06/11/2009: “Popeye” plan protects Australia’s olive oil
Australia’s rapidly expanding olive industry has strengthened its protection against exotic plant pests and diseases with the launch of the new Olive Industry Biosecurity Plan at the Australian Olive Expo in Canberra last week.

23/10/2009: Entries closing soon - New Zealand Gourmet Oil Competition
The entry deadline for this year’s New Zealand Gourmet Oil Competition is fast approaching. Entries for the competition, which celebrates the success, quality and variety of New Zealand’s gourmet oils, close 5pm Wednesday 28 October 2009.

23/10/2009: Last chance to certify 2009 olive oils - NZ
The final sensory panel session for 2009 will be held during the first week of November.

09/10/2009: Pieralisi main sponsor of the Australian Olive Expo 2009
The Pieralisi group is again the main sponsor of the most important event devoted to the Australian oil industry, after having taken up the role in 2004.

28/08/2009: Best in Show Hat Trick
Uncle Joe’s of Marlborough are working towards three in a row at this year’s New Zealand Gourmet Oil Competition.

14/08/2009: Mittagong grower meeting to discuss AOA, NSW olive initiatives
Olives are becoming a significant crop in Australian agriculture both for domestic consumption and export. Over the coming months Australians will be told a lot about the importance of freshness, varying tastes and the health, dietary benefits and enjoyment of genuine Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

17/07/2009: Oil tasting refresher session in WA
Experienced oil tasters are invited to register their interest in attending the Judges Oil Tasting Workshop on Sunday, 9 August 2009, with a view to participating in the 2009 Perth Royal Show Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition Judging Panel on the weekend of 22 and 23 August 2009.

17/07/2009: Entries open for NZ Gourmet Oil competition
Entries are now open for the New Zealand Gourmet Oil Competition. Celebrating the success, quality and variety of New Zealand’s gourmet oils, the competition, now in its sixth year, is held in conjunction with the Royal New Zealand Show.

17/07/2009: Join the Guide to olive oils – now seeking olive oil submissions
Australian and New Zealand olive producers are invited to be part of A Guide to Australian and New Zealand Olive Oils 2010, a joint endeavor between Ryan Publications, publisher of Olivegrower & Processor magazine and The Olive Industry Directory, and Jenny Birrell, olive oil retailer (Melbourne) and editor of The Guide.

17/07/2009: New Zealand subscribers to Olivegrower & Processor: Win a Silky Zubat pruning saw
Olivegrower & Processor has two Silky Zubat 330mm pruning saws, each valued at $110, courtesy of Allendale Garden Products, to give away with the release of the July-August 2009 edition of the magazine.

17/07/2009: What is the biggest challenge facing today’s olivegrower? More Aussie and Kiwi growers have their say
The Olivegrower & Processor ‘Rake in the Savings’ competition has been run and won as announced in the May-June issue of the magazine. The Australian winner was Campbell Mercer, from Mt Egerton in Victoria, while the New Zealand winner was Charmaine Maitland of Man ‘o War Olive Groves at Waiheke Island.

17/07/2009: Olive oil under the spotlight as Sydney hosts World Congress
The production and export of Australian olive oil has risen exponentially in recent years making the industry, with its consistent production of high quality oil, the envy of many traditional olive oil-producing countries.

17/07/2009: BioFach Japan an option for organic growers
BioFach Japan and Natural EXPO is Asia-Pacific's premier trade show for organic and natural products. This year's event is being held from 7-9 October in Tokyo and will focus on one big question for organic producers: Is the organic and natural market feeling the squeeze of the economic downturn?

03/07/2009: Hunter Valley Olive & Wine Festival – the Feast of the Olive
In 2001, the annual AOA Conference and Expo was held in the Hunter Valley of NSW as part of a four day event to showcase the local olive produce. Today, the inaugural Feast of the Olive Festival lives on.

02/07/2009: UK in love with olive oil
Britons are spending record amounts on olive oil, according to recent data from market analysts Nielsen. The report says sales have topped £150 million in the UK a year for the first time. That is double the amount sold eight years ago and significantly more than the £90 million spent on vegetable oil. Growing evidence of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet is behind the trend. Half of UK homes now use olive oil compared with just 35% in 2001.

02/07/2009: Earlybird registrations extended for World Congress
Organisers of the World Congress on Oils and Fats and 28th ISF Congress have extended the earlybird deadline for registrations.

02/07/2009: Launching the healthy message to Australian olive oil shoppers
South Australian producer, Pendleton Fine Foods, launched a comprehensive education campaign detailing the benefits of choosing extra virgin olive oil in retail outlets across Australia in April.

