North America
Naturex lauded for Eco commitment
Naturex was included in the 2009 SB20 List: the World’s Top 20 Sustainable Stocks, selected by green stock analysts and published by SustainableBusiness.com. The 8th annual listing includes 20 public companies that are dedicated to sustainable business and environmental practices, as well as a history of.....
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US: Wild Blueberry Health Research showcased on national stage
Leading scientists studying the health properties of Wild Blueberries presented their latest findings related to the positive link between antioxidant-rich berry consumption and disease prevention at the 2009 Berry Health Benefits Symposium. Wild Blueberries have been central to research exploring the role.....
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Strong yields follow two straight years of half-crops
US (OR): Growers of briner cherries enjoy rosy outlook
While Oregon's fresh-market cherry crop appears to be a record-breaker, no such thing is going to happen with the briner crop, despite the fact that yields will be good."2006 was huge, but we're not going to hit those numbers," said Josh Reynolds, president of Gray & Co. in Forest Grove.That said, he.....
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US: Weyerhaeuser receives best of show award at NIRI Seattle’s Investor Communications Awards Gala
The Seattle Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) announced today that Weyerhaeuser’s 2008 annual report won “Best of Show” at the Investor Communications Awards Gala held June 25.Companies from throughout the Northwest submitted annual reports, investor Web sites, annual reports on.....
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US (ID): Potato commission is right to protect its 'Idaho-ness'
The prospect of a large organization, the Idaho Potato Commission, picking on a new restaurant may seem way out of line, but only until you understand what is at stake.Just ask the Tillamook County Creamery Association. Or Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Kleenex. Or Wham-O Inc., maker of the Frisbee.In the case.....
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US: EFSA's opening on GMOs
The positive opinion issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) about the safety of Monsanto's MON 810 corn trait and Roundup Ready 2 corn product, will definitely have a strong impact on the future of GM cultivations in Europe.GM maize type MON 810 has been a matter of discussion for a long time:.....
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US: New protocol aids Washington and Oregan cherry exporters
Washington and Oregon cherry growers will be able to export sweet cherries to Japan more quickly under a new inspection protocol approved by that country Thursday.Japan requires that sweet cherries from the United States be fumigated to control the codling moth, a quarantine pest. But the country agreed to.....
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Six acres of organic vegetables designed to showcase USDA mission
USDA chief spotlights food crops at D.C. garden
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is transforming the six-acre site surrounding the department's headquarters in Washington, D.C., into a showcase of good farming and conservation practices.While Vilsack's original plans called for a 612-square-foot organic vegetable garden, those plans were soon expanded to.....
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Despite amendments, bill lacks wide industry support
US: Ag groups cool on climate bill
Agriculture groups are divided on the climate-change bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last week, despite farm-specific provisions added late in the process by farm state legislators.Reactions to the bill - HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 - range from neutral to.....
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US (NH): Rain puts damper on local farm crops
John George sounded defeated as the rain returned and swamped his already-soaked crops. The owner of John George Farms in Dartmouth had reached the end of his rope."I feel miserable, miserable," he said Wednesday. "If it continues to rain like this, it's going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back,.....
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USDA stats show a 12 percent drop
US: Citrus losses likely due to Hurricane Dolly
Hurricane Dolly’s trek through South Texas last summer is the likely suspect in a 12 percent drop in citrus production there, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service citrus specialist.“Based on historical trends in citrus production here, the 2008-2009 citrus harvest should have been up by 5 or 6.....
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Central America
US: Mango crop forecast
Mexico: Mexico’s season started in late January and according to NMB’s projections the season will end at the beginning of October with an estimated 40.5 million boxes. Projections will be adjusted throughout the season.Haiti: The Haitian season began March 30, 2009. According to the projections of the.....
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South America
Uruguay INE says 12-months consumer price index +6.48%
Prices in Uruguay aren't rising as fast as they were a year ago, but inflationary pressures persist in the economy, according to data published Thursday by the National Statistics Institute, or INE.INE's consumer price index in June was up 6.48% over the last 12 months, versus 6.63% in May and 8.42% in June.....
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Oceania
AU: AusVeg fronts Burke over horticulture award
The AusVeg board told Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke of its concern about changes to the horticulture award at a meeting last week.The AusVeg board also met with the Hon John Cobb, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Horticulture Australia Limited chief executive Vanessa Goss and Liberal Senator Simon.....
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AU: Tariff deals should improve
Horticulture was dudded on tariffs in a South East Asian trade agreement - but should get a better deal in future.That's a key finding of a federal parliamentary inquiry into the recent trade deal concluded by Australia with the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations.A report tabled last week by.....
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FIJI: Mushrooms planned as a source of vitamin D
Ultraviolet radiation, may turn mushrooms into an important source of vitamin D, reports the Turku-based daily Turun Sanomat.“This spring an Australian scientific study garnered wide attention in the international media. According to the study, even a brief irradiation of edible mushrooms can significantly.....
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AU: Greens seek fruit, veg pesticide testing
Testing of fruit and vegetables for chemical residues should be compulsory and the results made available to the public, the NSW Greens say.National testing body FreshTest says 2.5 per cent of the produce it tests exceeds maximum residue levels for dangerous pesticides and herbicides, Fairfax newspapers.....
