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Friday, July 25, 2014

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Joep van Lierop, of De Groot International:
"The impact of Citrus Black Spot measures on importers is currently not very big"
According to Joep van Lierop, of De Groot International, the impact of Citrus Black Spot measures on importers is currently not very big. He affirms that "measures are currently in place to stop citrus from Black Spot areas, but for now this has not had great consequences for importers. However, until Today.....

US: Effects of storms on imported bananas still not clear
Wind storms earlier this month in banana-producing regions in Colombia are likely to affect volumes of fruit imported to the United States, but the overall effect of those storms on the market is still unclear.It was reported that about 4,500 hectares of banana plantations were destroyed in Colombia as a.....

Added value is key
Complex future of asparagus in Peru
Peru's position as the world's largest exporter of fresh and canned asparagus is currently facing a complex problem.The higher freight costs, compared to Mexico, the steady decline in profitability and the consequent change of local farmers to crops with higher profit margins, are factors that endanger the.....

Business as usual between Europe and Russia
The emotion in Russia is tense after the plane crash in Ukraine. "This tragic event has been a shock,” says Gabriel Berard, owner of Bretonskiy Koupets, a representative agent in Russia for European exporters of fresh fruits and vegetables, who lives in Moscow since 2004. “Russian buyers of fresh fruits and.....

Italy: Good table grapes season expected starting 15th August
"After a slow start due to the poor quality of Victoria grapes, better quality bunches will be available on the market from the first week of August," explains the manager ofOrchidea Frutta, a company specialised in the production and sale of table grapes, cherries, citrus fruit, peaches, apricots,.....

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Chinese banana harvest destroyed by typhoon
Authorities in Nanning town, in the Zhuang du Guangxi region are trying to save a banana harvest that has been severely damaged by typhoon Rammasun.On Tuesday, over 1.6 million banana trees in Tanluo were knocked over by the storm, with financial loss at over 58 million Yuans. The Mayor of the town, Wei.....

Chiquita wins dismissal of US suits on Colombia torture
A US court has thrown out claims that US fruit giant Chiquita was liable for thousands of deaths during Colombia's civil war.The firm was accused of supporting terrorists because it secretly paid $1.7m (£1m) to a right-wing paramilitary group that carried out the killings.The Cincinnati, Ohio-based firm.....

AU: Southerners driving Top End melon expansion
An increasing number of southern melon farmers are expanding their operations into the Northern Territory, driving significant industry growth across the Top End.Melon production has tripled in value over the past five years, with the NT industry generating nearly $64 million in the 2012/13 financial year,.....

German top fruit harvest could break records
Experts are counting on a rich apple harvest in the orchards of Germany, as reported by German website Proplanta.de. This year, a harvest of 80,000 tonnes of apples could be possible in the orchards, as the 'Verband der Deutschen Fruchtsaft-Industrie' (VdF) announced last Tuesday.Throughout Germany, 250,000.....

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The country looks for alternative exotic destinations
Polish strawberries taking over the Russian market
The president of the Association of Polish Fruit Growers, Miroslaw Maliszewski, stated that Polish strawberries this year have conquered the Russian market, displacing other producers. Russia is also the main importer of Polish apples; however, due to the uncertain political situation in the East, Polish.....

North America

Vertical farming taking root in Pennsylvania
In a sprawling, formerly abandoned warehouse near Scranton, the proof is in the produce as a vertical farming operation has reaped its first harvest.Minnesota-based Green Spirit Farms is using the Scranton-area site to grow high-quality, pesticide-free, non-GMO fruits and vegetables. Green Spirit president.....

US (NY): New chapter for Long Island Cauliflower Association
When it was founded in 1901, the Long Island Cauliflower Association existed solely to market and sell cauliflower throughout the region.But as times changed, so did LICA, which eventually expanded its agriculture business to serve different types of farmers. Now, it’s altering once again — this time, to.....

