The Russian branch of McDonald’s removed salads from its menu. According to the fast food chain, since the boycott the quality of ingredients has worsened. Because the quality no longer meets McDonald’s standards, the salads have been taken off the menu. Previously, Russian authorities closed down several branches of the fast food chain, after bacteria was found on lettuce leaves. According to McDonald’s, the decision to scratch salads is not connected to the closed restaurants.Russia was finding new sources for fresh produce as the first direct imports from Africa and China to Russia arrived.
The EC announced payments for the exporters affected by the ban in August but in September it said it was suspending emergency payments for fruit and vegetables due to a disproportionate surge in claims.
The Western sanctions appeared to be having more and more effects on the Russian economy when the value of the Rouble reached a new low compared to the dollar. Investors favoured more stable currencies.
Meanwhile Brazilian apples were expanding into India, Russia and Middle East.
South Africa announced that they would voluntarily stop the export of citrus to Europe, following a further four interceptions of Citrus Black Spot since new stricter regulations came into place in July of this year.
Mexican raspberries and blackberries were to be shipped to the Chinese market the following month, after officials of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food and of the Administration for Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China approved the necessary protocols.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called for farmers who set fire to public buildings in the Breton town of Morlaix to be prosecuted after their protests over red tape and a drop in vegetable prices escalated.
Fyffes, the Dublin-headquartered banana company, and US company Chiquita, its prospective $1 billion merger partner, hit back in a coordinated move against two Brazilian billionaires were trying to scupper their union to create the world’s biggest banana group. Later in the month it emerged that Fyffes would get €23m payout if merger failed
Another Irish multinational was also doing well, growth at Total Produce was continuing through successful acquisitions
In the first five months of 2014 Ecuadorian banana exports to China skyrocketed by 540% in five months. This phenomenon continued as Ecuadorian bananas have been gaining momentum in the Chinese market.
South African Summer Citrus expanded its U.S. destinations with a pilot program to include the Port of Houston. A shipment of seven containers was successfully received there and would be followed by another four containers scheduled to arrive on September 9th.
In September Spain suffered from hailstones in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón which caused losses to growers amounting to 13.5 million Euro. The district of La Ribera was the most affected, with about 12 million Euro, not taking into account the losses in harvesting and storage wages, transportation, etc.
The Bursa fig season in Turkey had just got underway this month, and though it was delayed by about a week, big volumes were expected the delay also made for large sizes of fruit.
The Australian mango industry was on track for one of its best seasons ever.
The national forecast was for a bumper harvest of about eight million trays of mangoes, which was well up on last year's crop of seven million trays.
Aviation warning after small eruption
Iceland was suffering from volcanic activity in September when there was a second red alert over a volcano, Iceland's authorities raised the aviation warning code for a region close to the sub-glacial Bardarbunga volcano after a small fissure eruption in the area.
J.P. Dulcich & Sons, a grower of premium California table grapes, unveiled a new grape variety, the Green Emerald, The new proprietary green seedless grape is available only through Sunlight International Sales.
French company Sofruileg announced a partnership with Italian company ORTOFRUIT ITALIA Group in Saluzzo (Piedmont) to develop the Italian market for its Nergi® product.
And finally this year’s edition of Asia Fruit Logistica which took place in Hong Kong surpassed expectations with a growth in trade visitors of 24% from 64 countries. This, together with the 28% growth in the number of exhibitors from a record 38 countries really made for an event that was packed full of business opportunity."
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