22 June 2006





Central Victoria’s olive oil industry is set to flourish, with the opening of an oil processing centre at the Bendigo Pottery tourism precinct in Bendigo.

The centre – a collaboration between OlivOz and its 160 growers), equipment manufacturer Alfa Laval and La Trobe University – includes a state-of-the art oil processing machine.

As well as processing locally grown olives, the centre will develop quality standards for processing, and provide a retail and marketing springboard.

OlivOz is the marketing and processing arm of the Central Victorian Olive Growers Association. Its Director, John Clifford, says the centre will “help develop products that better meet market demand”.

OlivOz will market the extra virgin olive oil under the Latitude 37 label, targeting retail sales through Australian supermarkets and delicatessens, as well as export markets.

The joint venture is an opportunity for Alfa Laval to demonstrate to growers the capabilities of its Oliver 500 processing equipment. Alfa Laval engineer Yves Lettens says the processing machine at the Centre is “small, flexible and has different options, depending on processing requirements”.

“Working with industry is a much better way of showing what our equipment can do than sales pitches,” he says.

La Trobe University Professional Education Manager, Catherina Wallace, says the university believes it can play an important role in developing the region’s burgeoning olive industry.

“The university is part of the Central Victoria community so we are helping to build and develop knowledge in the region and forge employment opportunities.”

For more information, contact Catherina Wallace, La Trobe University, phone (03) 5444 7932, e-mail c.wallace@latrobe.edu.au


Source: Taste of Victoria, issue 34, Summer 2005.
Copyright is held by Regional Development Victoria and produced on behalf of Food Victoria. Please address any enquiries to Christine Cooper-Smith.
    ph: 9651 7650
    or email: christine.cooper-smith@rdv.vic.gov.au


 

22 November 2005

Winner: La Trobe University, Bendigo, Olivoz, Alfa Laval and Corporazione del Mastri Oleari

Title: Aggregated Olive Processing and Research Cluster

Business in regional areas tend to be small and do not maximise value chain opportunities. La Trobe University has actively collaborated with business to establish and support netorks, clusters and new business to identify and develop import-replacement and value-adding opportunities to grow businesses and the region; provide opportunities for applied research and commercialisation; provide employment/placement opportunities for graduates and ndergraduates.

One program has resulted in an olive processing cluster that locally value-adds, and has established a $33 000 per annum R&D fund to seed fund business-university collaborative research. Over 160 local olive growers have clustered with La Trobe University and Alfa Laval to locally produce high quality extra virgin olive oil, with one label being Latitude 37. The program provides research, teaching and student placement opportunities in marketing, business; supply chain; food technology and agribusiness.

Professor Ashley Goldsworthy AO OBE
Executive Director, Business/Higher Education Round Table

 

The central Victorian olive industry is set to become a major force in the industry with a new partnership formed between OlivOz Limited, Alfa Laval and La Trobe University that has lead to the development of a new olive oil processing facility and state of the art olive centre in Bendigo.

This builds on the successful New Mediterranean strategy which aims to develop a sustainable olive industry in Victoria.

Treasurer and Minister for State and Regional Development, John Brumby launched the facility and partnership this month at the new OlivOz Alfa Laval olive processing centre based in the Bendigo Pottery precinct.

The centre also houses a retail outlet promoting local olive oil and other olive products.

OlivOz chairman, John Plim said the collaboration with Alfa Laval and La Trobe University was a major step forward for CVOGA which represents some 165 local olive growers. “It brings to reality an eight year vision set by the committee.

“OlivOz was formed to service the processing requirements of growers and market the region’s first class quality extra virgin olive oil products (under the product name of Latitude 37) throughout the domestic, national and international arena.

“This collaboration with Alfa Laval and La Trobe University has the potential to take development of the central Victorian olive growing industry to a new level.”

Alfa Laval is the world’s largest supplier of separation equipment for a range of industries and has developed innovative olive oil processing equipment.

“The collaboration with Alfa Laval has opened the door for OlivOz to install a new state-of-the-art olive oil processing machine that is unique in that it is also capable of depicting the olives before processing. We’ve got the best facility we could possibly hope for and we intend showing off central Victoria produce to the world,” Mr. Plim said.

He said the collaboration with the University also strengthened the credibility of OlivOz in the lucrative export market.

“Our local olive oil, Latitude 37, was recently tested and given first class Virgin Olive Oil status.

“With a Singaporean based company being a shareholder in OlivOz there are enormous opportunities, through their resources, to market OlivOz products throughout Asia, China and other international markets.”

Maryborough Advertiser
June 7, 2005


 

"To be a responsive benchmark provider of Australian Olive oil and products, in terms of quality and service, in both domestic and export markets whilst at the same time providing fair and equitable returns to our shareholders and supplier growers."