterfront Campus. The bay will transform into a buzzing marketplace of chefs, local providores and winemakers, with over 80 exhibitors featuring local wines and regional produce. A major drawcard will be MasterClass sessions by guest chefs including George Calombaris, Ben O’Donoghue and Adriano Zumbo. Stall bookings are now open – more information here. And we’ve organised a discount rate for FOE subscribers, with 20% off the regular cost for exhibitor stands – just book before 24 February and mention you saw this on FOE. This is a great opportunity for local producers to showcase their oils and olive products at a major event, so why not band together with fellow producers and share an olive-themed stand.

To ensure we can better serve our valued readers and suppliers, Olivegrower & Processor will now be published as February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December/January. Subscribers will still receive 6 issues per annum but in order to effect this change, this will mean the next issue will be a March/April/May issue, for release in late April. Should you have any inquiries, please email [email protected].
We look forward to continuing to bring you practical and technical solution-based information to assist your business.

Olives South Australia, the Australian Olive Association (AOA) and Bovalina Olive Oil Group are hosting an Olive Field Day at Penfield Gardens on Thursday, 22 March 2012, from 9am-4pm. Specialist interstate and local guest speakers will present on topics including olive growing and harvesting, disease treatments, oil handling, table olive standards, Codes of Practice, industry trends and future marketing directions. The day will also include harvesting and in-grove equipment/product demonstrations and displays. The event is open to all olive growers, producers and interested parties and entry is free, with refreshments available for purchase on site. For more information contact Anthony Papalia on 08 8284 7559/0419 804 068 or [email protected]. Exhibitor enquiries to George Atsalis on 08 8351 8611 or [email protected].

In conjunction with the field day, the Australian Olive Association is holding a two-day Olive Oil Processing Workshop at the same location on 20-21 March, prior to the field day. Olive oil production expert Pablo Canamasas will run the hands-on workshop and sharing his skills on production techniques and oil quality. For more information contact the AOA on 08 8573 6545 or go to www.australianolives.com.au.

A pilot workshop in the fundamentals of bio-gas production and use is being conducted by Skills Victoria, through the National Centre for Sustainability at Sunraysia Institute of TAFE. Bio-gas production is being taken up by industry to optimise the potential of valuable organic bi-products and to minimise the impact of environmental concerns, and the olive industry is cited as a key industry for its use. This pilot workshop is part of a Skills Victoria project aimed at developing bio-gas knowledge and skills for industry and will provide a basic understanding of the principles and practices of bio-gas production. Locations and dates are dependent on numbers and location(s) of interested parties. Expressions of Interest to Darryl Pearl – email: [email protected] or ph: 03 5022 3704.

Mark Heard of ORA olive oil teamed with Errol Wilkinson and Kylie Cornelius of Vavasour Wine to win the wine and food match competition at the recent Marlborough Wine and Food Festival with a Vavasour pinot noir and smoked venison pizza combination. The 29th edition of the event saw a crowd of around 8000 introduced to some of New Zealand’s best food and wine – including, of course, the country’s fabulous extra virgin olive oils. Congratulations to the ORA team for the accolade, and let’s hope it helps boost sales for them too!

The fourth annual Cuisine Artisan Awards attracted a huge number of entries from small artisan food producers from around the country, with the judging panel of top food experts selecting 12 winning products. Runner-Up was awarded to artisan Barry Wade from River Estate Olive Oil for his traditionally preserved table olives, grown and processed on his family farm in Whitford. The panel were particularly interested In Barry’s home-grown table olives, as many olives in New Zealand delis and supermarkets are imported. Cuisine editor Sarah Nicholson praised Barry’s products as a testament to the dedication of the country’s artisan producers, who are making an invaluable contribution to the New Zealand food scene. Read more about River Estate’s win in the Mar-May edition of Olivegrower & Processor.