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The Spanish have long been proclaiming the olive as the ideal snack. Now it seems the rest of the world is catching on, with British consumers prefering the more sophisticated olives to the old fashioned bar snack of peanuts. Tesco – the country’s biggest supermarket – has revealed olive sales rose by 44% in 2010, while peanut sales stayed stagnant.
The March-May 2012 edition of Australia & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor hit letterboxes over the last week and is providing great reading across our two continents. Highlights are comprehensive coverage of the 2012 Olives New Zealand Conference and Olives to Oil Workshop, along with features on processing, pruning and frost. This edition also has the first of the 2012 harvest predictions, covering Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. If you haven’t got yours, subscribe now
An olive grower has plunged into a bath of olive oil on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra to protest against cheap and dodgy olive oil imports. Richard Whiting, from Frances in South Australia, stripped down to his swimmers and claimed Australian consumers have been duped by supermarkets and the ACCC. He says Australia has a labelling standard for extra virgin oil that’s not being enforced.
We’ll bring you more on the event, and any outcomes, in the June-July edition of Olivegrower & Processor.
ABARES is delivering commodity forecasts, research and analysis directly to rural and regional Australia at the2012 series of one-day Regional Outlook conferences. Promoting industry productivity, community vitality and environmental sustainability, the 2012 conferences will balance national and regional perspectives; focus on the future; and emphasise agricultural, fisheries and forestry strategies that work in a context of economic volatility and climatic variability. Delegates from businesses, government, and the community will discuss industry trends, access forecasts and other information, make new contacts in their community and be exposed to new ideas while gaining an understanding of global issues that affect their region. Seven conferences held around Australia, starting with Berri on May 16. More information https://www.daff.gov.au/abares/conferences-events/regional-outlook
The wet weather that soured the harvest season for Hunter grape growers, now appears to be impacting on olive producers. But while yields are down, the sector is still making progress, with Australia’s olive oil production expected to increase two-fold by 2014.
Following rave reviews from attendee members, the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) is awarding five scholarships for the first Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes program in the US, to be held later this year on the US East Coast. It’s a feather in the cap for the Australian-based Savantes organisation, led by industry expert and Victorian producer Simon Field, and deserved recognition for the internationally-renowned program. Founded in 2001 the program runs annually in Australia and Europe and has been held in Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand.
Places are still available for the Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes Oil Tasting program on 25-27 July 2012 in Melbourne. For information and bookings visit www.savantes.com.
TV One’s “Fair Go” have carried out chemical and sensory analysis of a range of supermarket olives oils to see if they are actually EVOO. They promise the consumer will be surprised at the results. Watch it next Wednesday, May 16 at 7.30pm on TV One.
Northland are almost finished but have been harvesting around a month later than usual. Their patience has been rewarded with good yields and beautiful oils. So that is the message for others out there – patience!
Olives New Zealand reports that Certification 2012 is ready to roll but submissions to the testing service have to be done in batches of 12 bottles. Note you do not need to allow your oils to settle before drawing off your bottles for Certification – just don’t take it off the bottom of the tank or canister. The sooner you get your oils in for Certification, the sooner you can start using the OliveMarks on your bottles. For more information, email [email protected].
300 liters or nearly 80 gallons. That’s the most homemade olive oil one Greek family bought at once from Yiannis and Mina Roboras, who have been producing their own olive oil in the Peloponnese region of Greece for more than 20 years. “It a long family tradition,” Mina says proudly. “Our olive oil is special because our mountains haven’t been spoiled by industrialization as other areas have. Our olive oil is 100 percent pure and we think – better quality than in the stores.”