'Very Cool for School': exciting, healthy snacks for the school year
Healthy snacking is one of this year's lifestyle trends for the whole family. As summer winds down, parents will soon be looking for exciting fruits and vegetables to add to their children's lunch bags for the school year. Items like Asian Pears, Jicama, Veggie Sweets, and Baby Apples are very popular with.....

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Nearly 70% of US-produced oranges comes from Florida
Florida is, after California, the most important American state when it comes to exporting fresh fruit and vegetables, TaxWatch, the independent analysis and research institute of Florida, reports. Citrus cultivation in particular is important here. 69.9% of all oranges grown in the US come from Florida......

Oregon berries in full swing
First, it was strawberries, then blueberries. Now blackberries and raspberries are ripening and by fall, cranberries will be harvested on the southern Oregon Coast. Oregon Department of Agriculture Marketing Director Gary Roth said most states can’t match the quantity, quality, and variety of berries.“Oregon.....

National Mango Board appeals to the processed mango industry
The National Mango Board (NMB) will be hosting a free webinar on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at 4 p.m. EDT for a closer look at the NMB programs and how importers of processed mango products may join the NMB. The NMB has been working extensively since 2005 to increase awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in.....

Top largest fruit display record with melons
As the saying goes, “records are meant to be broken,” which is why Cub® Foods and Robinson Fresh® have teamed up to top the Guinness World Record for Largest Fruit Display. Robinson Fresh will supply and transport four truckloads of fresh MelonUp!® Pink Ribbon watermelon to the Cub Food’s store in Maple.....

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Man arrested after eating bananas
Eating a banana that wasn’t paid for led to felony charges against a 33-year-old man, on Sunday.A security officer at Walmart in the 1200 block of Flour Bluff Drive saw a man and a woman eat bananas before paying for them about 8:25 p.m., police said. The guard directed them to a self-checkout line, but they.....

Summer rain threatening northern Illinois farmers
Jill Beyer lost her entire carrot crop to this year’s rain. The last 3 inches of precipitation were the worst, the Winnebago farmer said. Some tugs at the carrots brought up vegetables rotted brown. Drive around, especially near the Wisconsin line, and you may find farm fields still flooded after recent.....

Canada: Bonduelle production resumed after fire
Preliminary work is being done to figure out the costs of fighting the Bonduelle fire.Tecumseh Deputy Fire Chief Art Lounsbury says it’s going to be expensive. “I just started working on costs now,” reveals Lounsbury. “Just in rough estimates I’m probably at $30,000 just in labour alone, let alone the fuel,.....

Man killed in helicopter crash, whilst flying over cherry orchard
One person was killed in a Wednesday afternoon helicopter crash in Chelan County.The crash happened at around 2 p.m. near a cherry orchard owned by Stemilt Growers, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.Stemilt's Roger Pepperl said the chopper was flying above the orchard to dry the cherries.....

Key Technology releases quarterly earnings
Net sales for the three months ended June 30, 2014 totalled $31.3 million, compared to $39.4 million recorded in the corresponding quarter last year. The Company reported a net loss for the quarter of $2.0 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $1.4 million,.....

Uruguay citrus joins Oppy line up
Sweet citrus snacks are abundant now at Oppy, as the marketer adds fruit from Uruguay to its summer offerings.Early shipments of Uruguayan lemons―which sold out in a flash―were followed by Clementines and Navels that will be available through August. This is Oppy’s first offering of fruit from.....

Sun World and Farm Star Living join forces to promote farm-fresh foods
Renowned grower, marketer and breeder of fresh fruit varieties Sun World today announced its partnership with Farm Star Living, a national lifestyle brand that celebrates American farming, farm-fresh foods and the farm-to-table food movement. “We are thrilled to have Sun World onboard as Farm Star Living’s.....

Central America

The state ranks fourth in national production
Mexico: Apple harvest in Tetela is higher than of 2013
According to data presented by the delegate of SAGARPA in Puebla, Tetela de Ocampo's Golden apple harvest surpassed the 50 thousand tons in 2014.Currently, according to the agency, the state ranks fourth in the national production only under Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila.The delegate said that SAGARPA.....

