Olivegrower & Processor

Harvesting equipment maintenance essentials

2013 December

Irrigation efficiency: best management practices Selling to supermarkets Media-savvy marketing Awards

Contents

In this issue...

Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd Publisher Hartley Higgins General Manager Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editorial Gerri Nelligan Advertising Chas Barter sales@olivegrower.com.au Production Nathan Grant Subscriptions A one-year subscription (six issues) is $38.00, and includes a copy of the Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory.

Subscriptions commencing July 1 2013 will receive a copy of the 2014 Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory. Please pay by cheque or credit card to Ryan Media.

Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe.

Circulation subs@olivegrower.com.au Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Photographs are best received as jpg files via email or should be high-quality prints or transparencies. Please indicate if articles and pictures are to be returned.

Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide Ryan Media Pty Ltd ABN 85 085 551 980 630 Regency Road, Broadview South Australia 5083 Phone +618 8369 9555 Facsimile +618 8369 9501 Website www.olivebiz.com.au ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor/publishers; information is published in good faith and we do not accept responsibility for damage which may arise from any possible inaccuracies. All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent of the publishers.

Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd.

December 2013 Issue 90

News Miller addresses IOC meeting

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ACO Standard updated

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2013 AOA conference review

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Profile Carol O’Neil, Cradle Coast Olives

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Organics Increased testing of certified organic operators

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Harvesting Maintenance the key to a stress-free harvest

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Correct storage of personal protection equipment

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Irrigation & water saving Irrigation efficency - what is it and can we improve it?

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Awards 2013 Royal Perth comp celebrates quality and community

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OSA & RAS EVOO & Table Olive competition

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Packaging New UK labelling gives EVOO the red light

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New Zealand NZ award winners “world class”

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Business Media-savvy marketing

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Surviving (and thriving in) big retail

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Talking points Marketing: practical communication, not rocket science

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Olives & Health Health round-up

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Product & services

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What’s on/Advertiser index

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Olive marketplace

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Cover: Timely maintenance of hand-held equipment is the key to an efficient and stress-free harvest – page 14. Photo courtesy Campagnola.

Issue 91 • December • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3

News

Gerri Nelligan

Editor

It’s a bit of a plod time for our industry at present ... pruning is all done and (hopefully) trees are laden with tiny green fruit, just doing its thing. For northern growers there’s no doubt spraying to do, to counter moisture-related pests and disease, but for most the relatively mild early summer weather provides an opportunity to take activity in the grove down a peg or two to basic maintenance level.

That in turn provides new opportunities, with time to turn attention to other important elements of olive production, equipment maintenance and marketing. Both are vital components

of a successful olive/oil business and can have a profound effect on the viability of your operation in any year.

You can grow the best olives ever but if your equipment breaks down during harvesting, you could miss that perfect timeframe to pick, lose money on labour down-time - or even worse, watch your precious crop deteriorate on or off the tree, because you either can’t get it off or have lost your place in the busy processing queue.

Alternatively, you can make the best quality, medal-winning oil but if you don’t have a market, you can’t sell it – and certainly not for a good price.

We look at both of these issues in this edition, along with a great SARDI/RIRDC report on best practice for irrigation management – all practical, down-to-earth information aimed at saving time and money, and getting our fresh local products out there more efficiently to the consumer.

Plenty of great reading for the holiday season ahead. We hope it’s a safe and happy one for you all.

Editor Gerri Nelligan and the OG&P team

Miller addresses IOC meeting Australia’s efforts to ensure integrity in the olive oil industry are certainly making an impact, and not just within the local market. In a surprisingly welcoming move, Australian Olive Association (AOA) president Paul Miller was recently invited to address the International Olive Council (IOC) Advisory Committee on Olive Oil and Table Olives about Australia’s quality and certification programs.

Miller was one of a number of representatives of importer and producer associations from non-member countries attending a meeting at the IOC headquarters on 25 October. All had been invited, according to an IOC statement, “to attend as observers to take part in discussions on the agenda item concerning the recent, growing number of conformity and quality seals and to paint the picture in their home countries”.

However, as well as presenting the Australian Code of Practice and Certified Extra Virgin program, Miller was then also invited to attend the entire meeting of the IOC Advisory Committee and, without notice, to speak about the Australian industry’s view of the future for the IOC. It was a breakthrough opportunity and Miller undoubtedly made an impact – both as our industry’s representative and with the information he shared.

“We did well. We had clearly done more than pretty much anyone else there, and had learned useful lessons from our mistakes that I was able to pass on to those who cared,” he said.

“And it seems many do, as a significant number of the advisory committee have surprisingly diverse views. It is not just the major traders who dominate this forum.”

“For example, one committee member told the meeting towards the end of the day, in a discussion relating to quality and value, that they should “listen to the wise words of our Australian colleague – he understands the future of olive oil”.

“Those are remarkable words in such a normally conservative forum, and reflect what I hope is the start of a more collaborative and positive future for the industry at a global level.”

The IOC’s statement following the meeting also had a positive bent, with the sentiment overall favouring international agreement on standards. “... the Australian example showed that they are campaigning for the adoption of a national standard (currently, it is only voluntary) that differs from the IOC standard on certain parameters and that they have put in place a self-monitoring scheme certifying oil conformity with this standard. The Advisory Committee noted that the aim is for this experience to go international through the EVA scheme, but even more so to find a practical solution that satisfies both companies in IOC member countries (which are required to abide by the IOC standard at least) and those in non-IOC member countries (case of Australia) that wish to derogate some limits fixed in the IOC standard for certain purity parameters by

4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

AOA president Paul Miller was recently invited to address the International Olive Council Advisory Committee on Olive Oil and Table Olives about Australia’s quality and certification programs.

applying higher limits (for campesterol and linolenic acid content) to reflect the distinctive features of some locally produced virgin olive oils.

“The Advisory Committee is very familiar with the situation in the nonIOC member countries but participants reiterated the hope that all the olive oil producing countries would make a renewed effort at dialogue in order to arrive at a single international standard.

Such a single standard would serve as a common foundation and would then allow private initiatives by companies, national associations or international associations

News

to differentiate their extra virgin olive oils on the basis of tighter requirements entailing additional parameters or stricter limits for specific parameters taken from the single standard.”

Miller said he gained valuable insight into the IOC’s current beliefs and situation at the meeting.

“Within the IOC and the European Union (EU) there is clearly recognition that there is a major problem with olive oil quality in the world marketplace, and also a desire to both promote and improve the quality of olive oil,” he said.

“My impression from the previous meeting that I attended in Madrid – the EC Workshop on Olive Oil Authentication in June 2013 – is that the EU sees food fraud as a major problem. With olive oil particularly, this is something that is damaging the EU’s reputation and depriving its consumers of the real thing.

“On a positive note, the IOC Charter is up for review next year, and so they and the EU (the biggest IOC member state) are seeking input on how to go forwards. This could provide an opportunity for real change, especially if the groundswell of support for assurance of quality and value continues.”

Miller also left the meeting confident of improved communications and more successful industry action into the future.

“I have an increasingly good relationship with the IOC staff now, partly because of our work with AOCS, with other likeminded producers and of course the efforts of the AOA since it began,” he said.

We had clearly done more than pretty much anyone else there, and had learned useful lessons from our mistakes that I was able to pass on ...

“Despite the clear differences we have on standards, I think the fact that we made the effort to attend will help us internationally and some in the room will now be more willing to help us.

“I also think that the overseas efforts will help at home - at least with the federal government. For example, the recent European Commission paper on food fraud, highlighting 10 problem foods including olive oil, will help, and we have played a part in that development.

“If our politicians and authorities know that someone else is concerned and perhaps doing something then it may give them more impetus for action themselves. “ AOA CEO Lisa Rowntree described the events as “an amazing turn around” from the previous difficult relationship between the IOC and ‘new world’ producers.

“It sounds like all the international effort might be starting to pay off,” she said.

“It is particularly significant that Australia has the respect of the Greek producers, and that quality and value are being recognised as crucial to the industry.

“There is clearly still much work that needs doing, and it is very encouraging that Paul, as our representative, now has a good relationship with the IOC, so hopefully we can continue to play a part.

“Paul is doing a great job of putting Australia on the EVOO map. Australia will never be the biggest supplier in the world but we want to be known as the most reliable supplier of high quality, authentic EVOO. With recognition like this, slowly and surely we’ll get there.”

Issue 91 • December 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5

News

Australian Certified Organic Standard updated The Australian Certified Organic Standard 2013 has now been released, providing an updated version of the organisation’s rulebook for organic production, manufacturing, processing and retailing.

The most noticeable changes in the standard are in poultry, wine, horticulture, cottage industries and aquaculture.

The Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS) is reviewed every three years to ensure it meets industry expectations and changes in new practices and research. The process encompasses extensive consultation with both industry and the public, and many of the changes reflect feedback via members. One such example is “regionalised” or regionally appropriate regulatory options for producers where the Australian domestic market is the only marketing requirement.

The ACOS prescribes the practice requirements of all businesses certified with Australian Certified Organic (ACO) and has gained ACO recognition with the European Union. It covers the basic

requirements outlined in the Standards Australia AS 6000-2009 Organic and biodynamic products, as well as the DAFF National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce, while being a linking document to key international organic standards.

“The standard brings together the requirements of national and international relevant standards so consumers have a simple choice when buying organic. More importantly, the Australian Certified Organic Standard allows the broadest possible international market access,” convenor Owen Gwilliam said.

“For example, the high quality of our standard has earned direct equivalence with the European Union for livestock and wine export, whereas Australia’s national organic standard hasn’t been able to achieve this.”

Changes relevant to the olive industry include new regulations on inputs for disease management.

The Australian Certified Organic Standard 2013 can be downloaded for

The Australian Certified Organic Standard 2013 provides an updated version of the organisation’s rulebook for organic production, manufacturing, processing and retailing.

free from the Australian organic website, and also purchased in hard copy. Contact the Australian Organic office on 07 3350 5716 or email: contact@austorganic.com.

Cruet ban on … then off … then on again (partly) As previously reported in Olivegrower, the European Union (EU) spent many months in contemplation of a ban on refillable oil containers in food service premises. It was a contentious and much-debated move, with strong arguments on both sides from member countries. In our part of the world, it seemed most thought it was a good idea.

In early May the EU’s ban was passed, one of a raft of proposed measures aimed at protecting both consumers and the industry by ensuring the quality and authenticity of olive oils. Not all EU members were happy, although it’s interesting to note that many of the countries against the move are not olive oil producers.

A furore erupted, with particularly scathing comment emanating from the UK. The main argument appears to have been the potential economic impact of the measure, which would see all olive oil served to diners packaged in single use containers, labelled with appropriate product details (origin, grade, date etc). The containers would have to be both non-resealable and non-refillable.

Media coverage was huge and just weeks after the ban was announced – and well before it came into operation in January 2014 - it was withdrawn. Many celebrated, others rued the loss.

Then in July, Spain announced it would introduce its own ban on refillable bottles, with similar replacement vessel and labelling regulations, effective from 1 January 2014. Olive oil was deemed too important to the country to allow the recognised current fraudulent practices – predominantly passing off inferior oils as EVOO – to continue. The move was largely supported by producers and consumer organisations.

The hospitality industry, on the other hand, was generally against the move.

Echoing the UK’s argument, it said the added expense would challenge the viability of many restaurants and cafes – particularly in the current dire economic climate across Europe. Additional cost would be incurred in both the disposable packaging and the inability to continue purchasing oil in bulk, and the increased

6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

packaging use would also have a negative environmental impact.

Soon afterwards Portugal announced that it too was considering a ban.

