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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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US: Good year for berries in California
A strong start to the strawberry season and good weather have made for a good year for berries in California."We had a strong start in January with strawberries due to mild weather in California," said Cindy Jewell, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms. She added that spring rains..... 0 comments

Florette relaunches Three Lions Salad for UEFA 2012
UK: A fresh way to celebrate the beautiful game
Building on the success of its 2010 performance, during which over 1 million bags of Three Lions Salad were sold over just six weeks to support the FIFA World Cup, Florette will be bringing the iconic Three Lions salad 'off the bench' to encourage considerable additional purchase during UEFA Euro 2012.The..... 0 comments

US (CA): Supplies of broccoli keep prices low
Favorable weather has led to abundant supplies of broccoli in California. Those large supplies have caused prices to remain low."The current broccoli deal out of Salinas and Santa Maria has not been very good," said Henry Dill of Dynasty Farms. "The weather has been pretty good, so from a supply standpoint,..... 0 comments

Germany week 19:
Grape prices rise due to lower supply
The grape supply on the wholesale markets in Germany was less diverse in week 19. Thompson Seedless and Crimson Seedless from Chile and South Africa had the upperhand in volume on the market. The Indian Thompson Seedless were also available, but in less volume and not at all at the wholesale market in..... 0 comments

US (WA): Raspberry growers expect another good year
With a month to go before harvesting of red raspberries begins in Washington, early signs point to production similar to last year's production. Total production for Washington was 72 million pounds in 2011."Red raspberries from Washington are usually available from mid-June to mid-August," said Henry..... 0 comments

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UK: Greenvale director found guilty of bribes to Sainsbury's buyer
Andrew Behagg, Finanical Director of Greenvale, the company that handles 10% of the UK's potato crop, has been found guilty of paying bribes to a Sainsbury's buyer to secure potato sales to the chain at inflated prices.Thousands of pounds were handed over to Sainsbury's buyer, John Maylam, who was able to..... 0 comments

US: Mango market steady with good volume
Mangos imported from Mexico are currently enjoying good prices despite strong volume. This has come as a result of good consumer demand.“The market has been good with higher volumes and higher FOB values,” said Gary Clevenger of Freska Produce. Prices hovered around the $4.50 to $5.50 per box range on the..... 0 comments

Philippines: China blocks papaya shipment
more bad news for Filipino exporters in the ongoing saga with the Chinese fruit markets. Now China says it has found mealybugs amongst papaya and Philippines shipped from the country. Bureau of Plant (BPI) Director Clarito Baron said China sent BPI a letter on May 2, stating that 43 crates of papaya and..... 0 comments

New potato harvest also delayed
UK: Heavy rain hampers potato planting
Potato planting in the UK is facing a tough time at the moment, according to a report by the Potato Council, total plantings up to 11 May are estimated at 85,165ha, compared to 122,270ha last year and 123,500ha in 2010.The further heavy downpours have hampered plantings with some growers delayed by three..... 0 comments

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Germany: Peru Fruit Logistica 2013 partner country
Peru is the partner country for Fruit Logistica 2013, taking place in Berlin on 6-8 February 2013. Dr. Christian Göke, Messe Berlin COO, "I am delighted that Peru will be presenting itself at our event with its array of quality fruit and vegetables, which is rapidly gaining increasing global recognition...... 0 comments

North America

US (CA): Tulare County Crop Report week ending May 12th
Field crops: Beans continue to be planted with good growth coming on early plantings because of favorable temperatures.Deciduous tree fruits, nuts and grapes: Grape and kiwi vines are in the shoot elongation stage. Pomegranates and persimmons are also pushing spring foliage. Cherries and late-season stone..... 0 comments

US (PA): Frost damages up to 90% certain crops
There could be some scarcity of peaches, cherries and apricots on the farmers' markets in Pennsylvania this year.This is because of the erratic weather. Warm weather brought out the blossoms early, only for them to be damaged by the frosts a few months later. Fortunately the weather hasn't been bad enough to..... 0 comments