Mexico suspends potato imports from the U.S.
The seventh district court, based in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, decided to suspend potato imports from the United States of America, based on the in dubio pro natura principle.The National Confederation of Potato Producers (CONPAPA) said in a statement that the judge José Francisco Pérez Mier had decided to.....

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Panama: Melon, watermelon and pineapple exports decrease
The low temperatures in Europe and the United States have cooled down the export prices of melon, watermelon and pineapple for the first five months of the year, when compared to the same period of 2013.According to data from the National Comptroller, the export value of pineapple, melon and watermelon.....

South America

Argentina: Producers seek to keep orange export markets
According to Mariano Capraruolo, executive director of the CECNEA (Chamber of Citrus Exporters), "the situation is very bad. Two years ago, there was a very heavy frost in el Litoral, Entre Rios and south of Corrientes, which greatly affected the production. It was the biggest frost in 70 years and we almost.....

Asia

S.Korea: Del Monte presents fruit topping for icy desserts
Korea Del Monte will present fruit bingsu, or ground ice with toppings, at small cafes in Seoul’s Sangsu, Itaewon and Seochon districts through the end of August.The bingsu, ranging from Malibu guava cocktail to gold pineapple sorbet, will be sold at the cafes Slow Recipe, Bella’s Homestay and Hello,.....

India: Cyclone-hit mushroom farmers unlikely to get compensation
Mushroom growers of Ganjam district fear that they may not get any compensation for their losses during cyclone Phailin in October 2013.Their fear is based on information they got from the office of the deputy director of horticulture in Berhampur through an application filed under Right to Information (RTI).....

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"Seedless mango" is not seedless
This week, Indian news outlets announced the development of a new seedless mango by scientists in Bihar, describing it as “the ultimate delicacy.”While the Sindhu mango may be palatable, it’s not seedless. And, it is not new. In fact, it has been around for more than two decades.There are hundreds of.....

Japanese horticulture is heading towards a healthy future:
Photo report GPEC Tokyo, Japan
Last week, from July 23-25, the GPEC took place at the Tokyo Big Sight Exhibition Centre in Japan. Besides a fair amount of international exhibitors, a large submission of Japanese companies showcased their innovations and supplies during this biannual exhibition and conference for Greenhouse.....

Europe

Edeka calls mushrooms back due to glass shards
The German retailer Edeka is calling back the article 'Gut & Günstig Champignons 1. Wahl in Scheiben', reports the German website t-online.de. These mushrooms are sliced and packaged in glass with a capacity of 280 grams (drained 170 grams). This call back is only regarding mushrooms that have the date.....

Bulgaria: Domestic watermelons replaced by Greek produce
Bulgarian-produced watermelons are in danger of disappearing from their domestic markets; this is due, on the one hand, to the effects of hailstorms occurred in recent months, and on the one hand, to the lower prices of imported fruits and vegetables.According to Bulgarian traders, Greek watermelons have.....

Bulgaria: Potato prices to increase sharply around New Year
Potato prices in Bulgaria will be significantly higher around and after the New Year as a result of shortages. This was stated in an interview by Vencislav Kaymakanova, president of the National Association of Potato Producers. Kaymakanova explained that this year's potato harvest will be carried out late......

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Norway: Finström’s apple harvest in danger due to hailstorm
Last Saturday's hailstorm in Finström could cause substantial losses to apple growers. The extent of the damage will be determined in a few days.On Saturday afternoon, thunderstorms raged in northern Åland, accompanied by hail. Tjudö, Västanträsk and Finström are some of the areas affected."It is still too.....

Castellon, Region of Valencia
Spain: Wild boars, the newest threat to melons
Castellon's melons are threatened by a new predator: wild boars. In recent days, several growers in this Spanish province have been visited by these hardy animals, which have arrived from the nearby Raco de la Figueta due to the food and water shortages caused by drought.Vicente Pardo, owner of a plantation.....