Interesting, however, the Portugese announcement received strong support from both the country’s consumer and restaurant industry bodies. The former also negated economic arguments with a prediction of “minimal” costs.

It’s an interesting situation, and both sides of the argument have their place: the olive oil industry’s concerns regarding quality and authenticity are valid, as is the right to a fair price for product being presented to the consumer as EVOO. In turn, many restaurants are struggling and there would undoubtedly be an end cost.

But ensuring that the olive oil you serve your patrons is fresh, flavoursome and authentic – surely that’s priceless.

Would you support a similar ban in Australian and New Zealand? Email your comments to the editor at: wordsync@ bigpond.com.

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  

Participation Fee (per person):

 

(Catering is included in the cost)

Day 1 Basic

$140 $182 Day 2 Advanced $160 $208 Both days $250 $325

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members non-members members non members members non-members

NOTE: 20% discount for 3 or more participants from the same company.

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 

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   

2013 AOA conference review

Delegates were shown a warm welcome by the southern island’s industry, including Tasmanian Olive Council members and hosts (back, from left) Penny Dunbabin, Tim Dunbabin, Brian Shearer, Geoff Price, Paul Lovell, Annie Fletcher; (front, from left) Allan Baird, Dawn Bishop, Tony O’Neil, Christine Lovell and Carol O’Neil.

Renewed optimism evident at national conference A change is as good as a holiday, they say, and for many delegates, this year’s Australian Olive Association’s National Olive Industry Conference and Exhibition was both.

Held for the first time in Hobart, Tasmania, the 2013 event was a chance for industry members to combine work with play, with many staying on to explore Australia’s southernmost – and some would argue most scenic – state. And there was plenty to see and do, from the list of cultural and recreational experiences provided by the AOA to the grove tours generously offered by their Tasmanian peers.

It was no surprise then that Hobart was warmly embraced as a venue, by both delegates and the event’s organisers.

“It was great to meet so many of our southern island growers, and we were shown a fantastic welcome by the industry down there,” AOA CEO Lisa Rowntree said.

“Numbers were down a little on last year but that was mainly because of the difficulties in getting there. Logistically, there are just not enough flights and affordable opportunities to get people down there, and for some of the regulars, it just became so expensive they couldn’t do it.

“There also just weren’t any seats available, as unfortunately, we discovered too late that the event coincided with both a long weekend and a major sporting event being held in Tassie.”

“But on the upside, we did see a lot of new faces who hadn’t come to the conferences before. Some of them were tempted by the opportunity to come and have a holiday as well, and some others were newcomers to the industry.”

Upbeat vibe Another change was the upbeat feeling at this year’s event.

“There was a lot of renewed optimism in the industry. The last two years in particularly have been pretty tough, and I certainly felt a lift in sprits after a generally good harvest this year,” Rowntree said.

“That was evident at the conference in particular. While a number of growers have left the industry, a lot have also recently come into it, so there was a new wave of people wanting to know basic information again, as well as the more technical stuff as well.

“Overall the vibe was very positive, with lots of enthusiasm for the future.”

The conference program also had an enthusiastic audience, who gained new knowledge and insight from an array of interesting and experienced speakers. Rowntree found it hard to name highlights. “(Nutritionist) Rosemary Stanton’s presentation was wonderful, and the information presented by Paul Miller and Tim Smith was fantastic,” Rowntree said.

“And it’s always good to have a pest and diseases talk; I know growers got a lot out of Len and Robert’s input.

“But all of the speakers were excellent. I enjoyed it all.”

Trade exhibition The number of exhibitors at the trade show was also lower than previous years, which had been expected given the logistics of transporting equipment to Tasmania, but Rowntree

8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

2013 AOA conference review

said that side of the event worked exceptionally well this year.

“The calibre and quality of the exhibitors’ displays was excellent. They did a really good job of presenting their gear,” she said.

“The layout was outstanding too. It flowed really well and having the food served in that area this year was excellent, providing the maximum opportunity for the delegates and exhibitors to get together.

“And the venue worked perfectly for the exhibitors we had.

One more and we couldn’t have stayed in that room; it was just fortunate that we had just the right number to fill the area beautifully.”

2013 awards competitions The awards presentation dinner is always a positive event – who doesn’t love winning accolades for what they do? – but this year’s major award had a twist which put an even wider smile on many faces.

“It was great that the Best of Show was a competition between the biggest producer in Australia, Boundary Bend, and one of the smallest, Grassy Spur Olives. And to have it come down to the smallest of margins was really exciting,” Rowntree said.

“It was wonderful to see Grassy Spur win this award. They’re a lovely couple and it was so good for them to get such a great reward for their hard work and commitment.”

The table olives classes had their own highlight, with New South Wales producer Alto Olives sweeping the award pool.

“Alto just took out award after award in the table olives competition – they didn’t have enough hands for them all,” Rowntree said.

Among the country’s smallest producers, Grassy Spurs owners Helen and Peter Wright won a David and Goliath battle for the coveted Best of Show award, beating Boundary Bend by the smallest of margins.

“They’re a real example of the passion behind our industry.

“The passion that’s out there shows through in the care they take in producing their olives and the exceptional quality that results in their products. That comes from passion; you can’t teach people to feel that level of dedication. And it shows in the awards these people are winning.” 

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Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9

2013 AOA conference review

The Service to Industry Award was presented to the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, and was proudly accepted by (from left) Belinda Taylor, Jamie Ayton, Kerrie Graham, Dr Rod Mailer and Helen Taylor.

Future events Industry events provide numerous benefits for all involved, providing opportunities for learning, networking and information sharing. The awards competition has its own importance, Rowntree says, providing an opportunity for producers to compare their own results with those of others and learn from the experience.

“The competition becomes a benchmark, a chance to see what others are achieving and how they can lift their own game. That helps the whole industry,” she said.

“It’s very relevant to keep on holding it, to keep people inspired and make sure we’re producing the best we can. That then helps consumers as they keep gaining more confidence in the overall quality of Australian olive oils.”

With all that in mind, Rowntree says the event will most likely continue to be run annually.

“Too much happens in two years in the olive industry,” she said.

“We’re also required to have an annual levy payers meeting, so if you ‘re going to bring people together for that meeting and to announce awards it just makes sense to continue the way we have been.

“The conference is also really therapeutic. We all need to get together at least once a year, talk about what’s happened and catch up on the new methods and equipment – I’ve never been to an event yet and not come back having learned something.

“It’s like Christmas with the rellies, you’ve got to do it every year.”

Alto Olives’ Westerly Isbaih and Robert Armstrong had their hands full on the awards night, dominating the table olive classes and taking three of the five Best of Class Awards.

Plans for the 2014 industry event will be announced early in the new year, with an east coast city the most likely venue. We’ll update you in the March edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

All photos courtesy of Mike Lamond, Fairfax Media.

Major awards Best EVOO - G rassy Spur Olives Best Table Olives – Alto Olives Service to Industry - A ustralian Oils Research Laboratory EVOO Best of Class awards Best of Class 1 - G rassy Spur Olives Best of Class 2 - C amilo Olives Best of Class 3 - C obram Estate Best of Class 4 - N angkita Olives Best of Class 5 - L isadurne Hill Best of Class 6 - R ich Glen Olive Shop Table Olive Best of Class Awards Best of Class 11 - A lto Olives Best of Class 13 - W ollundry Grove Best of Class 14 - A lto Olives Best of Class 15 - A lto Olives Best of Class 16 - T he Australian Olive Company

10 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

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■ SA W.E. Ware & Co. 19 Papagni Avenue, Newton, SA 5074 Phone 08.83653200 - Fax 08.83653187 weware@weware.com.au Contact: Marjorie Ware and Warrick Philpott

■ WA Mirco Brothers Machinery 26 Salpietro Street, PO Box 1430, Bibra Lake, WA 6163 Phone 08.94346011 - Fax 08.94346911 mirco@mirco.com.au Contact: Peter Mirco, peter@mirco.com.au

In profile

Carol O’Neil Cradle Coast Olives Carol and Tony O’Neil tend a boutique mixed grove at Abbotsham in Tasmania’s north-west, and create consistently award-winning ‘unique and exceptional oils’ which they market under the Cradle Coast Olives label.

OG&P: How long have you been involved in the olive industry and what is your involvement?

CO: We contemplated growing olives 20 years ago and, after three years of extensive research looking at New Zealand and South Australian developments, planted 400 trees.

We trialed 18 different cultivars and fortunately (with hindsight) the high yielding hybrids failed to perform, and we were left with the traditional Manzanillo, Paragon, Sevillano, Verdale and a few UC13A6, along with other odds and sods. Our average annual yield is around seven tons (we’re expecting 10 tons at maturity), with an oil yield of 10-12%. All our varieties have achieved gold medals at state and national level, which is extremely gratifying. I am a member of the Tasmanian Olive Council Committee and signatory to the AOA’s Code of Practice.

OG&P: What are your major markets and why?

CO: Major markets are boutique delis, and hotel, e-sales and cellar door.

We are unashamedly boutique and focus entirely on the gourmet market. This is a direct result of the incredible chemistry and flavours of our oils, deriving from our red basalt soils and cool Tasmanian climate. Being boutique also enables us to tell our story and to promote the wonderful health benefits of olive oil.

OG&P: How did you become involved in the olive industry?

CO: Our children had all left the nest and we were looking for something to augment retirement, encourage an active lifestyle and fully utilise our 37 acres of high-value farming land.

Olives were contemplated, as were truffles, walnuts and hazelnuts, but we were assured olives were a low maintenance crop which would enable us to sit back and enjoy retirement!

Advisors were spot on when it comes to an enjoyable retirement but way off the mark re low maintenance.

OG&P: How do you see the local industry positioned in the current global market, both in terms of its importance and comparative policies/ standards?

CO: I guess we are minnows from a global perspective but punching well above our weight in terms of policies and standards. I see a tremendous advantage for growers signing-up to the Code of Practice, particularly if they are contemplating launching into the export market. In any event, if they expect premium prices authenticity is an imperative.

OG&P: What do you see as the most significant issues facing the Australian and/or New Zealand olive industries at present?

CO: With many groves now approaching maturity, there is a real risk of excess oil being disposed of by growers at unrealistic/low prices as they try to compete with the big guys, who are able to put oil on the supermarket shelves at non-sustainable prices. The development of export markets is an imperative.

OG&P: What are the best ways to tackle those issues?

CO: Growers are going to have to collaborate far more than at present in order to develop volumes sufficient for export.

12 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

OG&P: Are there any things you think we’re doing particularly well or badly?

CO: I think the primary focus of the past few years on standards and quality is now bearing fruit and the effect of consumer education and awareness programs is certainly having an impact on consumer purchases. I would like to see our peak body becoming a little more adventurous with FEVOO-like events, enabling more participation/ownership from small growers. **For more information on FEVOO, see the September 2013 edition of Olivegrower.

OG&P: What are your thoughts on the new Australian olive oil standard?

CO: Anything that evokes trust and loyalty from Australian consumers must be of benefit to the industry in the long term.

OG&P: What are your hopes for the industry into the future?

CO: My hopes are that the industry will be able to weather the current global stresses, and in particular be able to dispose of current inventories at sustainable prices.

OG&P: And finally, what do you see as the realistic outcomes for the industry in the near future?

CO: It’s very difficult to say at the moment with the Australian dollar remaining at elevated levels. It requires us to ensure we maintain a strong and vibrant education and awareness campaign that espouses the quality and benefits of Australian and New Zealand EVOO. www.cradlecoastolives.com.au.