29/05/2009: Charmaine and Campbell ‘Rake in the Savings’
The Olivegrower & Processor ‘Rake in the Savings’ competition has been run and won and the lucky winners are thrilled at the news they will each receive the new ALICE Electromechanical Olive Harvester.

22/05/2009: Entries open for NSW Northern Olive Oil Show
The NSW Northern Olive Oil Show will be judged in Tamworth on July 31 with a presentation of prizes to be held that evening at a time/venue to be advised.

22/05/2009: New label laws in EU from July
From July 1 2009, all virgin and extra virgin olive oil will have to be labeled with the country of origin under a new European Community rule, as seen in the May/June edition of the Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower and Processor.

24/04/2009: Oily confusion: separating the good olive oil from the bad
Extra Virgin, Light. Olive oil. Pure. Confusion continues to plague the consumer gazing at the crowded olive oil shelves. With so many types of olive oil on the market, how can the average shopper separate the best olive oils from the rest?

Olive Oil News, International Trends

Olives and Health

Table Olive News

11/09/2009: National table olive competition
At its July meeting, the AOA Board agreed to endorse a national Table Olive competition, the featured event at the Bendigo Olive and Food Fiesta, 14 March 2010, and thereafter annually.

02/07/2009: Search on for stolen olive equipment
Adelaide-based corporate recovery company McGrathNicol issued a notice on 4 June 2009 advising it had been appointed joint and several Receivers and Managers of two companies: Tomdan Nominees Pty Ltd (CAN 122 947 700) and Tomdan Pty Ltd (CAN 098 367 376).

19/06/2009: WA Olive Council table olive competition
Producers of table olives are reminded that entries are now open for the 2009 West Australian Olive Council table olive competition.

09/04/2009: Calling all table olives
The West Australian Olive Council (OlivesWA) is inviting olive producers, large and small to submit their table olives into the 2009 OlivesWA Table Olive Competition.

29/01/2009: Critical water allocations for olivegroves
Olives SA is strongly urging growers who have made an application for a Critical Water Allocation (CWA) to urgently check the accuracy of the calculation of the allocation they have been granted.

29/01/2009: Olive equipment for sale
Southern Tablelands Olives is liquidating its equipment and the four remaining items are listed for sale on ebay with the sale closing mid-afternoon on 31 January while many SOGA members will be at Glenlee Grove.

29/01/2009: Samples wanted for pest and disease research
Olive leaf, flower and fruit samples are wanted for a three-year research project into pest and disease management being conducted by the University of Western Sydney.

07/11/2008: South Australian olive named best table olive
Coriole Vineyards from South Australia was named best table olive of the Australian Table Olive competition announced on Tuesday, 28 October at the 12th National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards dinner held in Canberra.

07/11/2008: Olive marketing forum and OSA annual general meeting
Olives South Australia's 2008 annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 November 2008, at the Waite Institute Auditorium, Plant Research Centre, Urrbrae.

Table Olive News, Olive Oil News

25/06/2010: Free environmental management training
Olivegrowers can now learn the core principles of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) via a fully government-funded training course.

11/06/2010: Canberra pruning workshop
A post-harvest pruning workshop will be held in Canberra by SOGA (Southern Olive Growers Association) on Friday, 2 July at the EXPO Grove. The venue is EPIC (northern end of Canberra Showground) and the workshop will commence at 10am.

11/06/2010: Olives identified for climate change production
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) has released a report looking at projections for climate change across the country over the next 60 years, and their potential to alter the mix of agriculture in many regions.

28/05/2010: Kailis Organic Olives prospectus opens to investors
A Prospectus inviting investors to participate in a $30 million capital raising by Kailis Organic Olives Groves to fund the purchase of the Great Southern Olive Assets has been approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

28/05/2010: Developments aplenty at FB**PROPAK
Following its inaugural participation at AUSPACK 09, newly formed engineered solutions provider to the food and beverage industries - FB*PAK, has continued on its strategic growth path with a number of exciting business development initiatives.

28/05/2010: The Good Oil Awards
The Mornington Peninsula Olive Association is delighted to announce the first “Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Table Olive Awards 2010.” These awards will cover all areas of Australia. Entries will close on 16th August 2010.

28/05/2010: Inaugural New Zealand Olive Festival
Plans are very much underway to stage the first ever New Zealand Olive Festival which will be based in Hawke’s Bay. It has been confirmed the event will run on the 18th September at Sileni Estate.

16/04/2010: Predictions good for Tassie harvest
Steady rains throughout a mild season have turned the tide for Tasmanian olive growers, who are expecting a good harvest this year.

16/04/2010: BFA rolls out Organic Roadshows
Biological Farmers of Australia’s 2010 Organic Roadshows are now underway, and will be rolling out across Australia until November. The events enable the BFA to take the organic message out to communities nation-wide, providing up-to-date information for the initiated and the simply curious.

