As the temperatures warm, it changes the productivity of the groves and the biggest problem we're having is the extremes
- Greg Seymour
Tackling the challenges of climate change will be a key talking point when up to 150 olive growers meet in Albury this week.
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The National Olive Industry Conference and trade exhibition takes place at Albury Entertainment Centre Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with a field trip on Saturday.
Friday's gala dinner will present the Australian International Olive Awards, which aim to recognise the best extra virgin olive oils, flavoured olive oils and table olives.
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Australian Olive Association chief executive Greg Seymour said the annual conference allowed olive growers to meet others who understood their industry.
"Being amongst your own kind and talking about things that you have to deal with every day, it's quite important and a lot of people don't understand that," he said.
Topics will include remote farming and the use of drones and satellites, as well as the ecology of groves.
"How we're going to manage our groves, how are we going to manage our farms, our lives, in relation to this changing climate because it's already having an impact on the industry," Mr Seymour said.
"We've got extensive droughts in NSW, some in Queensland, it's creeping down into northern Victoria.
"There's people out there who have never had a crop in two years and we're talking about a tree that's renowned for its toughness and robustness."
The chief executive said drier periods could be more prone to frosts, with some regions now experiencing more severe episodes than previously.
"As the temperatures warm, it changes the productivity of the groves and the biggest problem we're having is the extremes," he said.