Organics News

Increased testing, auditing of certified organic operators Certified organic producers and suppliers in Australia and the US can expect increased testing and auditing of their organic businesses, with Australian Certified Organic (ACO) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) increasing their testing for pesticides and synthetic chemical presence.

Ensuring that organic certification is maintained by regular audits by ACO certification officers is essential for compliance with the Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS). To improve integrity in the marketplace, $5,000 worth of testing has been conducted on market produce, seedlings/planting material on farm and farming inputs in the past 12 months.

ACO chief certification officer Michael Baker said the USDA NOP now requires that 5% of operations are tested annually, while the ACO goes beyond accreditation requirements for testing. All ACO clients

are audited a minimum of once every year, and ACO also conducts unannounced compliance inspections at random or as a result of investigations.

“Normally, unannounced audits focus on a specific area of organic operation compliance - record keeping, risks to organic product integrity, farming inputs etc,” Baker said.

“All new ACO producer clients have initial soil tests conducted, generally testing for organochlorins, organophosphates and heavy metals.

ACO also conducts product/produce testing at random or in conjunction with unannounced inspections, and random market sampling.

“ACO testing varies significantly, testing processed product, fruit/vegetables at both the producer and wholesaler levels, retail shops and also testing farming inputs for contamination. We contract (third party) NATA accredited laboratories to ensure consistent and detailed test results.”

USDA announced in November 2012 that it would introduce additional testing for organic foods, aimed at maintaining the integrity of the USDA National Organic Program. From 1 January this year, organic certifying agents must test samples from at least 5% of the operations they certify on an annual basis.

“While testing has always been a part of organic product oversight and is required by the Organic Foods Production Act, this specifies the minimum amount of testing that must occur,” USDA said.

“This additional testing will help certifying agents identify and take enforcement action against farms and businesses intentionally using prohibited substances or methods.”

This story was contributed by Australian Organic (www.austorganic. com), a non-profit organic representative group providing education, promotion and training for the organic industry.

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Electric tools for modern olive groves

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13

Harvesting

Maintenance the key to a stress-free harvest Your fruit is at perfect ripeness, your picking crew’s on hand and you’ve got your slot booked with the processor, so you’re ready for harvest. Or are you? Have you checked the condition of your harvesting equipment lately?

Harvesting equipment is undoubtedly one of the most important elements of the whole operation but often one of the least thought about. In most cases equipment won’t have been used since the previous harvest, making a thorough check and/ or service imperative to ensure a harvest free of break-downs.

Hand-held harvesters, both electric and pneumatic, are increasingly the choice for smaller growers across Australia and New Zealand (and let’s face it, that’s the majority of our industry).

While they’re easy to use and maintain during operation, their mechanical nature means there’s a lot more that can go wrong with them than the old ladder and rake of yesteryear.

To get the low-down on what can go wrong, and how to keep your hand-held harvester in good nick, we spoke with an expert, Leon Atsalis of Eclipse Enterprises. Eclipse have imported and distributed pneumatic, electromechanical and petrol-powered harvesting equipment for over 40 years, and Leon has serviced and repaired hundreds of each.

vibrate really hard. That’s not only harder on you when you’re using it but something on the machine is eventually going to give out – and that’s going to cost you a lot of money. Broken housings and bodies are three times the cost of a normal service.

Q: What can go wrong with hand-held harvesting equipment?

Q: But what if it’s working fine at the end of harvest?

LA: A lot of the potential problems you can’t see. For example, if moving parts are dry it’ll grind away until something breaks. It might also be something you can see, like broken fingers on the harvester. That will throw the whole thing out of whack and it’ll

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Q: What routine pre-harvest maintenance regime would you recommend?

LA: Don’t – do it post-harvest. Service your equipment at the end of each season, that way you know it’ll be right when you go to use it next year. You don’t want to be needing equipment serviced or repaired when you’ve got the pressure of ripening fruit and harvest looming.

At the start of the season we’ll get them coming in from everywhere, and everyone wants their job done straightaway. If we’ve got 20 in front of us that’s just not possible. So don’t leave it until the last minute. To avoid being a couple of weeks without a harvester, get it serviced at the end of the season.

LA: A lot do come in saying “It was working really well at the end of last season, so why isn’t it now?”, and sometimes it’s a six or seven year old tool that’s never been serviced. There are lots of reasons: o-rings and seals, for example, will dry up if not lubricated or stored correctly in the off-season. So when you go to use them in the following season they’re stiff, they leak air and they’ll cause all sorts of problems. But if you service your equipment at the end of the season, then you’ll go away knowing for sure that when you start the next season you can get it out and get on with the job – and save the extra money involved in the repair work.

And it’s not just the cost of the repair. There’s the loss of time involved, and for a grower that’s even more money wasted. If you’ve called people in to do a job you’ll be paying them for standing around – or putting them off and messing everyone around.

The smart ones send them in at the end of each year. There’s no rush and they get them back in plenty of time for the following season. We’ve got about 20 here now (November) and they’re not tools that have broken down, they’ve just come in for a service.

It’s the smart way to do it: there’s no pressure for either of us, so we can do a better job for them too.

Q: So what’s involved in a service, and what parts need to be replaced annually?

LA: In a pneumatic tool, you do all the o-rings and seals. In an electric tool, the machine has to be stripped, cleaned, greased and re-set. But we run them before we touch them, as noises can often pinpoint an existing problem, and if we diagnose what the problem is before it gets too bad, again it can save a lot of money on repairs. It’s not rare for tools to come in for a service and we find something more serious, which often has the potential of doing even more damage.

So we run it before and after servicing, to make sure it’s right.

Most service workshops will do exactly the same.

14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

Harvesting

Q: You mentioned storage earlier.

LA: Storage is incredibly important if you want your equipment to run well and last a long time. Some bring tools in and they’re a pleasure to work on – maintained, tight, clean – but with others they’re filthy, covered in cobwebs and there’s a bit of wire holding it all together. In fact, we had an Alice come back and had to open the electronics box, which we don’t usually do unless there’s a problem, and this one had a lovely web with a pouch of eggs in it. A lot of people just don’t seem to think about where they keep them, and I’m sure some people leave them outside. That’s a huge mistake, because once it‘s rusty it’s pretty hard to get up and running really well again. And sometimes it’s better not to even bother repairing it; if it’s too far gone you may just need to replace it completely.

Q: So what’s the best way to store your equipment?

LA: We recommend they have a tool cupboard, a nice dry spot where nothing can crawl into it and nest or chew on the wires.

Preferably somewhere away from the heat, or the o-rings will crack.

So cool, dry, and vermin proof. And if your only option is the shed, put a plastic shopping bag over the head to keep the moisture and the critters out – something as simple as that really helps.

Q: What can growers do themselves in terms of servicing and maintenance, and what needs to be done by a professional?

LA: A lot of people can actually strip these harvesting tools down themselves. If you’re confident, you can just find a spare hour or two and get it done. If you don’t think it needs a full service – say it didn’t get much of a workout that year – just oil it up and store it in a suitable spot, either with a bag over the top or in a cupboard. And if it needs a bit more or you’re not mechanical, take it to where you bought it from and they’ll either do it there, or send it off and get it done for you.

Q: When is the time to think about upgrading or changing equipment?

LA: In most cases, when the tool is really loose and rattles. That’s the time to think about upgrading – or at least the next year. If they bring it in for a service, we’ll recommend what needs to be done and if we think it’s not going to last the season we’ll tell them before we

Eclipse Enterprises’ Leon (left) and George Atsalis.

do the service. If we find major problems mid-service which mean it’s on its way out, we’ll ring them and tell them then too. You can fix a lot of things but sometimes it’s actually more economical in the long run to buy a new one than to keep spending money on repairs.

Q: Any other advice you’d like to share?

LA: It’s also important to make sure you use the right pressures and power source. Other than that, it’s pretty simple: follow a strict maintenance program, store well and you won’t have problems.

At $2000 to $3,500, these tools are an investment and you’ve got to protect them. They get rough treatment because harvesting is a rough job but you can prolong their life by looking after them properly. Some are worse for wear after just two years, while others will last 7-10 years if looked after property. The Alice has been out for seven years and we’re still servicing the first ones we’ve sold.

They’re the ones which have been looked after properly.

So in short, if you buy a tool that’s quality, give it quality care.

Don’t skimp on services. There’s a big difference between an efficient tool and an inefficient tool, so spend the money at the right time and it’ll save you a lot at the end.

More information: www.eclipseenterprises.com.au.

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www.pellenc.com.au Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 15

Harvesting

Correct storage of personal protection equipment Safety in the grove and during production takes all forms, and there’s plenty to think about. Here’s a reminder, and some good advice, about the importance of correct storage of personal protection equipment, provided by pest management company Flick Anticimex.

While the equipment itself provides safety in the workplace, the improper handling and storage of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) can be an insect sting/ bite risk and potentially lead to injury. A recent incident in the construction industry has highlighted the importance of correct storage of PPE, after a construction worker was hospitalised due to an infected insect sting.

The construction worker had been on a break and left his PPE, including his gloves, on the ground of a public shopping centre in Western Australia. When putting his gloves back on to return to work, he felt a sting or bite on the knuckle of his right hand index finger. The injury became infected two days later requiring hospitalisation and surgery, and is thought to have been caused by a white tail spider or black house spider.

It’s a timely reminder that PPE should be stored in a protected location and above ground level when not in use; off the floor, and in a protected location such as a shed or office. Equipment should also be checked before putting it on – e.g. by shaking out gloves.

PPE should be stored in a protected location and above ground level when not in use, to ensure you don’t meet up with a critter like this on its next use.

Regular pest inspections of workplace environments like sheds or processing facilities can also reduce the risk of injuries caused by insects. An annual pest inspection is recommended, particularly within high-risk work environments

16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

conducive to pest breeding, to prevent a minor, local infestation from developing into a widespread, established pest invasion.

More information: www.flick-anticimex.com.au.

Irrigation & water saving

Irrigation efficiency – what is it and can we improve it?

In our increasingly dry climate, there is an increasing need to ensure efficiency in agricultural irrigation. This information, based on a SARDI irrigation benchmarking study, identifies best management practices which will assist in improving irrigation efficiency in your grove. In addition, techniques are discussed for improving the level of uptake of more efficient irrigation practices.

Introduction There is much talk on the subject of irrigation efficiency and the need to improve efficiency within the irrigation industry.

It is often difficult, however, to identify exactly what different people mean when they use the term irrigation efficiency and it is not surprising that irrigators are confused by the various calls they hear to “improve your irrigation efficiency”. How can they identify their level of efficiency when those calling for improvement use different measuring sticks? What is needed is a clear understanding and a consistent methodology for measuring efficiency of irrigation.

Just as important, however, is the provision of information about how to improve efficiency. Knowing that efficiency should be improved is of little use if there is poor information available to help irrigators to institute improvements.

Finally, simply informing someone of how they can become more efficient is not the best way to motivate them to do so.

Somehow, improving efficiency of irrigation must be made attractive. **Note: defining irrigation efficiency Having identified the initial problem of defining efficiency of irrigation in terms of varying scale, target audience and outlook factors, for the purposes of this case study the authors chose to focus on irrigation performance on-farm, ignoring sources of inefficiency that are beyond the immediate control of irrigators.

Methodology An irrigation benchmarking study was undertaken in the Riverland and Sunraysia regions. The study used the benchmarking approach to compare the efficiency of irrigation of a sample of irrigators, in order to identify the best performers across a range of efficiency indicators. The indicators used cover a wide range of important issues in irrigation, from the volume and value of water used, to the amount and value of crop produced, and include an assessment of the amount and value of wastage occurring in the system.

From this the authors identified a suite of best management practices for irrigation which will assist other irrigators to improve their efficiency. In addition, techniques are discussed for improving the level of uptake of more efficient irrigation practices.

