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The organization ChileOliva, in conjunction with InnovaChile, will host a seminar entitled “Calidad del Aceite de Oliva, Procesamiento y Eficiencia” (Olive Oil Quality, Processing and Efficiency) on April 4 at the Hotel Diego de Almagro Rancagua in central Chile. The seminar will include lectures on the many aspects of extra virgin olive oil production: quality-determining factors, storage procedures, energy efficiency and processing methods, to name a few, and will feature expert panelists including our own Pablo Canamasas of Boundary Bend.
Encouraged by strong numbers in recent years, Chile has asked Andalusia to lend technological and economic support to help expand its emerging olive oil sector and establish a “strategic business alliance” between the two entities. Sergio Romero Pizarro, the Chilean Ambassador to Spain, represented the South American country in a series of talks with Mayor of Jaén José E. Fernández de Moya and industry representatives. Pizarro used the occasion to invite businesses and entrepreneurs from the Andalusian capital to invest in Chile’s growing sector.
Armed with pincers, a small tractor grabs the trunk of an olive tree in southern Spain and shakes loose its fruit, which will be pressed in a few hours. Olive oil production in the Andalusia region reigns supreme, but farmers are beginning to worry about growing competition from Morocco. Spanish producers’ concerns focus on a European Union agricultural free trade accord signed in February with the north African country. “The agreement with Morocco is a step towards ruin for Spanish olive oil producers,” said farmer Lope Ruiz Lopez.
Coldiretti president Sergio Marini stated that ”today most bottles of oil on sale are from foreign olives, without consumers being aware of it.” In his address to Vinitaly’s conference on olive oil, Marini pointed out that in 2011 the imports of foreign olive oil reached an all-time high of 594,000 tonnes , thus surpassing domestic production which dropped to 483,000 tonnes. According to a study by the Italian farmers association Coldiretti, Italy is the top olive oil importer in the world.
Implementing better growing and manufacturing processes along with increasing the use of modern analytical techniques and greater international regulation would ‘undoubtedly’ reduce the issues surrounding the quality of herbal extracts, say researchers.
Sweden may follow countries such as Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Austria, and implement legislation to limit the use of trans fats in foods, according to local media.
Let’s hope the movement continues across the globe, and reflects in increased sales of healthful olive oil to replace all the banned trans fats – Ed.
When Nepal’s first olive farm opened to produce extra-virgin oil from trees planted on the slopes of the Himalayas, the sceptics said it couldn’t be done. But 17 years later Himalaya Plantations – the country’s only producer – expects to turn its first profit, marking an unlikely success the company hopes may one day help boost agriculture in one of the world’s poorest nations. “All the experts told us we were mad, that it would never work because we didn’t have the Mediterranean conditions,” said Hartmut Bauder, the company’s German founder.
American olive oil producers are drafting a federal marketing order that would set higher quality standards, redefine grades and require new testing of all olive oil produced there. If they can get the order adopted by the USDA, industry sources say, domestic producers will push for the rules to apply to imports too. The effort is the latest in a series of initiatives intended to level the playing field with olive oil importers who have long enjoyed an absence of quality enforcement in the world’s biggest market. The result has been an extra virgin grade with no real meaning, and a public so accustomed to rancid olive oil, they actually prefer it in taste tests.
Changes in varieties grown in Australian and New Zealand olive groves mark one of the most interesting movements within the industry over the past 12 months. Statistics gathered for the 2012 Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory show significant decreases in four of the major varietals grown in Australia, and an upward swing in popularity for the Kalamata variety among New Zealand growers. The latter no doubt reflects the strong growth in table olive production experienced over the previous five years, a trend which the figures show has steadied in among New Zealand producers over the past year.
You’ll find this and all the industry information you need to know in the newly-released 2012 edition of the Olive Industry Directory. This vital annual reference book for the olive industry also includes: updated olivegrower and processor listings, supplier listings, Buyers’ Guide – one-stop supply shop, organisations, calendar of 2012 events, 2011 statistics and 2011 industry overview. To order call +618 8369 9555, email [email protected] or visit www.olivegrower.com.au.
The 2012 Olives New Zealand Conference was a resounding success, with good attendance and a positive motivation for the way forward. ONZ executive officer Gayle Sheridan said the response from attendees was rewarding, showing ‘excitement and real commitment to the industry and the role of Olives NZ’. The Olives to Oil course held the next day was equally as successful, attracting 50 attendees for a full day of information sharing and learning on this important topic.
Attendee feedback to the FOE team has been equally as enthusiastic, with participants praising both the organisation and content of the weekend’s events. So hats off to the Olives NZ executive for all their efforts and a job incredibly well done – Ed.