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Brandenburg: more vegetables grown again in 2014
In the German state of Brandenburg, the open field vegetable acreage increased by nearly 13% in 2014 compared to the previous year. That makes it the first year since 2010 that more vegetables were grown than in the previous year, German website Gabot.de reports.The expansion of the vegetable acreage is,.....
German households spent less money on vegetables
German private households bought around 2% more fresh vegetables in 2014 compared to 2013, reports the German grarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) on its website. The lower prices stimulated this. The larger sales amounts were unable to compensate for the lower prices however, resulting in the.....
First UK strawberries on the way
The first English strawberries of the year will appear on supermarket shelves this weekend after the sunniest winter in nearly 90 years.Waitrose will take delivery of the first berries to have ripened in glasshouses in West Sussex on the south coast by grower Harry Hall.The Met Office said provisional.....
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Bacco F1 cocktail tomato acreage expanded in Almeria
Bacco F1, a cocktail tomato variety developed by Med Hermes Vegetable Seeds, has been confirmed as the leader in the cocktail segment in the region of Almeria.For five consecutive years, the acreage devoted to the long-cycle cultivation of this variety in a protected environment has expanded, with positive.....
M&S stocks AU superfood
Marks & Spencer claims it is the first British retailer to stock the Australian Queen Garnet, which according to studies contains five to 10 times more anthocyanins than a normal plum.Anthocyanins provide the dark colours of many fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries and red peppers.Research.....
Despite delay in the harvest
Asparagus from Granada favoured by Mexican shortages
Granada's green asparagus campaign is already underway after a delay in the start of the harvest due to prolonged low temperatures during January and February. While last year at this time the main cooperatives had already sold almost 40% of their volumes, right now the percentage only stands at 10%."We have.....
as well as stake in Dutch cultivation company for Chinese leafy vegetables
MitroFresh acquires interest in Korean mushroom nursery
Mushroom wholesaler Mitrofresh from Poeldijk supplies a wide range of fresh mushrooms to wholesalers, hospitality, catering, institutions and others. The full range comprises of Asian mushroom, Dutch cultivated, wild mushrooms, cresses, sprouts and vegetables. The company's growth ambitions are apparent.....
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Castile-Leon
Caderechas Valley producers launch Cadefruit cooperative
A total of ten producers, members of the Association of Producers and Traders of Las Caderechas, have decided to join forces with the launch of Cadefruit Sociedad Cooperativa; a company that will allow them to control the promotion and expansion of the "Marca de Garantía Valle de las Caderechas" (Guarantee.....
Scottish vegetable processor in the red
Scotland’s main vegetable and salad crop processor, Kettle Produce, based near Cupar in Fife, posted pre-tax losses of £1.196million for the year ended May 31, 2014. This was down 230% on the year before, when the firm posted pre-tax profits of £914,446.Accounts filed with Companies House also reveal that.....
Bulgaria: 766.9 million Euro to be granted in subsidies
Bulgarian growers can now apply for 1.5 billion Lev (766.9 million Euro) in subsidies from the European Union (EU) and the national budget, to be granted in the form of direct payments. A total of 15 different schemes will be in place for the fruit and vegetables and livestock sectors. The deadline for the.....
Minimum wage in Germany could boost automation
Early this year, a new minimum wage came into practice in Germany, a measure which is estimated to benefit 3.7 million German workers. The consequences this will have are not clear and it is still too early for it to have a significant impact. In general, however, it is believed that it will boost.....
Coop expands Ünique assortment
A year and a half ago the Swiss retailer Coop launched their own sustainable brand 'Ünique', which was met with great success. Through doing this they became the first Swiss fruit and vegetable retailer, whose products do not meet the beauty ideal, to be given a place on store shelves. Coop is currently.....
Israeli Official:
Philippines: Technology can expand ag potential
Technology can expand the Philippine’s agricultural production, and with its natural endowments, the country can do wonderful things in its crop and livestock industries, an Israeli official said on Wednesday.In a separate statement released during the an agriculture seminar being conducted by the embassy,.....
Asparagus of Navarra protected by anti-fraud labelling
The president of the Regulatory Council of the PGI Asparagus of Navarra, Miguel Mateo, has announced the launch of a new labelling system which will only be allowed for use with fresh or canned asparagus grown on the land covered by the PGI (Navarra, La Rioja, Aragon), thus preventing fraud.The asparagus.....
Dutch plan fresh fruit and flowers by rail
An agreement to develop plans for an intermodal rail terminal to serve fresh food and flower producers in the Westland agricultural area near Rotterdam was signed at the Fruit Logistica 2015 exhibition in Berlin last month.Three companies, Cluster Agrotechniek Westland, Dutch construction company Ballast.....
tna acquires Dutch frying line company
tna has acquired food processing company Florigo International. Florigo’s technology includes patented continuous vacuum frying lines, French fry lines, multizone fryers and technology to reduce acrylamide formation.Combined with the recent acquisition of FOODesign, the Florigo acquisition will enable tna to.....