Irrigation best management practices The case study irrigators from all crop samples were interviewed and a suite of best management practices for irrigation developed from their responses.

The best management practices outlined below are deliberately non-prescriptive - that is, they do not set out to tell irrigators exactly how they should go about managing irrigation, or

exactly what tools they need to use. These decisions are for individual irrigators to make, and will vary according to a whole range of site and irrigator specific factors.

Instead the best management practices provide guidance on the important principles that make for best practice in irrigation, as follows: • BMP 1: rate irrigation highly within the management system.

All case study irrigators cited irrigation as either one of the most important factors in their production system, or the single most important factor. For example, for one of the case study irrigators, “Irrigation is always number one”. When irrigation is seen as a low priority it is no surprise if irrigation performance is low, and likewise it is not surprising that the best irrigators all place irrigation as a high priority in their growing system.

• BMP 2: get to know the soils on the property.

Efficient irrigation is very difficult without good information about the capacity of soil to hold water, and where in the soil profile the roots of the crop are. After augering holes across the property to look at root zone depth, one case study irrigator said, “You feel a bit more comfortable, ... the top might be drying out a bit, but you know that it’s down there, getting the water from down below”.

• BMP 3: design and maintain irrigation systems correctly.

Poor irrigation system operation can make good irrigation management almost impossible. A number of the case study irrigators cited irrigation system setup, age and maintenance as limiting factors in their ability to manage irrigation as well as they would like. The irrigation industry in Australia operates according to a set of standard practices for irrigation system design and operation. All new irrigation system designs should adhere strictly to these guidelines. Existing irrigation systems should undergo regular checking and be maintained to these same guidelines.

• BMP 4: monitor all aspects of each irrigation event.

This is best described by a quote from one case study irrigator:

Issue 91 • December 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17

Irrigation & water saving

“Monitoring is split into many things, ... before the irrigation, ... during the irrigation, ... and after the irrigation ...”. The simple decision of when to irrigate is only part of the whole story.

Monitoring of where water is going, both during the irrigation, by measuring system performance and uniformity of application, and after the irrigation, by assessing under- and over-irrigation, is vital to efficient irrigation.

• BMP 5: use objective monitoring tools to schedule irrigation.

All case study irrigators used at least one objective monitoring tool, usually a soil based device, in determining the timing of irrigations. The tools used varied widely, from tensiometers and hand assessment of soil water through to sophisticated tools such as the Neutron Probe and EnviroSCAN®. The important thing, however, is that they measured something, rather than relying on intuition, the calendar, or when the neighbours watered.

An important point about scheduling tools is that they must be appropriate, both to the crop and irrigation system they are used with, and also to the irrigators who must maintain them and interpret the data provided by the tool.

The best management practices do not set out to tell irrigators exactly how they should go about managing irrigation, or exactly what tools they need to use. These decisions are for individual irrigators to make, and will vary according to a whole range of site and irrigator specific factors.

• BMP 6: use more than one tool for scheduling irrigation.

All of the case study irrigators used a range of information sources in making the decision on when to irrigate and how much to apply. Typically, much of the decision relied on one particular tool, but other factors were taken into account. The most common and simplest included digging holes to check soil water, observation of the appearance of plants, and the checking of testwells or drain flows after irrigation and subsequent adjustment in practice at the next irrigation.

• BMP 7: retain control of irrigation scheduling.

With modern technology, it is possible to set up irrigation systems to operate entirely automatically, based on the readings from a probe or a set of probes. Along the same lines, it is easy to

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allow a consultant to dictate the irrigation schedule, based on his or her measurements, or to blindly irrigate because the tool being used indicates that it is time to. The case study irrigators all firmly held onto control of irrigation scheduling - that is, they took into account the data from the scheduling tool or the recommendation of the consultant, but retained the power to vary the schedule using their own judgement and the use of other tools.

• BMP 8: remain open to new information.

The case study irrigators cited a range of different ways in which they obtained access to information about irrigation. All of them saw this process as important, and were willing to talk to anyone with something to offer, even if they later discarded it as not applicable to their situation. In the case of larger, corporate operations, employee education was seen as important, as was encouraging the employees to make a meaningful contribution toward management decisions.

One extremely interesting observation was that the top performing irrigator in the citrus sample and the top performing irrigator in the wine grape sample have both been in the horticultural industry for only a short time (around five years). Both came into the industry with no prior knowledge, and learned by asking others and seeking out information from any source available.

Improving efficiency of irrigation Reference was made earlier to three requirements of irrigators in regard to efficiency of irrigation: suitable definitions of efficiency so that they can measure their performance, information to allow them to improve their performance, and the motivation to tackle the subject.

The third issue of motivation is vital, and so far unanswered.

Or is it? The process of benchmarking by which we have arrived at our efficiency comparisons and by which we have identified a suite of best management practices can also be a powerful tool to motivate irrigators to measure and improve their performance.

In many cases irrigators do not know how they rate in regard to crop management, including irrigation management. The benchmarking process provides a framework and methodology for benchmarking performance, which irrigators can use themselves to make their own benchmarking comparisons. This is an attractive proposition for two reasons.

Firstly, people like to look over the fence, to see how they compare with their neighbours. Irrigators are no exception. By providing simple, easily measured indicators, this methodology provides an easy and legitimate means by which meaningful comparisons between properties can be made. Such comparisons in themself can provide a strong incentive to improve, through the natural urge to “keep up with the Joneses”.

Secondly, by encouraging irrigators to spend time and energy going through the benchmarking process, there is far greater likelihood that they will actually make changes as a result. The effort put into benchmarking by irrigators is a large incentive to make meaningful changes in management practices, so as not to waste the effort already expended. This principle is sometimes referred to as “sweat equity”, or ownership through participation.

Source: Irrigation Efficiency – What Is It and Can We Improve It? information provided by South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) project work, funded by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (now MDBA). Full report available at: www.sardi.sa.gov.au.

18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

Now there is a new IPM option for the control of black scale in olives E.E.MUIR & SONS AND SYNGENTA ARE PLEASED TO PROVIDE TO THE OLIVE INDUSTRY THIS VERY EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR CONTROL OF BLACK SCALE. THE APVMA HAVE APPROVED A PERMIT (Permit No. PER13267) FOR USE OF INSEGAR IN OLIVES HOW TO USE INSEGAR • Use INSEGAR in a planned cost effective program as part of an overall multi –strategy method based on the history of the pest in the grove.

• Timing is everything. INSEGAR will only be effective at certain stages of the pest life cycle. Due to the nature of the pest, you will require two applications at least 10 days apart to ensure you get all susceptible stages at the correct time. The timing of treatment is determined according to scale development stage.

• Monitoring is esential. Commence adult scale observations early (in most districts this will occur during October) Hints on monitoring are available from E.E. Muir & Sons. Be sure to include the lower, inner and outer sections of the tree.

WHAT IS INSEGAR WG • INSEGAR is an Insect Growth regulator insecticide (Group 7B) that has been designed as an “IPMfriendly” solution for hard to control pests such as Black Olive Scale. It is an easy to use 600gm WG formulation.

• INSEGAR is toxicologically sound, beneficial friendly, has high level operator safety, is a good resistance breaker for OP-reliant groves, complements other IPM products such as predator releases and has good compatibility with other crop enhancement products. INSEGAR can be used a part of an Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) program.

• Apply INSEGAR at rate of 30-40 grams per 100L. Use sufficient water volumes as coverage is extremely important with INSEGAR. Do not use at concentrations of greater than 4X. E.E. Muir & Sons can offer advice on utilising beneficial insects which may assist in the overall control efforts • WHP : 60 Days after last application

FOR A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF HOW TO MONITOR FOR SCALE OR LEARN MORE ABOUT BENEFICIAL INSECTS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR NEAREST E.E.MUIR & SONS STORE. The information contained in this brochure is believed to be accurate. No responsibility is accepted in respect of this information, save those non-excludable conditions implied by any Federal or State legislation or law of a Territory. ® Registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company

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Awards

2013 Royal Perth Comp celebrates quality and community The 2013 Royal Perth EVOO Competition proved beyond doubt the egalitarian attitudes of our industry: 22 of the total 152 entries were welcomed from interstate producers, who also took home four of the 10 gold medals awarded.

It was among the silver medal winners, however, that Olivegrower found a great

story of just how embracing our industry is – and signs of a positive future for quality olive oil production among our future generations. The North Perth Primary School P & C won a silver medal for its Harvest 6006 Extra Virgin Olive Oil, putting them up there among some of our best producers. Theirs was

the first school entry in the history of the Perth Royal Competition but what makes their win even more remarkable is the incredible community effort involved in its production. Here’s their story, which we think reflects the important place EVOO has always had in community economies and life.

Kirstyn Johnson

P & C President North Perth Primary School In 2013 the North Perth Primary School community picked, pressed and produced its own extra virgin olive oil from local trees.

Our thriving inner-city Perth suburb was founded by Greeks, Italians and Macedonians, and the strong tradition of home kitchen gardens continues to this day. The olive trees you see on nearly every street are well established, bountiful, completely organic, lovingly neglected, of differing varieties, and ripe for the picking. Passing them daily, one especially ‘can-do’ school parent, Sonia Hills, conceived of using the olives for an innovative fundraising project that reflected the sort of community and area we’re proud to call home.

We are a school of green-thumbs, keen cooks and foodies. We work hard to retain our suburb’s migrant character – we’re sustainable, we’re entrepreneurial, we’re community minded, we live simply but we dream big.

Our knowledge of olives extended no further than that they are delicious, nutritious, and that the little ones often produced the most oil. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to see one of our children with purple stained hands from picking and squeezing olives on the walk home from school.

But with a sense of optimism and excitement we put the word out to our community, and were overwhelmed by the response, as households offered to pick their fruit for us, or let us into their yards and up on their fences to whack their trees. We sought permission from pubs, parks and residents, and chose a picking date largely at random.

Collecting the silver medal award was a far cry from their usual school support duties for North Perth Primary School P & C members (from left) Heather Wallace, Kati Tonkin, Victoria Bingham and Kirstyn Johnson.

Over 1000kg of olives were lovingly picked by hand, by both primary students and parents, one fine Saturday in May. The vast majority were from North Perth (around 80%) and the remainder from surrounding suburbs, along with a few crateloads from an olive grove near Toodyay whose owners heard about our project and generously offered to let us pick their trees.

We picked without prejudice – big, small, round, distinctively Kalamata-shaped, and, because we knew no better (and were relying on child labour), not even the green olives were left behind. It was a fantastic day for young and old – our youngest picker was only one and was responsible for picking up stray olives from the ground.

20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

They were carefully transported to York for pressing the next day, with not a single olive lost, and what resulted was over 100 litres of liquid gold. Arnaud from York Olives told us on the pressing day that the oil was good - very good - and after we tasted it, we agreed that it was prizewinning stuff.

With EVOO in hand, we partnered with the City of Vincent to cover pressing costs, sourced bottles (donated by a school family), labels (donated by Allmark, North Perth) and had two talented school parents design a label, and then set about bottling our completely cost-neutral oil in the school canteen.

Harvest 6006 Extra Virgin Olive Oil, named after our postcode and the place

Awards

2013 major awards Industry winners at this year’s show once again proved the diversity and quality of WA oils, with judges declaring the best oils “fresh and most importantly, complex in their aroma and flavour profiles ... diverse in their varietal make-up and overall style”.

Entries were up by 21% from 2012, also reflecting the favourable season experienced by many producers in 2013.

