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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

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Turners & Growers announce the acquisition of Apollo Apples Ltd
Turners & Growers Limited announced today the proposed acquisition of Hawkes Bay-based Apollo Apples for an initial payment of NZ$36.05million.The acquisition of Apollo, which grows, packs and exports approximately 1.4m cartons of apples every year and owns or leases over 500 planted hectares of apple.....

Job Offers:

• Pan United, Field Sales Executive - London, UK

Tomato variety nominated as ‘Best New Vegetable Product’ at United Fresh
“Rebellion flavour revolution that promotes tomatoes as snacks.”
Video made by AndNowUknow Village Farms recently launched the Rebellion; a medley of 4-5 different tomato varieties, including mini San Marzano, orange and yellow grape and black krim. Presented by the company as the “flavour revolution”, it is distributed in 1 pound containers and no two packs are exactly.....

Cold snap adding to woes for peach growers on U.S. East Coast
A cold snap gripping the U.S. East Coast today is bad news for farmers whose peaches and other spring crops are already suffering the effects of bad weather.Consumers, too, may feel the impact of poor growing conditions in states such as California, the biggest fruit and vegetable producer, and South.....

Branching out into other markets
South African citrus exporters find it tough in Europe
Concerns in European countries about the spread of black spot disease has made for tough regulations regarding the importation of citrus from other continents. South African citrus exporters, who have found it especially tough to send their products to Europe, have had to look to other markets to.....

Canada: Focus on niche products for a successful import business
Minnaar is a Calgary-based Canadian firm devoted to the import of vegetables, mostly Peruvian, Mexican and U.S. asparagus and Mexican bell peppers. Occasionally, peppers and other products, such as Dutch and Belgian endive and aubergine, are flown in from Europe, depending on what the market dictates, but.....

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Difficult season with numerous challenges for Chilean fruit growers
According to Karen Brux, of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), Chile’s recent earthquake, despite being a tragic shock for the country, had fortunately no impact on the fresh produce industry. The September frosts, on the other hand, described as “the worst in 80 years,” had a particularly deep.....

Italy: Only the "Club" guarantees a top selection of Candonga strawberries
A unique variety with a sugar content between 8 and 10 degrees Brix, a perfect shape and an enviable shelf-life."An exceptional cultivar alone is not enough to achieve a top quality produce, the right soil, climate, water, techniques, packaging and traceability measures are also important," explained Carmela.....

China: Imported fruits too expensive due to bad weather
The price of durian was only at 11-12 yuan per half a kilo last year. This year it has increased to 18.8 yuan per half a kilo. Most of durians come from Thailand and are very expensive. Vietnamese durian will also be hitting Chinese supermarket shelves for the first time, at a promotional price of only 9.9.....

Peru: Fruit and veg exports increased 29% first two months of 2014
Ana María Deustua, executive director of the Agricultural Producers Guild Association of Peru (AGAP), reported that fruit and vegetable exports during the first two months of the year amounted to U.S. $366 million, 29% more than in the same period in 2013, which amounted to $284 million.She also noted that.....

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Spanish grower distinguishes himself in the market with high end production
When you think about Spanish greenhouses and growers, you will think about the plastic operations as they are known in Almeria; Low tech, simple greenhouse structures, with just basic or no ventilation, no substrate or manual irrigation. In 90 percent of the greenhouses in Almeria, this will be the case......

North America

US (NY): Gotham Greens builds world’s first commercial high tech greenhouse on roof of Whole Foods Market
A stunning glimpse into our green future is underway in Brooklyn, NY where Gotham Greens has built a 20,000 sq. foot, state of the art, climate controlled farm on the roof of a local Whole Foods Market. The hydroponic greenhouse requires no soil and can grow the highest quality vegetables all year.....

Researchers expect lower threat from curly top virus for chilli peppers
New Mexico State University plant and weed specialists are warning chilli pepper growers to watch for the curly top virus.Southwest Farm Press reports the disease devastated the state's chilli industry in the past.Experts say most growers won't have a major problem this year, and early and mid-season weed.....

'Fresh From Florida' produce enjoys warm reception in South Korea
Even as Florida’s orange crops continue shrinking amidst a worldwide greening disease outbreak, the state agriculture department is celebrating new export opportunities for citrus. More than 100 South Korean Outback Steakhouse restaurants plan to offer a grapefruit cocktail called “Fresh from.....

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Central America

Mexico: Hidalgo produces over 48,000 tons of citrus per year
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa) reported that Hidalgo produces 48,332.30 tons of citrus per year, which amounts to 25,416,400 pesos (U.S. $1,941,482.55).The agency also reported, in the pest management training workshops imparted to the growers of.....