US-Colombia trade agreement in effect
At 1 O'clock Tuesday morning a cargo plane loaded with flowers landed at Miami International Airport. The significance of this particular flight, however, was that it was the first shipment to be delivered under the new US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which had come into effect only an hour before. The..... 0 comments

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US: Sunkist Growers use Hipcricket to power mobile campaigns
Hipcricket, the one-stop mobile marketing and advertising subsidiary of Augme Technologies, has announced that Sunkist Growers, one of the world's largest providers of fresh fruit, has chosen Hipcricket to power point-of-purchase mobile marketing campaigns that build stronger engagement and brand affinity..... 0 comments

US: California cantaloupe growers unanimous food safety support
California cantaloupe handlers have voted overwhelmingly in support of the State's first mandatory food safety program to be implemented by a commodity board. The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced that 100 percent of handlers voting in a statewide referendum are in favor of amending the..... 0 comments

Zespri kiwifruit hitting North American first week June
Zespri Kiwifruit has announced its Green, Gold and Organic varieties will be available to North American consumers through major retailers the first week of June. North America will see similar volumes as last year in their three varieties: Green having a delicious, tangy-sweet flavor, Gold having a mellow,..... 0 comments

Canada: Oppenheimer names new Vancouver sales rep
The Oppenheimer Group welcomed David Wazny to its sales team on April 30.Wazny is based in the company’s Vancouver, B.C. office, and responsible for marketing the full range of Oppenheimer products to customers in Western Canada, while providing general support to the marketer’s Canadian sales..... 0 comments

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US: California Strawberry Scholarship recipients conquer odds
The California Strawberry Commission is pleased to announce that $188,300 has been awarded to 193 students through the California Strawberry Scholarship Program for the 2012-2013 school year. Now in its 19th year, the program has awarded more than $1.5 million to 1,384 children of California strawberry farm..... 0 comments

US: Attorney source on $20 million Adams Produce bankruptcy case
Adams Produce Company LLC filed a motion May 11 requesting the approval of a proposed settlement between the debtors, PNC Bank, PACA claimants and their employees. As part of the proposed settlement, Adams Produce will be authorized to obtain post-petition financing from PNC in the amount of $1.45 million,..... 0 comments

US: San Francisco Mayor announces expansion of wholesale produce market
San Francisco, CA-Mayor Edwin M. Lee and Supervisor Malia Cohen today announced new legislation to approve a long-term, 60-year master lease agreement and expansion plans for the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market located in the Bayview. The Wholesale Produce Market is a hub of San Francisco's fresh..... 0 comments

US: Kroger receives food safety award
The Kroger Co. has been named the 2012 recipient of the Black Pearl Award for advancing food safety and quality, given by the International Association for Food Protection.IAFP names one company annually for its efforts to advance food safety and quality through consumer programs, employee relations,..... 0 comments

Central America

Belgium: Mangetout from Guatemala available at FLP Fair-Fruit
The concern FLP Fair-Fruit is a group of production and export companies, which operates in various countries. "We are active in Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ethiopia," Carl Wulfrank tells. The company has specialised in the growing and supplying of exotic fruit and..... 0 comments

South America

Peru could become world's biggest fruit and veg exporter
According to the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the country is set to become the world's largest exporter of fruits and vegetables. The value of such exports rose dramatically over the past ten years, from US$101 million in 2000 to US$1.12 billion last year - an average increase of 27% per..... 0 comments

Oceania

NZ: Calls for more airport biosecurity measures
Horticulture New Zealand is calling on the government to reinstate bag x-rays for all incoming air passengers after the recent fruit fly find. The organisation says that the current situation shows how cuts undermine the protection of the country's primary industries. Andrew Fenton, president of Hort NZ says..... 0 comments

