The good oil on exports

Olive grower’s tip for Geelong businesses

GEELONG businesses are being encouraged to tap into burgeoning international markets by one of the nation’s top olive oil entrepreneurs.

Boundary Bend chief executive Rob McGavin was one of eight guest lecturers at Deakin’s Our Futures series and discussed how his olive oil business has hit the big time against established European competitors.

At the start of the decade about three-quarters of the $250 million retail market for olive oil was filled by imported products, mainly from Italy and Spain.

In less than five years Boundary Bend has become one of the nation’s biggest olive producers. The company owns 2.3 million olive trees on 6500ha of irrigation country at Swan Hill and Boort as well as the Cobram Estate and Red Island olive oil brands.

“Only five years, six years ago, some of the leading olive oils sold in Australian supermarkets was of inferior quality, yet it sold well because it was Italian or from somewhere else in Europe,” Mr McGavin said.

“Australian consumers have become far more savvy when it comes to olive oils. They understand that extra virgin olive oil is great quality and that Australia can produce oil that is of equal or better value to international brands.”

Mr McGavin also discussed how Avalon Airport’s proximity to Geelong primary producers opened up markets abroad.

“It all helps. Avalon, I understand, is growing or seeking to grow its capacity,” he said. “Demand for quality produce in Asia, particularly China, is growing all the time and you need those air links to be open and available.”

Four lectures have been scheduled between May and next month, featuring a mix of local business figures and experts in commerce from further afield.

Deakin Vice-Chancellor Jane den Hollander said the lecture series had grown from the Geelong Economic Futures project, in collaboration with City of Greater Geelong and G21. “This project shows that rather than wait for governments, we can attract private investment to work with our existing infrastructure and resources in the industries we know will lead our growth,” she said.