South America

Over 170,000 tonnes of Peruvian table grapes exported in 2013/2014
Piura registered a record 60% growth in table grape export volumes, with over 70,000 tonnes shipped within the short period between October and December 2013 and widely surpassing the levels of previous campaigns. Meanwhile, Ica grew by 25%, reaching 100,000 tonnes, as revealed by Cillóniz Fernando,.....

Uruguay to place approx. 9,000 tons of citrus in the U.S.
Federeico Montes, citrus advisor to the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), revealed that Uruguay expected to place between 8,000 and 9,000 tons of citrus in the United States.Montes estimated the citrus sector production volume would recover from the climatic adversity suffered in 2012.....

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With a certification
Paraguayan melon and watermelon growers wish to export to Europe
The members of the Committee for Industry, Trade, Tourism and Cooperatives, chaired by Oscar González Drakeford (PLRA), had a chat with farmers from Tavapy, department of Alto Paraná, who are interested in exporting cassava, melon and watermelon to Europe with a certification.The Executive Director of the.....

Asia

China: Daning’s apple industry leads county’s economy
Daning County, dry and windy in the spring, hot and rainy in the summer, rain in the autumn, cold and dry in winter, the large temperature differences between day and night makes is very suitable for growing apple trees.And since 2012, from the implementation of the "Use the Forest for the People" strategy,.....

No need to go bananas about “Banana AIDS”
Recently in China, the online community has sparked controversies and has “gone bananas” over “Banana AIDS”. The news has gone viral. People on the internet are worried that it is not safe to eat bananas anymore and that the “disease” has spread all over Southeast Asia. Some of the rumours have gone so far.....

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China: Greenhouse vegetables in the Gobi Desert
In the past few years, the Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Science and Technology Park in Subei County has been developing and improving their technology according to industry needs and market demand. Since 2010, Subei County has invested around 42.4 million yuan in the outskirts of Dangchengwan county in.....

India: Fruit, vegetable prices push March retail inflation to 8.31 percent
Retail inflation in March inched up to 8.31 per cent from 8.03 in February, mainly on account of a rise in fruit and vegetable prices."Provisional annual inflation rate based on all India general Consumer Price Index (Combined) for March 2014 on point to point basis (over March 2013) is 8.31 per cent as.....

China: Imported food will soon have "Black List" warnings
Regulations on imported foods will now be stricter. The National Quality Inspection Bureau released yesterday the "Rules of Imported Food Record Management". This will serve as a guideline for imported goods. Importers who do not follow the rules will be recorded and given warnings. Control measures will.....

2nd annual Beijing Agricultural Festival:
The future of growing melons and strawberries without soil
Fruits hanging in the air, literally. This is the type of sight you will see at the 2nd Beijing Agricultural Festival. Hosted by the Beijing Changping Strawberry Park, the expo and has attracted nearly 700,000 visitors. The event showcases the latest new technology in modern agriculture. Professor Hao.....

Europe

Refrigerated storage in Germany more than doubled
Hagranop grows, refrigerates and markets carrots all over Europe
The company Hagranop, from Tollebeek, was founded in 1990 and started with the cultivation of 1,000 tonnes of carrots in the Netherlands; a volume which has now grown to 100,000 tonnes. In addition to its facilities in the Netherlands, the company is currently also based in Belgium and Germany, with a total.....

Organic sector growing in Switzerland
The organic sector in Switzerland is beating records. In 2013 turnover was over the 2 billion franc line for the first time ever. Market share for organic produce has gone up to 6.9% compared to 6.3% in 2012, according to Bio Suisse. The organic produce umbrella organisation announced in a press release that.....

Spain: Murcia to produce around 30% more bell peppers
After a longer pepper season than usual due to Almeria's warm spring conditions and low rainfall, the end of the campaign approaches and both volumes and prices for all varieties are gradually dropping.Purchasers who were stocking up in Almeria up to this point are moving to other sources where the campaign.....

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Demand for regional foods increases in Czech Republic
The Czechs value food from domestic production. The success of the farmers markets, which attract tens of thousands of customers in Prague every weekend, prove this impressively. Here the demand for fruit and vegetables is larger than the supply, research by Czech television shows. The domestic production.....

Italy: Analysis of 2013 fruit production
Production estimates for 2013 show a domestic supply of 7.8 million tons of produce, 3% more than 2012. Ismea stated that this number was due to an increase in the production of apples, pears, kiwis, melons and cherries.Apple production in 2013 increased by 9% with respect to the previous year, although it.....

Enza Zaden, NL:
Demonstration greenhouse open week commencing 21st of April
Preparations in Enza Zaden’s demonstration greenhouse started a few months ago and are now well underway. The first tomatoes have already been harvested and the crop is looking good.New locationThis year our demonstration greenhouse is to be found at a new location, i.e. at the premises of Triomaas b.v......

Spain demands stricter phytosanitary controls on imports
FEPEX asked the Spanish MEPs to support amendments 76-85 in the European Parliament, so that a so-called reverse strategy, that allows for stricter phytosanitary controls on imports, could be adopted. This would entail adopting similar policies to those enforced by the countries most involved in the.....