Africa

Supermarkets more dependent on African fruit and veg
According to Geoffrey White, CEO of pan African investment company, Lonrho, the supermarket chains of the world are becoming more and more dependent on Africa as a source of fruit and vegetables."Historically Africa has always been dependent on the rest of the world. The balance is slowly changing where we..... 0 comments

South African maritime education programme wins international award
On Monday night the Lawhill Maritime Studies programme – a South African educational programme wholly-funded by the shipping industry and pioneered by shipping line Safmarine – won the international Seatrade 'Investment in People' Award in London.The award – presented to Brian Ingpen, head of the Simon’s..... 0 comments

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World

"You have to really trust the Chinese to build"
Building trust with the Chinese
Jan Doldersum started in 1996 as chain manager for Germany at seed company Rijk Zwaan. Three years ago Jan headed to China to become Chain Manager Asia. What are your main activities?Half my time I'm working on initiating chain projects in China. The most important is the linking of production to sales. We..... 0 comments

Europe

6,000 tons exported
Mexico: White melon from Tierra Caliente exported to Japan
Melon from Tierra Caliente is doing very well on the Japanese market, far this month, 6,000 tons have been sent.Miguel Peralta Galicia, coordinator of Agricultural, Live-Stock and Fishing in Sagarpa, said that melon continues to be one of the fruits that are exported worldwide, such as mango to the United..... 0 comments

UK: New food pack keeps fresh for twice as long
British scientists have developed revolutionary packaging that will help to keep fruit and vegetables fresh for twice as long as is currently the case. The new film slows down the decay of fresh produce, extending the best before date.The new packaging will first be used on Jersey potatoes in Asda and..... 0 comments

Italy: New strawberry varieties
Great success for participants at the open day for early strawberries cultivated in greenhouses, which was organized on 9th May 2012 in Cesena (Italy).The meeting was aimed at introducing the first results of new strawberry varieties which have been evaluated within the context of the project MiPAAF..... 0 comments

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UK: Asparagus volumes on the up, again
The British asparagus season has been a bit unpredictable this year, with the first shoots picked at the end of March, exceptionally early, only to be halted in its tracks as the weather turned cold again.The season is currently running 10 days behind schedule, but good volumes should be available again..... 0 comments

Spain: CACESA - supporting international trade
CACESA Logistics & Forwarding is part of the IBERIA Group, the biggest airline in Spain.The company has the network, resources, flexibility and speed to be able to deliver and collect goods to and from Spain, covering the whole world. "CACESA, an expert in the treatment of perishables, adds the know-how..... 0 comments

Spain: Stone fruit and citrus outlook week 20
Stone fruitHuelvaUnchanged since the last report, yellow flesh nectarines and peaches continue to be picked and will be available until week 24.Seville and CordobaThere are not large volumes available as a result of frosts during the flowering period. This is likely to affect the price of produce in the..... 0 comments

Jan Dortmans, Scherpenhuizen:
Europe: Weather determines cucumber market
The cucumber market is going up and down between supply and demand. According to Jan Dortmans from Scherpenhuizen, a Dutch trader. Tuesday the day price was 33 cents for size 40 cucumbers. "If you look at the holidays, there should be more demand, but the bad weather is a killjoy. If the weather is good,..... 0 comments

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Spain: Coagrisan packs 4 million crates
Coagrisan, the largest producer in the Canary Fortuna group, has made ​​an export record of 4 million crates of tomatoes. Last year they could have reached this number, but the E.Coli crisis meant that 500,000 trays of tomato were destroyed.Today cultivation at Coagrisan is about 20 kg of..... 0 comments

Germany: Wholesale prices week 19
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Germany: Weekreport 19
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European grape production in numbers
The German BLE has published an overview of the European production of table grapes. Remarkable is that in almost every country the production area for grapes have been decreased, with exception of Greece. Furthermore the gigantic Turkish area is 271,000 hectares. Which is less then 302,000 hectares in 2005...... 0 comments