Israel: Eden Teva organic stores to expand through Mega
The Israeli organic food chain Eden Teva Market, controlled by Blue Square (51%), has brought its plans to open independent stores to a halt and is preparing to expand by opening departments within stores of their sister company Mega. After a pilot project conducted by Mega at its stores in Shoham and Tel.....
Gaza Strip to supply Israel with fresh produce
In the coming days, the marketing of agricultural products from the Gaza Strip is expected to start in Israel. The decision came after a thorough study by the Office for the Coordination of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territories and the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, in coordination.....
Germany: Wholesale prices week 9
Oceania
NZ: Water rules create fresh challenge
Farmers face a new evolutionary pressure -- working within nutrient limits -- and with scientists and industry bodies will need to evolve new farming systems, says a University of Waikato economist.Associate professor Graeme Doole, an economist who specialises in the connections between agriculture and the.....
AU (NT): Calls for better infrastructure
A Douglas Daly, Northern Territory tourism operator says the region has become a hive of activity, and it's time the local infrastructure reflected that growth. Two hundred kilometres south of Darwin, the region not only gets visits from tourists, but also transient workers at nearby emerging forestry and.....
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AU: Potato marketing sees success
Potato growers in Western Australia have invested heavily in a potato marketing program aimed at stopping the decline in consumption per capita of fresh potatoes. Independent research had shown that potato consumption in Western Australia had dropped from 25 kilos / capita to less than 20 kilos / capita.....
Seeka: Site will be ready for harvest
A blaze that destroyed part of Seeka's Oakside post-harvest site at Te Puke late on Wednesday night - which firefighters battled to daybreak - is not expected to stop the plant from being operational for the start of the kiwifruit season later this month.Chief executive Michael Franks told the Bay of Plenty.....
Disease-resistant avocados close
A root-rot fungus that costs the avocado industry more than $10 million a year is facing a dubious future thanks to a genome sequencing project at The University of Queensland.The project could lead to emerging technologies not only to tackle disease in avocados, such as Phytophthora cinnamomi, but for.....
NZ: Fruit fly find now at 14
The number of Queensland fruit flies found in Auckland has risen to 14.The Ministry for Primary Industries today said the male fly had been found in a trap.Two other flies were found a day earlier.MPI maintains there is no new evidence to suggest the situation is anything more than a localised population of.....
Africa
Malawi gov’t solicits views for national agriculture policy
The government of Malawi has organized National Agriculture Policy (NAP) consultations across the country to solicit views from the public which will be considered in its agricultural policy development process.The Secretary for Agriculture, Erica Maganga said Wednesday in Lilongwe that the envisaged policy.....
South Africa faces food shortage
South Africa is facing the prospect of looming food shortages in the next 10 years as the country struggles to attract new talent to its ageing crop of commercial farmers, according to Deloitte.Data from farming organisation Agri SA shows that the average age of a South African farmer is 62, considerably.....
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South Africa: Farm workers abuse must stop
Farm workers have rights like other workers who work in other sectors of the South African economy with or without trade union membership. They enjoy the same human rights that are enshrined in the Bill of Rights like other South Africans and they enjoy the protection of the Labour Relations Act, members of.....
Africa: Fewer civil servants, more scientists
Despite Africa’s rising economic power, a damaging divide remains between business communities and scientists on the continent. Technical knowledge is not keeping pace with economic growth, and business leaders in Africa regularly complain about the lack of local candidates with technical skills. In fact,.....
Egypt: Agricultural exports from Ismailia worth 110 million dollars
Major General Yassin Tahir, Governor of the Egyptian Governorate of Ismailia, stated that the total value of Ismailia's agricultural exports, including fruit and vegetables, field crops and medicinal and aromatic plants, during the months of January and February amounted to $ 110 million.The total export.....
World
Ingersoll Rand acquires Frigoblock
Ingersoll-Rand plc has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Frigoblock. The transaction was closed on March 4, 2015 for €100 million.Frigoblock manufactures and designs transport refrigeration units for trucks and trailers in Europe, primarily sold in Northern Europe. Frigoblock operates in.....
Organics continue to grow worldwide
The positive trend in organic products continued in 2013. The global turnover was around 55 billion Euro, the latest figures presented by the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Union of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) this week show.The US is the largest market.....
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Customer collaboration key to Manbulloo mango success
Collaboration with partners in the supply chain, keeping the customer as the ‘centre of the universe’ and committing to a planned program and strategy have been key to a successful mango season for grower and marketer Manbulloo. “last year the 2014/15 season was great. We’re very happy with the yield and.....
Cassava growth boosted by climate change
Cassavas are currently one of the world's fastest-growing crops, holding up better to the rising temperatures caused by climate change, as pointed out by experts.In a seminar organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at its headquarters in Rome, specialist Clair Hershey.....
Global production of exotic fruit continues to rise
The production of exotic fruit is increasing globally, reports the German website Fruchthandel.de. Between 2003 and 2012 the global production of exotic fruit increased by 48% more than the total fruit production (+28%), figures by Freshfel show. India and China are the main producers and their domestic use.....