Major winners included:

Cobram Estate’s Neil Sanders, proudly bedecked in the company’s multiple awards at this year’s awards dinner

of its birth, has raised funds – we’ve make over $7,000 from the sale of our oil, every cent of which is invested into our children’s education. But more than that, it’s raised spirits, expanded communities, turned

•B est Oil of Show - Tarnagulla Farm of Balingup • B est Boutique Oil of Show - Karridale Olive Farm • B est Flavoured Oil of Show - Preston Valley Grove Chilli Pressed Oil • G old medals - Karridale Olive Farm, (Karridale, WA), Meelup Grove, (Dunsborough, WA), Tarnagulla Farm (Balingup, WA), Burnbrae, (Donnybrook, WA); Torbay Olives, (Albany, WA); Cobram Estate (Boort, VIC) – 2 Gold, Rosto Mellow (Woollahra, NSW), Lomondo Olive Oil (Mudgee, NSW) and Regans Ford Estate, (Gingin).

fussy kids into oil barons, and parents into primary producers.

We think it’s light on the palate, slightly green, with a peppery aftertaste, and we can’t wait to hear what people think of it. We

Mick Ryan of Preston Valley Grove won the Best Flavoured Oil of Show for the second year running.

think they like it, as we sold out at a local farmers’ market in the first week. But now that we know we’re onto something, we’re planning to make this an annual project, with a bigger and better haul next year.

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21

Awards

Big River’s Frank DiGirolamo took his whole family – including grand-children – to the awards dinner to share in the celebration of his Best of Show - EVOO win..

OSA & RAS Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Table Olive Competition The medals were spread far and wide at this year’s Olives South Australia & Royal Adelaide Show Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Table Olive Competition awards presentation, with producers from across the state sharing the medal accolades.

Interstate producers also made their mark, including gold medals to two New South Wales and Tasmanian produced oils.

A total of 82 entries were received across the 10 classes, coming from South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. That meant some tough competition for the local producers, with the standard of oils generally from the 2013 season reported as exceptionally high.

SA producers did their state proud, however, taking out the top awards across both the olive oil and table olive categories.

Best of Show went to Big River Olives, a boutique producer

from Mypolonga on the River Murray, having taken top gold in the Boutique Single Estate Grown category with an impressive 18.5 point score.

The Top Gold Award for Small Producers went to Michael Johnston of Michaels Olives for his Correggiolla, grown at Willunga on the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula, while Johnston’s ‘neighbours’, Willunga’s Diana Olive Press, took out the Processor Award. The award is presented to the most consistently performing processor in the show, and it’s probably no coincidence that Johnston’s Top Gold Correggiolla was processed by Diana Olive Press.

The Best in Show award for Table Olives was awarded to McLaren Vale producer Coriole for their Giant Kalamatas, making it a clean sweep for the state’s southern producers across the major awards.

22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

Awards

Major awards • Best of Show – EVOO: Big River Olives • Top Gold Award – EVOO: Michael Johnston, Michaels Olives • Processor Award – EVOO: Diana Olive Press • Best in Show - Table Olives: Coriole, Giant Kalamata Gold Medals • Class 1 - Boutique Single Estate Grown: Big River Olives (SA) • Class 2 - Maxi Single Estate Grown: Kangaroo Paw Oil & Sundry (SA); Rosto Grove, Rosto Extra Oomph (NSW) • Class 3 - Multi Estate Grown: Diana Olive Oil, Diana Novello Extra Virgin Olive Oil (SA) • Class 4 - Non-packaged: Nangkita Olives – Frantoio (SA); Nangkita Olives – Koroneiki (SA) • Class 5 - Micro Volume: Peter Henning, Lentara (TAS); Michael Johnston, Michaels Olives (SA) • Class 7 - Green olives, plain: Coriole Verdale Olives (SA) • No gold medals were awarded in classes 6, 8, 9 and 10.

For a full list of winners go to: www.australianolives.com.au.

Table olives judge Michelle Wirthensohn presented the award for Best of Show - Table Olives to Mark Lloyd of Coriole Vineyards.

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Awards

Olives South Australia president Richard Whiting said the overall standard of entries was excellent, with the oils full of flavour and freshness, reflecting the fantastic growing season. And while entries were down on the competition’s historical high of 140, there was “a healthy increase” on last year’s numbers, again reflecting the better harvest in 2013.

Every olive tells a story Like most of the industry, South Australia’s producers reflect the diversity of our industry, and they have some great stories.

Big River’s Frank DiGirolamo is an Italian, who chose Murray Bridge as a site for his grove because it was like the Meditteranean.

Passionate about both his olive oil and his family, all of Frank’s grandchildren have been baptised with his oil, which he donates to the Catholic Church. The oil is blessed at Adelaide’s St Francis Cathedral and the sacramental oil then used for baptisms and other ceremonies in congregations across the state.

Frank also won at this year’s AOA national competition, and was so thrilled with his local win that he took his whole family – including grand-children – to the awards dinner to share in the celebrations.

Top Gold winner Michael Johnston is a retired pharmacist, who now puts his time and energy into producing “medicine” of a different kind. He was “quite chuffed” to receive the award, and says he “gets a real kick out of producing as good a product as I can to share with other people”.

Like DiGirolamo, he believes SA is blessed as far as olive production is concerned, the state’s Meditterranean climate making “pretty well every area conducive to olive growing”.

That said, he admits that olive production is “still a bit of a mystery – they’re a law unto themselves”, he said.

Rosemary and Michael Johnston of Michael’s Olives took top gold for at the 2013 awards, yet Johnston admits that olive production is “a bit of a mystery”.

To subscribe and for more information visit www.olivebiz.com.au

Grove sale sign of a positive trend In the September edition of Olivegrower & Processor, we reported on a renewed interest in olive groves being experienced by real estate agents Knight Frank. The selling agents had received multiple expressions of interest for a substantial grove at Coonalpyn, in South Australia’s south-east, and as Olivegrower went to print, were in discussions with interested parties.

In early October Knight Frank announced that the grove had been sold to an overseas investor with NSW business interests for $1.65 million. The deal included a land holding of 965 hectares, 119,000 olive trees encompassing six varieties and water licences for 1,523 megalitres . A portion of the land

is protected by a native vegetation heritage agreement and therefore unable to be developed.

Knight Frank sales and leasing executive Garry Partington said there was strong interest throughout the campaign, reinforcing their earlier reports of new enthusiasm for the olive industry and olive grove sales.

“We had strong interest from a large number of parties in what is reportedly a tough market, which was refreshing,” Partington said.

“A lot of the enquiries were interstate and overseas investors, including the successful purchaser. We have a lot of active buyers who clearly see an upside in Australian agriculture.”

24 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2013 • Issue 91

Packaging

New UK labelling gives EVOO the red light The adoption of a ‘traffic-light’ food labelling system in the UK is a worrying move for our industry, meaning olive oil would automatically be designated within the unhealthy ‘red’ category. This would include extra virgin grade olive oil, despite its scientifically-proven and unilaterally accepted health benefits.

Nutrition labels are being adopted increasingly by food producers across the globe and the best format for such labelling has been widely debated and researched in recent years. The topic is seen as an important one in overall health-promotion/ anti-obesity strategies, providing both the primary source of information for shoppers at purchase point and the opportunity to influence consumers to make better food choices.

A number of formats are currently in use internationally, causing confusion among consumers and complex labelling issues for exporting food producers. As a solution, in 2010 the European Parliament introduced a uniform system of nutrition labelling across the EU, with the use of guideline daily amounts (GDA) for front-of-pack labelling deemed by most the appropriate format.

In June, however, the UK launched a new standardised food packaging program based on the ‘traffic light’ system – healthy foods = green, moderately healthy foods = yellow and unhealthy foods = red. Limits for categories are strictly defined, and differentiated for food and drink products. The traffic light colourcoding will be accompanied by nutritional information, however GDAs will now be replaced by ‘reference intakes’ showing the percentage of maximum daily intakes for fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories contained in 100g of each product.

All of the country’s major supermarkets have registered for the program, however its voluntarily status is predicted to limit its use to around 60% of food products. Several major retailers, including Cadbury and Coca-Cola, have also refused to sign up to the scheme.

The Health Department’s enthusiasm for the benefits of the new system has been echoed by health and consumer organisations, who see it as a major leap forward in helping consumers make healthier food choices.

But when it means that EVOO will be tagged ‘red’ for its high (healthy, mono-unsaturated) fat content, how will that help shoppers know that it’s a better choice than its red-labelled counterparts butter – or even lard? For busy consumers hurrying through their shopping, the additional information on saturated and unsaturated fat content will undoubtedly have far less impact on decision making.

We’ll continue with this important issue in the next edition, looking at the new five-star labelling system being adopted by in Australia.

Sources: www.theconversation.com; www.independent.co.uk.

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 25

New Zealand

President Andrew Taylor (left) did the honours with the Imerys Talc Best Processor Trophy, presented to Graham Keen of Canterbury Olive Processors Ltd.

Head judge Sue Langstaff (left) presented the Andy Rozanowski Memorial Best in Show Trophy to Annette and Chris Moore of Robinsons Bay Grove, Akaroa.

NZ award winners “world class” “World class” was the description used by international judges for the winning oils in this year’s New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Awards. The 2013 harvest was a bountiful one across most of the country, with quality matching quantity and making for a tough competition. Tough for the judges, that is, with an increased number of entries and the standard bar set impressively high.

Akaroa producer Robinsons Bay Olives took out the coveted 2013 Best in Show award for its Grove Blend, as well as Best in Class in the Commercial Medium Blend. Judges described the oil as having “a striking green herb aroma, balanced on nose and palate, ripe fruit flavours” and, understatedly, “a real beauty”.

Owned by Chris and Annette Moore, the 1000-tree grove also took Best in Show in 2012, along with numerous medals in that and other competitions in recent years.

The Best in Boutique category was won by Juno Olive Grove, Wairarapa for its Juno Koroneiki. Described as having “aromas of fig leaf, olive leaf and artichoke; good balance with a warm finish”, the award provided owners Ian and Karen Juno with a welldeserved career highlight after consistent medal wins in previous years.

Major awards Best in Show: Robinsons Bay Grove Blends, Canterbury Best in Boutique: Juno Koroneiki, Wairarapa Best in Class (all commercial) Light – Blends: Parkhill Olives Delicate, Auckland Light – Single Varietal: Moutohora Picual, Bay of Plenty Medium – B lends: Robinsons Bay Grove Blend, Canterbury Intense – Blends: Old French Road Blend, Canterbury Medium – S ingle Varietal: Weka Koroneiki, Nelson Intense – S ingle Varietal: Dali Picual, Wairarapa Special Awards Best Label: Matapiro Estate Blends, Hawkes Bay Best Processor: C anterbury Olive Processors Ltd, Canterbury Industry Innovation: T he Olive Press Ltd, Wairarapa

Other noteworthy awards include Best Label, won by Hawkes Bay producer Matapiro Estate, Best Processor, awarded to Canterbury Olive Processors, and Industry Innovation, presented to The Olive Press at Wairarapa.

Medals were spread across all of New Zealand’s growing regions, with 22 to Wairarapa, 11 to Hawke’s Bay, 10 to Kapiti, eight to Auckland, six to Canterbury, five to Nelson, three each to Waiheke Island and Bay of Plenty and one to Northland. The total tally was 11 Gold, 47 Silver and 11 Bronze, an impressive result from 75 entries.

The quality of entries certainly made an impact on chief international judge Sue Langstaff, as did the structure and organisation of the competition.

“I recently judged at the Los Angeles County Fair Show, which attracts a huge international entry. The oils I tasted for the New Zealand Awards were predominantly up there with the best internationally. I was also impressed with the professional way the competition was run, and that all entrants must have been formally assessed as Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a condition of entry.”

