Olives in Australia
2002
Kailis, Stanley George | Sweeney, Susan
An olive industry is developing in Australia. Olive oil is popular in Australia because of its health benefits, Mediterranean links and commercial potential. Australian olive markets are dominated by imported products. By 2010 Australia wants to be acknowledged as a global producer of quality olive products. Olive oil production, is set to expand to nearly half the volume of imported olive oils within 5y. Industry, universities and government agencies undertake olive R&D. The Australian Olive Association has a 5y industry plan. Olive orchards, some within vineyards, range from 10-500ha. Establishment involves decisions on site selection, planting stock, and horticultural technologies. Australian propagated trees, trained in a vase-shape, are used. Varietal authenticity and suitability are still in question. Quarantine protocols are in place permitting import of high-health olive trees from Italy and Israel. New groves are irrigated with some fertigated. Inter-rows are managed by mowing, planting cover-crops, spraying herbicides or tilling. Organic olive growing is popular. Pests and diseases include black olive-scale the most common, peacock spot and olive-lace bug in humid conditions, curculio-weevil, wild birds and animals and to a lesser extent phytophthora and nematodes. Olive-fly, olive-moth and olive-knot have never been found in Australia. Olives are picked manually but with future crops mechanical harvesting is anticipated. Australian olive oils are produced in modern plants or by traditional pressing. Several table olive processing-plants have been established. Australian efforts are being directed towards high quality olive products for the domestic and international markets. Expectations are that existing imports will persist because of purchasing habits by Australians loyal to traditional olive products. An economic study has indicated that at $4/litre, the cost-benefit ratio @7% was 1.46 with a break even after 12y. Risks are climate, international prices and domestic supply. Competition for natural resources with other industries is a threat.
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