Berry World unveil new raspberry
BerryWorld are pleased to announce the arrival of a new raspberry variety released from the BerryWorld Plus breeding programme.The new variety has been released to commemorate the forthcoming 2012 events. Diamond Jubilee will be available exclusively through BerryWorld and its growers. Diamond Jubilee has..... 0 comments

First early German potatoes sold at Hamburg
The assortment of early potatoes in Germany has been supplemented at the wholesale market in hamburg with Annabelle and Gloria from Germany. That appeared in a week report from BLE. From Italy more Sieglinde-potatoes were supplied and on the wholesale market in Frankfurt Inova's from Italy are sold. Click..... 0 comments

EU has 90 million available for shool fruit
Italy receives most money
Europe has 90 million Euro for school fruit in 2012-2013. Most of the money will go to Italy. The EU supports school fruit from the country with 20 million Euro. This is more than half of what Italy has left for this school year. Germany receives 11.5 million followed by Holland, Poland and Romania with 9..... 0 comments

Denmark: Maersk may break even
A.P. Moeller-Maersk fell the most in almost nine months in Copenhagen trading after saying its container line, the world’s largest, will at best break even this year, falling short of analyst estimates for a profit.The container division will report a "negative up to neutral" net result in 2012 as..... 0 comments

DimmidiSi' is the sponsor of the Mille Miglia race
La Linea Verde, a leading Italian group which produces fresh ready meals, smoothies and juices, is sponsoring the world-famous Mille Miglia road race. The race will take place on 16th-20th May and sees a number of vintage road vehicles tackling a course spreading across half of Italy, from Brescia to Rome..... 0 comments

NL: Versafood is focussing on Sitrus
Versafood and its partners are entering their third year. "Sitrus, mainly from South Morocco, has always been my focus", says Rico Potter. "The best in our assortment is the well known EDEN box. The customers are managing to find us more easily, despite being located in a very small picturesque village."We..... 0 comments

Asia

Extending stone fruit shelf life
It is well known that modified atmosphere packaging is synergistic with good temperature management in helping maintain stone fruit quality during prolonged storage and transportation. Extensive research has shown that low levels of O2 and elevated levels of CO2 reduce respiration of stone fruits, thereby..... 0 comments

India: European grape export figures 2012 season
Export of grapes from India has increased by 63.47% with 36,888 tonnes being exported in the 2012 grape season.The figure represents around 2,930 containers, against 1,814 containers (22,571 tonnes) during last year's season.This includes 1,694 containers (21,403 tonnes) to the Netherlands, 744 containers..... 0 comments

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Malaysia declares them safe
Chinese vegetable growers irrigate cabbage with formaldehyde
A new food scandal in China: in order to make cabbage more durable during transport, producers evidently have treated the vegetable with formaldehyde (also known as methanal). This chemical, however, is known to be cause cancer, maycause seriousallergies and in high concentration may be life threatening to..... 0 comments

Retail

Migros lowers prices
Swiss retailer Migros lowered prices again and this time permanently as of 14 May 2012. It covers about 520 products for daily use. The average decrease will be 8.3%, some with as much as 20%. Since 2010, 7075 products have been lowered in price and 660 million Swiss francs have been invested in the discount..... 0 comments

France: Carrefour launches mobile shopping service
Carrefour City, the convenience store arm of French retail giant Carrefour, has launched 'Mon Panier', a mobile grocery shopping service based on retail NFC and contactless specialist Airtag's Airshop solution.The service is now live at the new Carrefour City outlet at St Lazare, Paris. A second outlet is..... 0 comments

Ireland: Musgrave profits down
The Irish grocery market has seen "profound and permanent change" during the past three years of austerity and economic slowdown, Chris Martin, the chief executive of Cork-based retail group Musgrave, has said.Mr Martin was speaking as Musgrave - which controls the SuperValu and Centra brands in Ireland and..... 0 comments

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