Olives New Zealand executive officer Gayle Sheridan said the organisation’s aim is for a competition of the highest calibre, which not only celebrates the country’s best producers but also provides a practical benefit for its members.

“We have positioned the EVOO Awards at the highest level in terms of the judging panel and procedures,” she said.

“We have a mix of international and NZ judges, and all have to be formally trained and experienced. The international judges in particular allow us to obtain a benchmarking of NZ oils to international oils.

“We also do not let judges enter the awards, an increasing topic of debate in competitions around the world.

“These operational aspects mean it’s an expensive event to run but they also make it premium event, and more useful for those entering in terms of the information they gain from having their oils tasted.

“Publicity since the event has had a great return in terms of increased sales, but just as valuable is the constructive feedback which producers get. By using that, they can make better decisions in the future about timing of harvesting, processing and whether to blend or keep with varietals.”

26 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

New Zealand

Value-adding to the Olives New Zealand awards weekend was an excusrsion to the Old French Road grove at Akaroa, where the terrior provides a unique - and highly successful - environment for table olives.

Regional workshops The awards dinner was just one part of a week packed with industry learning and activities. During the week following the awards, Olives NZ took the judges on a tour of the various olive producing regions, during which head judge Sue Langstaff held a series of five regional tasting workshops.

“Producers brought along their oils and Sue ran through them, making comment on each individually. It wasn’t always complementary but she was able to give them constructive feedback, including advice on blending where the oils needed more complexity,” Sheridan said.

“We saw it as an opportunity to value-add for our members even for those who don’t enter the awards, as all had access to these workshops. We even had some non-members who attended for a fee, which showed us just how important an opportunity it was.”

Feedback from the weekend supports that feeling, with ONZ members Jan Whyte and Niall Holland describing the weekend as “exceptionally valuable”.

“Combining a weekend of educational activities with the awards is a really valuable use of time and resources, in this case the special skills of a remarkable taster and teacher.

“Sue did a superb presentation. The pace of the day was just right for learning and the structured system for tasting helped us to all to understand much better both the techniques of tasting and the things we need to look for. It was also very valuable to understand the differences between the certification and judging processes and the standards applied to each.

“Most impressive of all was to observe the consistency of judgment that a skilled taster like Sue can achieve. It serves to give us all great confidence in the process.”

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Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 27

Business

Media-savvy marketing Marketing your business is an integral part of ensuring its success, and arguably as important as the quality of the product you make. Opportunities to promote your brand often arise at unexpected times. Do you have the resources on hand to make the most of them? In this and following editions, we’ll look at the potential for marketing through media opportunities: how to identify them, the materials you need to utilise those opportunities, and how to get them in place and organised.

The call Joe Jones is in a rush, finishing off a few last bits of paperwork before he heads to the airport. He’s flying out to the New York International EVOO Competition in three hours.

The phone rings. It’s a journalist from a national publication, wanting to do a story on his surprise Best of Show win at the previous night’s regional awards.

Free press - great opportunity, Jack thinks, but he’s got a plane to catch.

Joe: “Look, I’d love to but I’m just heading off to New York so I really don’t have time now.”

Journo: “I just need five minutes and a couple of quotes.

Then if you email through some background and product information, and some good high-quality images, I can get whatever else I need from that.”

The five minutes and quotes were easily provided. The rest just wasn’t going to happen in the time Joe had to play with.

He’d long been meaning to put some background information together but there’d always been something else to do, and when he did get some spare time there was no immediate call for it, so it just didn’t seem that important.

And he’d actually taken a few pictures now and then around the grove and processing operation but they were somewhere in the huge folder of downloaded images on his computer, unidentifiable from the 1000+ others in there. Along with the ones of the kids, holidays and other life events, each was just another jpeg file number.

Joe: “I’ve got some images somewhere but it’d take me hours to trawl through and find them. And I haven’t got anything written down about what we do, except for some tasting notes on the varietal oils. How about I give you a call when I get back next week and tell you all about us then?”

Time is of the essence Unfortunately for Joe, the journalist was three days from deadline.

He hung up and called the winner of the Best Table Olive of Show award – by chance another previously unknown producer, so an equally interesting subject – who provided not only the five minutes and quotes, but also background and product information via email and a link to access the downloadable photo library on his website.

When the next edition of the publication arrived in Jones’ letterbox a few weeks later, the Best Table Olive winner was the front cover feature story – and Jones got a mention in the listing of major awards.

It was the ultimate missed opportunity, and is a perfect example of the marketing opportunities which constantly bypass so many in the olive industry.

So why did Jones miss out? Firstly, he wasn’t organised and secondly, he’s not a media-savvy marketer so he didn’t identify his show win as news. If he was, he’d have spent whatever time he had available getting details of his win out to as many sources as possible. And with a bit of luck, he would have ended up with media coverage which provided him with both brand recognition and – most importantly – increased sales.

What IS news?

When it comes to promoting your business, the simple rule is that when you’ve got something happening, get it out there. You may not think it’s news but it may well be of interest to consumers or others in the industry. And the quirkier the better – yours may just be the “left of centre” story a journalist or publisher needs to add some spark to the next edition. Alternatively, they may be feeling nostalgic for the old days and ways, and the retirement of your grandfather from the family business might be right up their story idea alley.

‘Best practice’ for the media-savvy marketer: • Know your brand profile and marketing messages • Have background information on grove, brand, key players and products • Keep the information up to date and accurate • When you achieve, put it out there • When you have a story to share, put it out there • Relevance is all-important: provide information specific to each situation • Provide dot point information and quotes, don’t write the article yourself • Accumulate a library of high-quality images of your people, products and property • Faces need names – keep a record of the people in your images • File it all with easily identifiable names in a Media or Marketing folder 28 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

Business

than you would. And let’s face it, most olive producers do what they do because they’re good at producing oil or olives, not at writing. So provide the information and leave the creative writing aspect to the professional you’re working with.

Which is another important point: a good article is the result of a team effort between the subject and the writer. You need to provide them with the information they need, and they need to represent you and your products and business in a way that truly reflects what you do. It’s therefore important that the information you provide is relevant to the subject, not just general promotion of your business. Again, relevance is allimportant.

es

ag m I a i d e M

“Homework”

Providing information Most importantly, keep it succinct – send them a tome with 13 attachments and they’ll relegate it straight to the recycle bin. Most publications are understaffed now, and journos are too busy to wade through waffle. They’re also constantly on deadline. But they’ll skim a decent-looking release and, if they decide it’s a newsworthy story, chase further details.

So send out a brief media release, including the basics about your achievement, innovation or whatever, a few salient, relevant (and preferably eloquent) quotes, and contact details for further information and images. Nothing may come of it, or you may be inundated with journos wanting to do a story, but either way it’s worth a try. And if you’re organised, with information and a mailing list on hand, it’s not going to take a big chunk out of your day.

And “media release” doesn’t mean you have to format it as one or officially call it that. If it’s more your style then just send out a friendly email with the information – your job is olives after all, not PR.

Hopefully this has got you thinking about your business and the marketing resources you have – or don’t have. We’ll bring you part 2 of this feature, focusing on images as part of your marketing resources, in the next edition. And in the meantime, here’s something to contemplate when you’re weighing up how relevant what you’ve just read is to your business: What’s more important: the quality of the product or the quality of the marketing? You can make the best EVOO in the world but to sell it, you have to bring it to the attention of the consumer – and the right consumer. The reality is that a commercial grade producer with a great marketer and a high public profile can achieve far greater success than a premium grade producer which nobody knows about.

Look for part 2 in the March 2014 edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

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Contact details Provide contact details for the relevant person/people for media to speak with and if it’s not you, check their availability and provide those details too. Then let those people know they may be called and why - no one likes to be caught on the hop.

Giving them the chance to prepare the facts or information they need – or even the way they’d like to word something – will make everyone more comfortable, and provide a far more valuable outcome. It’s a team effort so make sure everyone’s in the loop and happy to be a part of the process.

The details Once you’ve got someone interested in telling your story, you need to be able to follow through with more detail. Generally the full history of your business falls in the “too much information” basket. On the other hand, it may be relevant if the set up (dry grown, organic/biodynamic) is integral to the news issue, or if it was your retiring grandfather who planted the original trees in your grove 35 years ago. Focus on the “news” topic and let relevance be your guide.

Provide the information as dot points, don’t try to write the story yourself. It’ll take a lot of your time and it’s rare they’ll use much – or any – of it: every writer will take a different bent for their article and may want to emphasise different elements

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Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 29

Business

Surviving (and thriving in) big retail Andrew Monk

Managing director of Mulching Technologies; chair of Australian Organic

Three in four organic products are bought at supermarkets; Coles and Woolworths each carry over 500 lines. Some producers baulk at supplying supermarkets, arguing that they lose control of the price and supermarkets erode margins over time. As a farmer, Andrew Monk supplied supermarkets and says while they make some farms viable, it’s not for the faint-hearted. He shares advice about surviving and thriving as a supermarket-supplying grower.

Whatever your opinion of ‘big retail’, it is a gravity point for growing volumes of organic produce and the reason for some organic producers’ viability. For every story of success and fortune in dealing with this retail sector, there are easily two of failure and tears. There are many reasons for this.

The high demand for organic produce means large supermarkets are reliant upon many small producers to maintain adequate supply, which means there is arguably a suppliers’ market for some lines.

However, don’t count on this lasting forever, nor base your business model on such a situation.

You may wish to strike out on your own, as I did. We had a family farm in Queensland that supplied gourmet vegetables to both the major supermarket chains, as well as other independent retail and restaurant markets.

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Our supply experience Looking back at the decade of dealing directly with Coles and Woolworths, we possibly enjoyed a golden age. Relationships were closer and simpler, with less centralisation of supply requirements. The main principles, however, are the same now as they were then: guard yourself and your business from the risks and threats inherent in dealing with this retail sector.

The Queensland farm was an optimal primary production venture – a unique, quality offering, reasonable prices and value adding – and we did enjoy a very good time with the experience.

Just 50% of our produce found its way to the certified organic market because organic was then in an early phase.

We sold to the wholesale markets and delivered direct to some larger-volume restaurants and retailers, spreading our risk and taking different prices accordingly.

Communication and planning with your buyer is critical. We had an open book with our buyers in terms of production realities, including costs; this doesn’t always work and can be abused in some sectors. Consequently we built up strong trust and this direct link with buyers stood us in good stead when we needed to renegotiate prices or other terms.

Sure, throughout there were always the additional pressures of wearing extra costs, such as pallet rentals, label changes and other packaging specifications, and food safety and quality management provisions unique to specific retailers. Any business faces these pressures, and they need to be carefully monitored so that the ultimate costs still deliver a sustainable margin over the cycle.

We also had a very good and close relationship with the other producers – critical in ensuring consistency of supply, as we didn’t expect we could supply it all ourselves 365 days of the year.

The set-up Were we large or did we have to keep growing our own primary base because we were supplying supermarkets? No. Our home farm, which housed the processing shed, was only two hectares, though we relied on two other farm blocks in the district as well as interstate produce to supplement and supply for the off-season months so we could remain a one-stop shop for our customers. On the farm we employed six people for nine months of the year and three right through the year.

Did we move towards monoculture farming as a consequence of supplying big retail? We were maybe lucky in some ways because our core product (salad mix and other leafy vegetables) contained a mixture of plants, including brassica types (good for rotations and disease suppression) and even edible flowers in the early years. We weathered some difficulties: product not meeting

30 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

Business

specifications when bought in from external farmers; ravaging storms that laid waste to months of farm work; sudden drops in demand that left us stranded with excess produce; and sudden changes in buyers within the supermarket chain, which led to chaos and confusion at times (possibly one of the highest risks, above even that of the weather, to manage).