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Kloosterboer installs South Holland’s largest solar panel roof plant
At the start of April, the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Kloosterboer Delta Terminal at Maasvlakte was put in to operation. A total of 1800 solar panels have been fitted to this cold storage facility making it, in terms of capacity, the largest PV plant in the province of South Holland. The.....

European Food Safety Authority
Risk assessment vs risk management: What’s the difference?
The decision to separate the tasks of risk assessment and risk management just over a decade ago has transformed the safety of Europe’s food. And while there is wide recognition that this change has strengthened the safety of the food chain, uncertainty can still exist over the difference in roles and.....

Scientists discover how to make lettuce leaves stay fresh for longer
Scientists have found a way of making the leaves stay fresh for longer.Researchers discovered smaller, tougher leaves with lots of small cells packed together tend to survive the washing and packaging process.They then worked out which parts of the lettuce genome were responsible, and developed a breeding.....

"If Russia closes for Polish tomatoes then everybody has a problem"
Fresh World International active for almost 20 years in Poland
Fresh World International was founded in Poland in 1997 as part of the Best Fresh Group. Today there are three Dutch men working for the company: Erik van Vugt, Frans Koppes and Harold Doldersum. Erik explains how they have grown, how they now stand and also looks to the future. According to him Poland have.....

Oceania

Queensland Government offers aid package for cyclone-hit farmers
Queensland primary producers hit by Tropical Cyclone Ita will now be able to apply for disaster recovery funding. Tropical Cyclone Ita carved a long trail of destruction along the Queensland coast, with close to 90 per cent of Queensland's cane farmers experiencing crop damage.Banana growers in the State's.....

De Ruiter delivering for Aussie Grower
Growers in Australia’s competitive greenhouse tomato industry across the country are continually looking for ways to improve their bottom line.With 30 years of experience in the industry, Godfrey Dol is a person any grower would want talk to about developing this competitive edge. Mr Dol is Technical Manager.....

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Durian odour triggers patient evacuation at Melbourne hospital
Firefighters were called to the Mitcham Private Hospital in Mitcham,Australia, around 10 pm on Monday amid concerns there had been a gas leak in one of the wards for the elderly. However, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) was later told the unusual smell was from a durian fruit, believed to be a gift to a.....

Africa

China and Turkey main suppliers of garlic in Senegal
The Director General of Agroseed, Moctar Fall, announced that China and Turkey supply most of the garlic consumed in Senegal. ''In Senegal, we consume 10,000 tons of garlic per year, according to official figures. We import because we do not produce it,'' he indicated, ''Senegal could produce garlic for its.....

World

Helen Hill
Photos from Eveleigh Market, Sydney
Helen Hill an achacha grower in Australia, visits many markets and farmers markets to promote the exotic fruit. She will be sending FreshPlaza a few reports for our Australia and New Zealand Special this month.Helen Hill: Eveleigh Market, Sydney is my personal favourite as it is covered, held weekly, and.....

Ginger shown to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes
Ginger, the spice that puts a kick in your favourite foods, has been a go-to medicine for eons, being used to treat ailments such as colds, motion sickness, and arthritis pain. Now, it looks like the spice can lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers from.....

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EastPack announces $1.5m profit following Satara merger
EastPack Limited, grower owned post harvest kiwifruit supplier, has announced a $1.5 million operating profit (after paying rebates) for the financial year ending 31 December 2013 – the first annual result since its merger with Satara.EastPack Chairman Ray Sharp said although the operating profit was lower.....

Retail

PriceSmart announces increase in sales during second quarter 2014
For the second quarter of fiscal year 2014, net warehouse club sales increased 11.0% to $657.2 million from $591.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2013. Total revenues for the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 were $674.4 million compared to $607.4 million in the comparable period of the prior.....

Cencosud to develop shopping centres in Colombia from 2016
German Cerrato, director of the holding Cencosud's Shopping Centres Unit for Colombia, revealed that Cencosud will start to develop shopping centres in Colombia in 2016. He also noted that the holding currently has two shopping centres which were inherited when they bought Carrefour in 2012.According to the.....

Focusing on the most compelling offer for customers
Tesco's announces preliminary results 2013/2014
Tesco has announced its preliminary results today on its website.Tesco CEO stated, "Our results today have to be seen in the context of what’s happening in the overall retail market. Two things are happening: customers are still feeling the effects of the consumer recession, although the overall economy is.....

Ahold USA appoints Amy Hahn as senior VP of marketing
Ahold USA announced that Amy Hahn has been appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president of marketing, effective April 28.In this role, which will be based in Carlisle, PA, Hahn will lead and drive critical initiatives of strategic marketing, market insights and analytics, advertising,.....

FreshPlaza Funny

If time is money, then this person must have a lot of time