Massimo Marchetti (La Diamantina)
Italy: Excellent quality for summer apples and pears
Massimo Marchetti, chairman of La Diamantina PO, talked about the top fruit season.Gala trees."The Carmen and Santa Maria pear varieties that we are currently harvesting are 15 days early with respect to 2013. Gala apple harvests will also start early.""Fruits look very good and the colours are great. In.....

market report BLE week 29
Good prices for Belgian lettuce in Germany
On the German wholesale markets in week 29, there was a large presence of domestic iceberg lettuce in particular. There was also a small supply from the Netherlands. Part of the produce suffered from quality issues, on account of them being harvested during the rain. There was plenty of domestic lettuce too,.....

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Portuguese stonefruit producers also concerned
The Council of Ministers of the European Union and the Committee of Management have received demands from peach and nectarine producers from Italy, France and Spain for urgent, extraordinary anti-crisis measures to try salvaging the current campaign.Meanwhile, Portugal, and more precisely the region of Cova.....

35% more than last year
Thüringen has very good strawberry harvest
According to provisional numbers strawberries were grown this year on 180 hectares in the German state of Thüringen, reports the German website Proplanta.de. Compared with the previous year there has been a 6% increase (11 hectares) in the growing area. This makes the total strawberry acreage the largest it.....

Average asparagus harvest in Brandenburg
According to provisional numbers from the Bureau for Statistics from Berlijn-Brandenburg, 15,800 tons of asparagus were harvested in the German state of Brandenburg in 2014, reports the German website Proplanta.de. That is 100 tons or almost 1 percent more than last year.The average yield per hectare was.....

UK: Crunchy new apples to be grown in Kent
Researchers in Kent are working on a new project to develop a new variety of apple that lasts longer and suits our changing tastes.Tom Savvides talks to Richard Harrison and Professor Peter Gregory from East Malling Research and Tony Harding from Worldwide Fruit. Click here to watch the video

French producers turning to cucumber production
In the Pyrénées-Orientale, there has been a new-found interest in cucumbers over the last few years. There are 40 or so hectares of production in the department, of which 15 ha are under the group Saveur des Clos-Plaine du Roussillon. "We produce 4,000 tons over 22-25 ha crops, depending on the years’’.....

Supporting the Scottish potato industry
Potato Council has been working to raise the profile of potatoes amongst Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), promoting their health and sustainability credentials and creating awareness of the significant contribution they make to the Scottish economy.As a result, a Members’ Debate on potatoes took.....

Tons of frozen peas for school canteens in Brittany
Eat five fruit and vegetables a day! Despite the well known slogan, it is often hard to incite young people to consume fruit and vegetables. To enable young people to discover the natural flavour of frozen vegetables, professionals within the sector in Brittany are giving 100,000 portions of peas to school.....

Increase in consumption of organic products in Ukraine
Ukrainians are increasingly switching to environmentally friendly products, according to the newspaper Vesti. The total growth of organic product sales in Ukraine in 2014 is estimated to be of around 15%."If last year the domestic market for organic products reached 12.2 million Euro, up by more than 50%.....

Romania: Climate change forcing varietal conversion
Climate change is turning agriculture upside down in Romania, as vegetables and grains suffer from drought and great changes in temperature.Because of this, researchers are trying to obtain new tomato, pepper and cucumber varieties that can better resist these conditions. In the meantime, growers are using.....

GEO invests 700,000 Euros in foil machine for cucumbers
GEO, the Austrian vegetable growers organization, has invested around 700,000 Euro in a new foil machine for packaging cucumbers in Wallern, Austrian website orf.at reports. A retail chain wants to receive the cucumbers mainly packaged, after all.The new foil machine was built by employees of vegetable.....

Promoting national garlic encouraged in France
In a press release on the 22nd July, the commercial agricultural relations mediator “recommends large retail companies and negotiators that supply them to promote French garlic production as of August”. This recommendation comes when the 2014 harvest is announced to be of good quality with moderate volumes......

Europe: High standards for QS laboratory approval
In the most recent test, whether the laboratories had overcome the difficulties they had in analysing certain active substances in previous tests was specifically checked. A particular active substance mixture was prepared for this purpose. The potato prepared as the optimum matrix turned out to be the.....