The key issue – the biggest risk and challenge – is to create and manage excellent relationships and trust along the supply chain from producer to buyer. This takes a lot of time, and many long meetings and other social contact. You need to know whether you are up for this, or whether you want someone else to do this for you.

Recommendations Quickly diversify your selling options; don’t trade only with one buyer and retailer. Have a range of marketing options, including non-big-retail and, for bigger producers, some export options.

Invest in maintaining loyalty and consistency of supply. This sometimes means foregoing additional price premiums in the short term on the open market if supply is short. You will be replaced as a preferred supplier if you aren’t loyal.

Make the decision to sell to big retail with a long-term view, as establishment costs can be high (including what appear to be foregone prices). Look three years out and more, particularly if you have had to leverage your business on reasonable levels of debt, asking yourself the question, “Will I still be trading with these people then and if so, what does that need to look like for me to have a viable business?”

Innovate to protect the value of your product via quality, uniqueness and other attributes that your business can more effectively supply than anyone else. No market is protected or will remain a dream market forever. It requires constant rethinking and new offerings, no matter how clever your current product offer is.

Work on a relationship with the retailer that goes beyond just one individual (in both your and the retailer’s business), to build trust, a shared planning horizon and a general understanding of your business and your needs.

Be ahead of the curve rather than wait to be told to do something, particularly when it comes to quality and food safety management.

Integrate such requirements as part of doing good business, not because a standard such as food safety says you have to do it.

Don’t think you can do it alone. Collaboration and co-operative marketing is not for all, nor always the most effective way to market, but for many sectors or products it remains so. Invest heavily in relationships and trust-building within your network of supply, which inevitably means sharing profits and market share, managing the tendency to control and take a lion’s share.

Be informed about the growing private label market: big retail companies own their own brands and often will demand that you supply to their private label before you get the chance to place your own brand and label in their stores. Only you can decide whether your business model can support going down that track. In the last decade the game has changed, often making this not an option but a crude reality – particularly for fresh produce, dairy and meat.

Most controversial is the issue of price. Competitors can enter the market and out-price you. Attempting to keep prices inflated can actually attract competitors into your space – a balancing act indeed and no recipe book here!

However, if you under-price your business and products, you may struggle and possibly go out of business. Develop the skill of knowing when to say no and walk away.

Big retail This brings us full circle to the point about big retail: the sector does some things increasingly well, including moving large volumes of products to the majority of Australians on a daily basis at incredibly efficient rates of handling per unit (albeit mostly at the expense of today’s suppliers).

Remember too, notwithstanding what we hear in the media from the ACCC and supermarket bashers, that these retailers all have competitors, including Costco, Aldi, Foodland and IGA, which are growing and clawing back some market share, as well as other able independent retailers that are building multiple presence.

The industry is peppered with tales of businesses offering their product to one retailer and not being accepted based on price or offering, only to find an avid ally in another. In time the first retailer often comes back knocking on their door.

There is significant competitive pressure in the Australian market.

The challenge is more about which areas you plan to supply, and working hard on your research and relationships in those markets.

Why I wrote this Far from being an apologist for big retail’s position of strength, I intend for this insight to be a useful map for those taking the pathway of sustainable supply and business growth with big retail in Australia, and also to help others to decide to simply stay away and invest in other marketing channels.

This article was contributed by Australian Organic, incorporating Australian Certified Organic (www.aco.net.au) and Organic Growers of Australia (www.organicgrowers.org.au). For more information go to www.austorganic.com.

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31

Talking points

Amanda Bailey

The Olive Centre

Marketing: practical communication, not rocket science Calls for help Many times I have received correspondence like this: “I took the first real crop off this year and was delighted to produce our first oil. Now I have to do something with it. Does anyone purchase bulk oil from small farms? I don’t really want to attend farmers markets every weekend to sell my oil. Please help.”

It seems many growers launched into the industry on “let’s plant olives”, with marketing this ‘thing’ in the distance to attend to in years to come.

Can you market?

So where to from here, with a volume of oil sitting in the tank and nowhere to go?

Why hasn’t marketing been thought of before by this producer - or has it but not acted upon? Is there a reluctance to dealing with the marketing side of business? I asked growers: the main reasons for ‘marketing reluctance’ seem to be producers’ beliefs that they don’t possess the ability to market because (a) they’re not good at it or (b) competing with supermarket oils is difficult or (c) consumers don’t want to pay the price of good oil or (d) I don’t have the time ... and there are many more reasons.

Point #1: whether you have the ‘believed ability’ to market (or not) will determine your level of marketing success. If you have a problem with promotion it’s because you don’t fully believe in your product or you don’t believe in yourself!

What are you in the business of?

Let’s look at how growers are positioning themselves with consumers via their websites. There seem to be some common missing elements. The biggest one is telling consumers, usually in a short and punchy sentence, what your business is. I’m not talking about the fact that you supply EVOO, but rather why you do.

What benefit do they get by buying your product?

Here’s an example: hardware stores don’t sell you a 9mm drill bit, they sell you the way to make the 9mm hole you need.

And here’s an example of one website which explains this perfectly. Redisland says: “WE MAKE FOOD FABULOUS” and puts it smack bang in the middle of the page, in prominent text. This is how you drive consumer engagement – with immediate impact.

Point #2: how do consumers relate to you once they see your information? Do they even read it? Everything you do is for them, so you need to align your message to the right type of consumer.

What IS a consumer?

Olive oil consumers can be defined by three segments, each with different needs: • price driven (budget consumers) • quality driven (aspiring consumers) • sophisticated (consumers driven by country of origin and quality - connoisseurs).

One can assume that growth in consumption will be mostly due to the demand of consumers concerned about the quality of their diet rather than the relative product price. Over time, as consumers become more knowledgeable and experience fresh products, they will become more sophisticated and upgrade to higher quality olive oil.

Point #3: no matter where you are positioned in the industry, you need a strategy to target consumers from any of these groups. But what is the right consumer for you, or who does your consumer need to be? Before you plan your marketing, identify YOUR consumer.

Don’t market with price Quality is the differentiating factor in all olive oils, not price. A low-cost scenario to

32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

compete is not feasible: production costs vary in the different industry segments and will be higher for boutique growers than mainstream groves, so it is ridiculous to think you can compete in the same space or at the same price point. Compete on quality and flavour, and benchmark against other boutique producers, not large ‘quantities of scale’ producers.

Point #4: consumers need to understand that with olive oil, quality generally equates to price – and many don’t even realise there are differing grades of oil. Education is the key, and you need to be armed with the right answers.

“I don’t have the time for marketing” If this is you, what exactly do you think marketing is? There are so many ways to market. Some of the more traditional ways, which are usually more time consuming, may not be for you and you may be spending more time marketing than the benefits you’re gaining.

Consideration #5: you need a new plan, and an integrated one if possible, that looks at various ways of communicating with your consumer. Start by asking yourself different questions ... you may come up with some new answers.

Consumers don’t want to pay the price of good oil For you to think this you must have been speaking to consumers and getting some knockbacks. The answer is to convert them by educating them, so if you are engaged in a conversation with a consumer be armed with information – and preferably your EVOO. Many consumers believe that a $5 bottle of Italian olive oil from the supermarket is the bee’s knees simply because it is Italian (this consumer really needs to be educated!) So you need to redefine the consumer experience: tell them about freshness and its affect on flavour and

Talking points

What does your consumer want?

With product development, large companies invest big dollars to determine what consumers think, feel and like. In a boutique scenario the idea is generally “I’ll create the product and then go and sell it”, where as “I’ll learn what the market needs, then create the product to satisfy that need” is a far more successful approach.

Point #7: you are working for your consumer, so deliver what they want. Farmers markets can be a great way of testing products on a small (and low-cost) scale, to gain insight into how a product might be received.

Let’s not use the ‘marketing’ word If you think of marketing as jumping hurdles or are scared off by the term, then call it something else like ‘communicating’ or ‘awareness’. Then you might not hold yourself back. Try some activities on a small scale; it won’t cost a lot if the initiative isn’t successful. And always keep your mind open to opportunities - you never know where conversations or ideas may lead.

Point #8: look at the volume of product you need to sell, then find a strategy that will enable you to successfully sell your product at that scale. Look at the various ways you can communicate or create awareness of your product to produce those sales.

The first point of contact

Be interactive Here is a true story of a boutique grower’s simple yet effective marketing technique, ‘olive oil dipping nights’.

Keep it in perspective Marketing your brand is not out of your scope. Give some simple messages about the local/freshness factors and, more importantly, give your consumer an opportunity to try your product – the superior freshness and flavour is your best marketing tool. Gain exposure in whatever way you can, and I’m sure you’ll be well on your way to marketing success.

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The label on your product is usually the first point of contact with the consumer. The information provided enables them to make a purchasing decision. Consumers are embracing the Australian made & grown message, so promote your local provenance. Listing a harvest date on your label will also give an indication of freshness.

Point #9(a): review your label. Evaluate the information provided.

Is there enough to align the consumer to your brand? List harvest and best before dates, and include the word ‘fresh’ to enable consumers to make a determination about the superior benefits of your product.

Alternatively, your website or on-line presence may be your first point of contact. What does your customer see when they first look at your website. Does it drive them to read the information? Refer to point #2 above.

Social media is increasingly popular among consumers, and may also be your ‘pick-up’ point. Starting conversations or sharing information can be done through your online network, and it’s easy once you know how to navigate the system. Social media sites are free to utilise, so arm yourself with some basic information and get started!

Point #9(b): if you haven’t tried social media before, give it a go and see if this is a way you can market your products online. I’ve seen lots of posts on awards and articles about olive oil and health which can be shared around to spread the word. This strategy is free, just some time is needed. As little or as much as you are willing to commit will provide you with an online presence, and a potential new market.

“As a boutique grower, I do not subscribe to the belief that my oil must go through a distributor, with professional marketing persons each taking a cut from our profits. I operate by word of mouth and have a very successful ‘sideline’ to my normal day-to-day job.

What many producers miss/forget is that our oil is far, far superior to anything purchased off the shelf. I am selling 300ml bottles for $12 and my clients think it’s too cheap for the quality – they equate it to comparing Maseratis to Commodores. I sell 10 bottles at a time to one person. They have created ‘olive oil dipping nights’, where they invite many guests and dip bread in the oil. The next day they are back to buy more.

It’s not hard to get the word out: simple comments to owners of food outlets passed on your daily coffee trek, or to persons at work, mentions in casual conversation, are all that’s needed to start the big ball rolling. I’m amazed at people’s response”.

Point #10: try something new. Make a list of others in your area who you can contact to help you spread the word. Can you work through your local school and help with fundraising via a percentage of sales? Think about health organisations, sporting groups, kids’ or parents’ clubs (i.e. where your target healthconscious consumer might be).

OLEA CON

health benefits, and then when they taste a real EVOO for the first time, you’ll have them hooked.

Point #6: go get those answers. Ask questions, read, or pick your fellow growers’ brains to get the right information. Then create a compelling experience for your consumer.

The Complete Grove Management Solution

• • • • •

Contract Mechanical Harvesting Mechanical Pruning and Mulching Weed and Pest Management Slashing Foliar Spraying and Fertiliser application • Horticultural Consultancy • Irrigation and Fertigation Planning and Management.

Call Simon Thomas on 0418 136 040 to discuss your grove’s next upcoming task.