01/04/2010: Number of Australian wine producers tops 2400
According to the recently published 28th annual Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory, there are now 2420 wine producing companies in Australia.

01/04/2010: Olives NSW Code of Practice Workshop 21 April (First published in AOA Newsletter, March edition)
The postponed Olives NSW CoP workshop will be held from 9am to 12 noon on Wednesday 21st April at the Riverine Club Wagga.

19/03/2010: 2010 QLD Olive Oil Show back bigger then ever
The 2010 Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show brings you an exciting new direction for this year’s Olive Oil Show, to be held from 12-13 July at the RNA Showgrounds.

19/03/2010: RIRDC recommends olives for climate change (first appeared in the AOA newsletter (Tuesday 9 March, 2010))
Australian farmers will be told to grow olives, jojoba, pomegranates and other hardy crops in a bid to foil the impending climate change threat.

05/03/2010: Olive product diversification on the increase
Data compiled from Ryan Publication’s listing process of the 2010 Australian & New Zealand Olive Industry Directory reveals that there has been a 16% increase in Australian olive cosmetic production since 2009.

05/02/2010: Rains dampen outlook for Queensland harvest
Things had been looking pretty good for Queensland olivegrowers prior to Christmas 2009. Flooding across northern Australia mainly occurred towards the south east corner and south western areas of the state, thankfully missing the bulk of Queensland's olive groves west of the great dividing range. While rainfall certainly filled dams, it wasn't torrential like that which hit growers in northern New South Wales.

05/02/2010: New use for olive wastewater
The benefits provided by olives just keep on increasing. Research has revealed that olive extracts derived from the wastewater of olive oil processing act as natural meat preservatives, due to the high levels of antioxidants present.

23/10/2009: Olives SA 2009 Annual General Meeting, and Board Elections
Olives South Australia Inc will hold its 2009 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 24th November 2009, in the Board Room at Hurleys Arkaba Hotel, Cnr of Fullarton and Glen Osmond Roads. which will conclude by 9.00pm.

09/10/2009: Peter Irvine to speak at Expo
The keynote speaker at this year’s Expo will be Peter Irvine, co-founder of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, the AOA newsletter has reported.

14/08/2009: RIRDC Survey
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is asking for your help to complete a survey regarding the research and development needs of te Australian olive industry over the next five years.

17/07/2009: Reader forum: Have your say - How would you spend $200,000?
The Australian Olive Association will receive $200,000 in Federal Government grants and will earmark the monies for “a high profile marketing campaign”. The new grant comes on the back of around $300,000 in grants provided to the AOA in recent years. Attracting Federal funding is a good result by the AOA and a real positive for all involved in the olive industry, but how is this money best spent?

03/07/2009: Hunter Olive Association 2009 Hunter Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Product Show
Entries are now open from all regions for the Hunter Olive Association 2009 Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Olive Product Show.

02/07/2009: 10th Australian Golden Olive Awards
The Olive Producers of North East Victoria Inc. are proud to announce details of the 10th Australian Golden Olive Awards.

22/05/2009: Number of Australian wine producers tops 2300
The number of Australian wine producers continues to grow despite concerns of drought and over-supply that are impacting profitability in the industry. There are now 2320 wine-producing companies in Australia according to the 27th annual Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory recently published by Adelaide-based company Winetitles.

22/05/2009: Olives SA Special General Meeting
Olives South Australia Inc is holding a Special General Meeting on Tuesday 9 June 2009 at the Waite Institute Auditorium, Plant Research Centre, Gate 2b Hartley Grove, Urrbrae. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the second of a series of “Olive Industry Fund” management planning workshops. Registration is from 6.00 pm for a 6.30 pm (sharp) commencement.

22/05/2009: Mt Atkinson Olive Grove wins Melton awards
On Friday 17 April the Shire of Melton hosted their annual business awards to celebrate local business in the area. Mt Atkinson Olive Grove & Cafe was successful in taking home the award for best Agri Business and Best Family Friendly Business.

08/05/2009: Olive industry fund management planning workshops
Olives South Australia Inc is convening a series of planning workshops following the State Government’s recent approval of a “Voluntary Contributions” Scheme for South Australian Olive Growers under the Primary Industry Funding Schemes Act 1998 to fund projects that will be of benefit to the South Australian olive industry.

08/05/2009: Recovery of olive groves after fire
The Department of Primary Industries in Victoria has released an information sheet on how olive groves can recover after a fire, if managed properly.

08/05/2009: SA olive growers embrace code at workshop
Olives SA hosted a free workshop surrounding the new Industry Code of Practice (COP) at Waite Campus last month, attended by more than 30 growers and producers.