Russian investors to Serbia
No support Russian ministry for quota domestic produce
Last month, two proposals were made in the Russian parliament to establish a quota for Russian produce on store shelves. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, however, has announced it doesn't see the proposal as a viable option. A large study of the Russian agricultural sector should provide additional.....
Retail
AU: Key aspects of the food and grocery industry
Aldi and Metcash are both on board for the new legally enforceable code developed by Coles, Woolworths and the Australian Food and Grocery Council.On Tuesday 3 March 2015 the Food and Grocery Industry Code of Conduct (the Code) was declared to be a legally enforceable, voluntary prescribed code under the.....
Boardroom shake-ups for Tesco, Marks & Spencer
The boardroom clear out at supermarket giant Tesco continued yesterday, while high street icon M&S announced a new board role for its current chairman.Tesco, the UK’s biggest retailer, said non-executive director Gareth Bullock would retire from the main board today, but remain on the board of Tesco.....
Rema 1000 Denmark tops 10 billion kroner turnover in 2014
The discount supermarket chain Rema 1000 has achieved a turnover of more than 10 billion kroner in Denmark for the first time ever. The annual report of the chain’s Norwegian owner Reitangruppen suggests that Rema 1000 is faring well in the ongoing discount war in the Danish retail space.Its record figures.....
Aldi and Lidl: ten years on the Swiss market
Aldi and Lidl have opened 275 stores in Switzerland in the last ten years. Since then their assortment has become more versatile and the distance to the next supermarket has shortened, reports the Swiss newspaper'Thurgauer Zeitung'.When Aldi and Lidl wanted to enter the Swiss market ten years ago the.....
UK: Parfetts reveals good growth for 2014
Major regional cash & carry wholesaler, Parfetts, with six depots focused in the North-West and Midlands has published its annual results for the financial year ending 30 June 2014, revealing turnover up 3% to £309m. Against the backdrop of a flat market, Parfetts' performance continues to show the.....
South-Africa: Massmart confirms sales rose 10.4% in FY2014
Massmart, in which US-based Walmart owns a majority stake, has confirmed that it enjoyed sales growth of 10.4% in its 2014 financial year, reaching ZAR78.2 billion (US$6.6 billion). The retailer said that the performance had been driven by comparable store sales growth of 7.5%, with the Massbuild – total.....
South Africa: results and private label
SPAR (South Africa) updates on tradingIn a trading update for the 17 week period to 24 January, SPAR Group has said that total sales rose by 38.3%, while excluding the impact of the acquisition of Ireland-based BWG Group total sales rose 8.7%. The retailer said that sales in its home market were driven by.....
US: Behind Kroger’s record of success
As Kroger reports another outstanding quarter, IGD reviews what’s behind its on-going success.Sales break through $100bn barrierKroger’s fourth quarter sales (ex-fuel) increased by 14.2%, reflecting the acquisition of Harris Teeter, with identical store sales (ex-fuel) up 6.0%. For the full year, the.....
US: Winning countries, channels and categories at Costco
As Costco reports its latest results, IGD highlights where it won in the quarter.Taiwan, South Korea and Mexico lead international growthCostco’s second quarter sales increased by 4.3% to $26.8bn, with comparable stores sales up 2%. Net income attributable to Costco increased by 29.2% to $598m.The retailer’s.....
France: Carrefour reveals 2015 priorities
At yesterday's presentation for the 2014 full year results, Carrefour said its action plans were bearing fruit as it confirmed an acceleration in its organic sales growth for the year, up 3.9%. Recurring operating income increased by 7% in Europe and 14.9% in emerging markets.2014 results confirm growth.....
Delhaize to continue Food Lion investments
Delhaize Group on Thursday said sales and underlying profits in the U.S. increased in the fiscal fourth quarter, citing effects of comparable-store sales growth, a favorable sales mix and better sales leverage.Sales for the quarter totaled $4.7 billion, a 12.1% increase. Excluding the effect of a 53rd week.....
Fresh Market to exit California
The Fresh Market said Thursday it plans to discontinue operations in California by March 31 “to focus on higher growth opportunities.”The Greensboro, N.C.-based specialty grocery retailer operates stores in Palo Alto in Northern California, Santa Barbara in Southern California and Laguna Hills south of Los.....
AU: Metcash settles court case with IGA food retailer
Metcash has settled a multi-million court case with a collapsed IGA supermarket retailer, heading off a potential confrontation with independent retailers who bought former Franklins stores.Ajay Arora and his wife Pooja Arora had sued Metcash for more than $12 million, alleging that the grocery wholesaler.....
Romania cuts VAT for food products
Romania plans to lower the value-added tax rate by year-end “at the latest” to boost domestic consumption and economic growth, Finance Minister Darius Valcov said.The government will cut VAT to 20 per cent from 24 per cent and to 9 percent for basic food products such as meat and vegetables once budget.....
US: Roundy’s Q4 exceeds expectations
Roundy’s had strong sales in the fourth quarter. Net sales were $1.08 billion for the fourth quarter ending Jan. 3, an increase of 26.1% compared with the same time period last year. Same store sales declined 2.3%, an improvement from the first two quarters of the year.“We ended the year on a positive note.....
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