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Africa
Tonnes of coconuts stolen daily in Zambézia province, Mozambique
The province of Zambézia in Mozambique see a loss of five to six tonnes of coconuts stolen every day from plantations and nurseries of agri-livestock companies, which would otherwise be sent to markets in Nampula and Cabo Delgado, according to Mozambican newspaper Notícias.The paper added that the thieves,.....
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Uganda: There is wealth in vegetables
In yet another bid to eliminate poverty among the poor, the Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has gone into organic vegetable farming with the aim of encouraging the peri-urban youth to take up the initiative for better livelihoods.Bukenya who is presently experimenting on 18 different types and.....
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World
FreshPlaza Machinery and Packing special in July
During the month of July, FreshPlaza will have a special about Machinery and Packing. We are looking for companies who have got an innovative product or something concerning Machinery and Packing which they would like to bring to the attention of our readers. If you want to be featured in our special, you.....
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Click here for more information about these specials Europe
UK: Asda shifts 1.6 million sprouts during UK heatwave!
Perhaps surprisingly, Asda has revealed that its most popular vegetable at the moment is the humble - and perhaps controversial - Brussel sprout. Each week, the chain is shifting 1.6 million of them, which is enough to fill forty-two Olympic-sized swimming pools.What's most surprising is that they continue.....
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Germany: Maersk shipping unit sees stagnation in 2010
A.P. Moller-Maersk's liner shipping business expects stagnation at best in the industry next year but will not cut freight rates to win more market share, the head of the division told a German newspaper."We are pretty disappointed by what we've seen in April and May," the head of Maersk Line, Eivind Kolding.....
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Poland: export of frozen strawberries
According to the Polish Analytical Centre of Customs Administration (CAAC) in the period between January and April 2009 Poland exported 32 thousand t of frozen strawberries i.e. by 35 % more than in the same period 2008.However the value of export was higher only by 5 % and amounted to 36 million euro. It.....
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Poland: production of white headed cabbages
Much rain and warm weather during a few last days were favourable for vegetation of headed cabbages.In podkarpackie and mazowieckie provinces the purchase prices of white cabbage for the retail market was 0.80 - 1.00 PLN (0.18-0.23 euro)/pcs. Compared to last year the prices are lower by about 0.20 - 0.25.....
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UK: Wolmer measures relative carbon footprints of growing varieties of apples
A grower hailed as a sector champion for fighting climate change is to reveal how he managed to compare the carbon footprints of producing different varieties of a type of fruit.William Wolmer looked at the carbon footprint of managing Gala apple orchards and fields of Cox's apples at Blackmoor Estate.The.....
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18th & 19th November 2009
Sixth UK onion & carrot conference and exhibition
With organisation headed by the British Onions team, the now well established UK Onion & Carrot Conference attracts an increasingly international audience.In 2009 the Conference will be of interest to everyone in the Onion and Carrot industries, with Wayne Minninger (USA), Tatyana Ivchenko (Ukraine),.....
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Asia
Tracing fruit exports between China, Vietnam
July 1 was the first day of an agreement to trace the origin of five types of fruit, including longan, litchis, bananas, dragon fruit and watermelon, to be exported from Vietnam to China and vice versa. SGGP was present at various northern border posts to capture trading activities and the effects of the new.....
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Philippines: DA sharpens competitiveness of mango industry
Arguably, the Philippine mango is the best and the sweetest in the world but it needs further boost to sharpen its global competitiveness.With this, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is working on a nine-point program for the local industry to increase production and improved quality of their mango.....
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India: North Dinajpur seeks a fruitful harvest
The North Dinajpur district administration has decided to go back to the basics when it comes to increasing the green cover in the district. Departing from the customary practice of planting commercial and semi-commercial plants during forest week, the district administration has decided to plant a large.....
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India: Heat hits Himachal apples, huge drop in production predicted
The Himachal apples will not taste as they used to do in the best days of their harvests. And the fruit is also not expected to be available in abundance this time around.This is perhaps the first visible adverse affect of the climate — a near-snowless winter and an unpredictable dry spell — this year.The.....
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SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc. establishes California-based subsidiary for U.S. sales and distribution
SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc., a leading processor and manufacturer of concentrated apple, kiwifruit, pear and other fruit juices and fruit products in the People's Republic of China, today announced that it has established a California-based subsidiary corporation under the laws of Delaware named Harmony MN.....
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Seeds distributed by agriculture dept fail to bear tubers
India: Valley Potato farmers feel cheated
Kashmir farmers that banked on potato seeds procured from directorate of agriculture are feeling cheated as none of the plants have born any tubers while the prevailing local varieties are nearing harvest.Farmers from different areas of the Valley told Rising Kashmir that the potato development wing of the.....
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Harvest time for Chinese wolfberry fruits in NW China
Farmers are busy harvesting the Chinese wolfberry fruits in Zhongning County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China, July 2, 2009. More than 12,000 hectares of Chinese wolfberry are in the harvest season in Zhongning County. Ningxia is a leading production base of Chinese wolfberry, which has.....
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