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 33

Olives & Health

Health round-up Continuing our regular round-up of the latest relevant health research from around the world, to keep you up to date and in the know …

Olive oil decreases risk of colorectal cancer Researchers at Oxford University’s Institute of Health Sciences have found that a diet rich in olive oil is associated with a decreased risk of developing colorectal cancer. The correlation occurred irrespective of fruit and vegetable consumption, generally believed to be strongly related to colorectal cancer risk.

The study used international data on cancer rates and food supply, including olive oil consumption, to compare the relationship between colorectal cancer rates and 10 dietary factors in populations of 28 countries. More than threequarters of the inter-country variation in colorectal cancer incidence rates reflected an increased incidence of colorectal

cancer associated with a diet containing both meat and fish, while a decreased incidence was associated with regular olive oil consumption.

Hypothesising the results, the researchers believe an increased production of bile acids from a high meat intake causes reduced enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, leading to changes in the mucosal lining of the bowel, polyp formation, and adenoma/carcinoma. Bile acid production was reduced by consumption of olive oil, maintaining DAO levels protecting the bowel lining.

Source: www.newsfix.ca.

... and risk of stroke by 41% A survey carried out by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux has found that people who eat olive oil have a 41% lower chance of suffering a stroke than those who never eat it.

The study observed 7,625 people aged 65 and over who had never had a stroke. Along with diet, other risk factors including physical activity and weight were assessed. Olive oil consumption in particular was studied, with non-eaters placed in the user categories of ‘none’, those using olive oil in cooking, or as a dressing or with bread as ‘moderate’, and aficionados using it for all purposes rated as ‘intensive’ users.

The researchers concluded that if you want to live to a ripe old

age, you should join the intensive users, with olive oil having a beneficial effect on the rate of stroke. The omega-6 fats in olive oil are known to block the body’s response to inflammation in chronic conditions like heart disease and arthritis, and also reduce blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major cause of stroke among the elderly.

“Stroke is so common in older people and olive oil would be an inexpensive and easy way to help prevent it,” the researchers said.

“A new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in people aged 65 and older.”

Source: www.onlinenews.com.pk.

… while also protecting from brain disease Greek researchers have conducted a review of 22 medical studies and confirmed that adherence to a Mediterranean diet may reduce not only the risk of stroke but also Parkinson’s disease and brain-related conditions such as depression and cognitive impairment.

Numerous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can protect from various diseases of the brain, the effect variously attributed to the consumption of multiple foods rich in antioxidants (including olive oil) or the health benefits of individual foods in the diet (particularly extra virgin olive oil).

Published in the journal Annals of Neurology, the study was a meta-analysis of eligible studies around stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive impairment and depression. Focussing on the correlation with adherence to the Mediterranean diet,

the researchers found that high adherence was consistently associated with a reduced risk of stroke, depression and cognitive impairment. Moderate adherence was strongly associated with a reduced risk of depression and cognitive impairment, while the effects were lessened in relation to stroke at this level of dietary adherence.

Two findings were of particular note: that the protective effects of high adherence to the diet appeared independent of age in relation to the onset of depression, but with moderate adherence only the protective effect was less with increased age; and that the protective effect from depression was observed in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries.

Source: www.oliveoiltimes.com

34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

Olives & Health

… and lowering breast cancer risk A study by researchers from Northwestern University, Illinois has linked olive oil consumption with a decreased risk of developing breast cancer.

In a laboratory study, the researchers looked at the effects of a fatty acid found in olive oil, oleic acid, on breast cancer itself and also on the breast cancer treatment drug Herceptin.

They found that oleic acid significantly reduced levels of a protein produced by the breast cancer gene known as Her-2/ neu. The gene appears in about a fifth of breast cancer patients and is associated with very aggressive tumors.

Results also showed that a combination of oleic acid and Herceptin reduced proteins produced by the breast cancer gene by as much as 70%, concluding that the acid contributed to the effectiveness of treatment with Herceptin.

The researchers believe their findings help explain why populations which traditionally consume an olive oil rich Mediterranean diet have a lower incidence of breast cancer.

Source: www.tele-management.ca.

It even reduces photo-aging of skin Eating olive oil can even make you more attractive, it seems – and not just for the smile its flavour puts on your face. A recent French study found that people who consume more olive oil have a lower incidence of photo-aging (aging of the skin of the face, ears, neck and hands, caused by continuous, long-term exposure to UVA and UVB rays).

The cross-sectional study included 1,264 women and 1,655 men aged 45 to 60 years, who completed at least 10 records of what they consumed in a 24-hour period during 2.5 years of follow-up. The severity of facial skin photo-aging was rated using a six-photograph grading system.

Greater consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from vegetable oils was associated with a lower

risk for severe photo-aging for women, however of the three most frequently consumed oils (sunflower, olive and peanut), the association was significant only with olive oil. MUFA intake from dairy products, meats and processed meats showed no socu association.

“Our findings provide support for a beneficial role of olive oil in preventing severe facial photo-aging,” the researchers concluded.

Global warming - not to mention the enlarging hole in the ozone layer - could this be a good time for a new wave of olive oil cosmetics? – Ed Source: www.chicagodefender.com.

… and can help wounds heal faster Two olive compounds, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, are cited as active ingredients in a recent US patent application for a new method for accelerating wound closure to improve wound healing.

According to the application, “the methods for wound healing administer one or more compositions including hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein with cells derived from umbilical cord blood … wherein the administration of the composition reduces the time required for healing of the wound by at least about 30% in comparison to a composition treated with the cells derived from umbilical cord blood alone.”

Hydroxytyrosol is a potent anti-oxidant and has been found to positively influence cellular activity status during healing.

Hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein in combination provide further benefits for wound healing.

An objective of the claimed invention is “to significantly accelerate wound closure and/or promote neurovascularization of tissues, including treatment of wounds that conventionally resist healing … A further object of the invention is to develop treatment methods for substantially decreasing time for wound repair post injury, in some aspects providing beneficial results in 12 hours post-injury or even 8 hours post injury, or less.”

Sources: Methods for improved wound closure employing olivamine and human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

(US20130266545 A1); www.oliveoiltimes.com.

To subscribe and for more information visit www.olivebiz.com.au

Issue 91 • Decemeber 2013 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35

Products & services

Cylindrical packaging is “Out of The Box” The traditional rectangular bag-in-box has been given a new lease on life in the form of the Irwin & Sheehan “Out of The Box” (OOTB) cylindrical pack. Two years in development, the OOTB pack was released at the national olive oil industry expo in late 2010, and attracted immediate attention with its innovative shape.

Irwin & Sheehan managing director John Irwin said the new shape provides a premium alternative to the traditional rectangular oil bag-in-box (BIB) container, allowing for the previous poor quality image of BIB to be shrugged off and new marketing opportunities opened.

“Everyone who has seen the pack has been impressed, as it’s such a departure from the standard four cornered version,” Irwin said.

“The BIB has always been a great packaging choice for olive oil, and goes a long way to solving the handling and pouring issues associated with traditional rectangular cans and glass containers.

The new cylindrical version adds another dimension to those practical elements,

with the new shape providing the perfect platform for imaginative graphics.

“From a marketing perspective, it’s an opportunity for people to get their creative juices flowing and really make their product stand out from the crowd.”

Irwin said the cylindrical pack also has superior hydraulic strength to the traditional rectangular BIB design, meaning they transport well and can be stacked four-high in the warehouse after filling.

The new OOTB container comes in both one and two-litre versions, and the two-litre pack with a variety of closure options. Irwin said one version has proven particularly popular with olive oil producers, with features including a printed tinplate top, punched holes for the insertion of a carry handle, and a push-in plastic end.

Irwin & Sheehan supply the pack complete with internal bag and tap (various options available) and can arrange for either contract filling, or for suitable manual, semi-automatic or fully-automatic filling equipment to be supplied.

For more information contact Irwin & Sheehan on ph: 02 9698 1355 or go to: www.irwinandsheehan.com.au.

New soil moisture monitoring network Environmental monitoring specialists MEA are putting up-tothe-minute soil moisture readings in the palm of Australian growers’ hands with the launch of Plexus – an affordable wireless network which delivers data directly to the web.

The data can then be easily accessed on a computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone, with information presented in an easy to understand format via MEA’s Green Brain software.

The latest in MEA’s new product innovations for irrigated agriculture, Plexus collects soil moisture data from multiple points on the property and delivers it directly to the web every 30 minutes. The innovative mesh-networking wireless network allows Plexus to take measurements and route them back over hundreds of hectares to a central hub where the data is then uploaded.

Each Plexus network is customised to the grower’s requirements and is capable of measuring soil moisture, soil temperature and soil salinity.

“MEA’s soil moisture monitoring systems and weather stations provide certainty, confirming intuitive understanding of the land and crop with the latest technology - upgrading a green thumb to a green brain,” said MEA engineering director Andrew Skinner.

“In the past it has been too expensive for most growers to have a networked system providing data from a number of points throughout a property, particularly over large distances.

Now they are increasingly turning to efficient and cost-effective

data collection, interpretation and storage technologies to help them make informed decisions.”

The collaborative nature of the system’s field stations means that the network is ultra-reliable, as it can deal with damaged stations, lost links, and complex terrain without losing vital soil moisture readings.

The Plexus units are also powered by a solar panel, which charges a lithium ion battery with an expected 8–10 year life span. It is essentially maintenance-free, and is wholly Australian designed and made.

For more information visit www.mea.com.au.

36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemeber 2013 • Issue 91

your calendar of olive events

Dec

What’s on

December 6 WA Olive Council AGM Perth, WA www.oliveswa.com.au

Organising an olive event?

Send us the details and we’ll spread the word.

11-13 December Fine Food India New Dehli, India mconstan@divexhibitions.com.au

Email to: wordsync@bigpond.com

2014 Jan

January 19-21 NASFT Winter Fancy Food Show San Francisco, USA http://www.specialtyfood.com

Mar

March 23 Olives New Zealand Wairarapa Excursion Wairarapa, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

Feb

February 23-27 Gulf Food 2014 Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE www.gulffood.com

Apr

8-11 April Food & Hotel Asia Expo Singapore www.foodnhotelasia.com April 27-May 4 Tasting Australia South Australia pipforrester@westnet.com.au

February 26-28 International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes New York, USA www.savantes.com

Mar

Aug

March 7-10 Eleotechnia Athens, Greece www.eleotexnia.gr March 22 Olives New Zealand Conference and AGM Wellington, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz

August 17 29th International Horticultural Congress/ Olive Symposium Brisbane, Qld ihc@netcabo.pt

To subscribe and for more information visit www.olivebiz.com.au Advertiser index Agromillora Australia..................................................................... 38 Australian Olive Association........................................................... 7 Axis Industrial................................................................................ 30 Deltagen Australia........................................................................ 27 Dept of Trade & Investment, Regional Infrastructure & Services NSW...............................................................................................21 Dorato - Amenduni Nicola Spa.................................................... 40 E.E. Muir & Sons............................................................................19 Eclipse Enterprises Aust ................................................................ 5 Fineweld Stainless Steel............................................................... 23 Gallard Hedging & Mulching.........................................................18 Hunter Bottling Company..............................................................31

Irwin & Sheehan............................................................................14 Ledgard..........................................................................................16 MEA................................................................................................. 9 Olea Contracting Services........................................................... 33 Olive Oil Packaging Service......................................................... 25 Pellenc Australia............................................................................15 Pieralisi MAIP Spa ........................................................................11 Rural Property Services (Olive harvester for sale)....................... 38 Sicma SRL...................................................................................... 2 Sumitomo Chemical Australia ..................................................... 29 The Olive Centre............................................................................13

Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • Decemebr 2013 • Issue 91

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