EC still studying stonefruit anti-crisis measures
The European Commission is considering "measures" that could be adopted to address "the stonefruit crisis in countries like Spain and Italy," as stated on Wednesday at the European Parliament by the EC Director-General for Agriculture, Jerzy Bogdan Plewa.Appearing before the Agriculture Committee of the.....

Spain: Use of active ingredients against avocado and mango pests authorised
Asaja-Málaga's demands about the need to increase the availability of plant protection products for tropical crops, following their recent introduction to the area, appear to be finally listened to.Following the request of the Government of Andalusia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has.....

Anti-insect nets in France to fight strawberry pests
Insect proof netting is being tested to see if it can protect against Drosophila suzukii fly attacks. The first results show that they could be interesting for protecting sheltered strawberries. One month early compared to last year and the Drosophila suzukii fly is already present in tunnel grown.....

Oceania

Ex-Woolworths executive Greg Foran to head WalMart US
Woolworths' former head of supermarkets, Greg Foran, who quit in 2011 after missing out on the top job, has been appointed president and chief executive of WalMart's US operations.Mr Foran will succeed Bill Simon, who is stepping down in the wake of poor same-store sales results and supply problems at the.....

Africa

IGD launches global image laundering to attract FDI to Africa
The Initiative for Global Development (IGD) will be releasing a series of videos featuring experts and senior business executives to change perceptions about investing in Africa.The IGD is working with its partners in the initiative to feature experts and senior executives from top African and American.....

World

Germany expects rebound on cherry production
German total cherry production for CY 2014 is estimated at 51,900 MT of which sweet cherries comprise 36,300 MT and tart/sour cherries 15,600 MT. This is a 38 percent increase compared to the below average production in CY 2013. The favourable weather conditions (mild and dry conditions during flowering) are.....

Mangosteen shown to kill breast cancer cells without causing harm
A tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia has been shown in a new study to protect against breast cancer. Researchers from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (UCAS) College of Life Sciences found that the pericarp of the mangosteen fruit, which is commonly grown in Thailand and Malaysia, contains.....

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Interview with Rafael Llerena
CEO at Easyfresh and expert in global reefer logistics
Would you please talk about the current reefer logistics in the ports worldwide? Are there any advantages or problems?Ports are a key component of the cold chain, which is, generally, rather fragmented. Ports concentrate a number of players, like shipping lines, customs and sanitary authorities, container.....

Retail

Norwegian retailers refuse to sell ugly fruit and vegetables
Norwegian retailers refuse to offer their consumers deformed fruits and vegetables.The French supermarket chain Inter Marché currently has a range of deformed fruits and vegetables marketed through the campaign "Inglorious Fruit and Vegetables," but Norwegian stores are not willing to try this out, writes.....

Tesco to retain leading position in Polish e-commerce market
According to Tesco, Poland's FMCG market trade on the Internet will grow very rapidly in Poland; a market which is currently valued at more than 500 million, and will reach a billion by 2018. "Interestingly, the Polish market is larger than the Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian markets combined," says Mariusz.....

FamilyMart plans to cash in on trend for dining out
Taiwan FamilyMart Co said it plans to offer indoor dining spaces in 67 percent of its stores by the end of this year, with a total seating capacity of about 40,000.The expansion is expected to help raise revenue from fresh food items to 20 percent of total sales for the year, compared with the firm’s 17.....

Delhaize continues expansion in Belgium and abroad
As Delhaize begins working with railway station operator NS in its home market of Belgium, it continues to expand in Romania and appoints a new chief executive officer for its operations in US.Delhaize begins working with NSDelhaize has announced that it is going to work with Netherlands-based station.....

Ex-Woolworths executive Greg Foran to head WalMart US
Woolworths' former head of supermarkets, Greg Foran, who quit in 2011 after missing out on the top job, has been appointed president and chief executive of WalMart's US operations.Mr Foran will succeed Bill Simon, who is stepping down in the wake of poor same-store sales results and supply problems at the.....

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