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More berries in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany
In 2014 in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia 141 companies produced berries. The berries were grown in a total area of 641 acres, and yielded 4,658 tons of berries, reports the German website Proplanta.de. This makes 2014's yield 6.8% more than 2013's.With 600 of the acres being out in the open,.....
Alicante
Frosts in competitor countries boost lemon sales
After years of low profitability in which the farmers were forced to abandon their fields, farmers are starting to feel hope again because of the spike in the domestic price of lemons over the past few weeks. According to citrus producers, this spike in prices is due to the bad weather in Turkey, their main.....
UK asparagus production ‘under threat’
Britain’s biggest asparagus grower believes producing the crop in the UK will become “almost impossible” if the EU passes laws to ban key crop protection products.EU policymakers are seeking to implement new legislation on endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), which could result in the loss of key products......
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Italy: Stable prices and trends for wholesale bananas
The most popular banana in the world is the Cavendish, and FAO is doing everything it can to save it from the extinction that may be caused by Fusarium wilt. In Italy, wholesale prices for the variety are definitely stable.In Turin, multi-layer category 1 crates from Central America were sold at €0.83......
Cherry National Convention
Italy: The perfect mix for successful cherries
"If we consider the increasing foreign competition, we can see how the Italian cherry sector must necessarily focus on quality, using both varietal renovation and the most advanced agronomic techniques," explains Michelangelo Grandi, researcher for the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University.....
Russian veto and oversupply
Market under pressure for Catalonia's pome fruit
According to data provided by the Association of Fruit Businesses of Catalonia (Afrucat), Catalan apple and pear prices currently stand between 20 and 30% below those of previous campaigns, although the market dynamics are very different.The price drop is less pronounced for pears, with relatively smooth.....
The world's biggest tomato launched in UK
World's biggest tomato which can feed a family of four and is about 12 times the size of an average salad tomato has been launched in the UK. Breeders in the UK and the US developed the new variety after almost two decades of research. The super-sized tomatoes are so big that one tomato alone can serve up to.....
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Italy: Good harvest of spring onions
The right varieties of spring onions adapt well to both warm and cool climates. That is why this vegetable is cultivated in the Rovigo area the whole year round.As the product takes 3-4 months to mature after it has been transplanted, producers can achieve three productive cycles on the same land in just one.....
Photo report building Kraaijeveld Maasland
Since the last week of 2014, Kraaijeveld has moved from Barendrecht to the former 'The Greenery' building in Maasland. With several locations at the commercial centre, the fruit and veg wholesale company was running out of space, but not anymore in Maasland, with a 20,000 m2 warehouse and an additional 2,500.....
"A large fresh range is the only way to retain customers"
Vanhuyse takes over Bailly
Late December, Vanhuyse (part of Group A. de Witte) took over the Bailly wholesaler of the wholesale market in Evergem. This company sold a diverse range of fruit. Bailly's previous owners, Annie Bailly and Julien De Pourck, were very well-known on the market and had been active for years, but retired last.....
Rob Bal resigns as CEO of RedStar
Together with RedStar, CEO Rob Bal has decided to resign from his position, the company announced on request. The reasons for this decision include; a difference of opinion concerning policy implementation and the management of the organization. He will officially step down as of February 1st, 2015.Rob Bal.....
UK appoints inaugural agri-food counsellor in China
Greater access to the Chinese market will help bolster British agri-food prices, according to the Director of Communications at the Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Guy Attenborough. He was commenting in the wake of the announcement that the UK has appointed its first Agriculture and.....
Oceania
AU: State’s biosecurity image crucial
Tasmanian exports are under threat because of the erosion of biosecurity standards, primary producers warn. The warning comes as the system faces the biggest changes in more than a century as the Federal Government considers biosecurity legislation.Cherry Growers Australia chief executive Simon Boughey said.....
AU National Horticulture Convention announced
Two of the heaviest hitters in Australian horticulture are set to unite, with confirmation that AUSVEG and Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (APAL) will host a joint National Horticulture Convention on the Gold Coast in 2015.The historic agreement will bring the most significant players in Australian horticulture.....
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Africa
Uganda potato farmers: support from EU project
Uganda’s smallholder Irish potato growers are set to reap from a new donor-funded project aimed at increasing root and tuber crops production in the region.The four-year project, worth the Euro 5 million (approximately Shs 16.8bn), is titled “Strengthening Linkages between Small Actors and Buyers in the Root.....
Good market in UK for Kenyan sweet potatoes
A recent event was hosted at the Brilliant Restaurant in Southall, with the focus of enhancing the trade and marketing of fresh and frozen sweet potatoes
in the United Kingdom and Europe. In attendance were Prof Paul Kiprono Chepkwony, Governor of Kericho County, Japheth Mutai, Speaker of Kericho County.....
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Africa: Drought triggers ARC insurance payout
ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd) will pay US $25 million in drought insurance claims to three countries in the Sahel this month. Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, which paid a combined premium of US $8 million, will use the payout to mobilize early interventions in response to drought based on.....
Uganda gets potato processor
Uganda has registered a first value addition factory. It is a first in potato processing not only in the country but also in the region save for Kenya that already has two.A multimillion dollar processing plant to serve potato farmers in three countries was last Friday commissioned in Kisoro, some 510 km.....
Senegal aims to be self-sufficient in onions by 2016
The onion sector in Senegal wants to reach self sufficiency in production by 2016. The aim is to harvest at least 350,000 tons within the next two years.In order to reach this goal, they intend to follow a development plan which was used when production went from 90,000 tons in 2001 to 290,000 tons last.....
Kenya: Fresh produce exporters demanding EU compensation
Exporters of fresh produce to the European Union are demanding Sh1 billion in compensation from the union after Kenya was reinstated to preferential market access to Europe. The amount is a result of losses dealers are said to have lost through taxes imposed on fresh produce destined for the EU over a period.....
World
UN report:
Small-scale organic way to feed the world
Transformative changes are needed in our food, agriculture and trade systems in order to increase diversity on farms, reduce our use of fertilizer and other inputs, support small-scale farmers and create strong local food systems, says a report of the UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).The.....
Chiquita names new execs
Recently acquired produce titan Chiquita Brands International Inc. has tapped two new executives amid the company's first steps toward closing its Charlotte headquarters.Chiquita disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday that Darcilo Santos, 46, has been appointed as chief financial officer and Andrew Biles,.....
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Muddy Boots showcases its integration with GLOBALG.A.P.
Leading food industry software company, Muddy Boots (www.muddyboots.com) gives its customers total visibility on the quality of their products and compliance of their supply chains, from grower to retailer. Its recent integration with GLOBALG.A.P. has made it easier than ever for customers to ensure that all.....
Enza Zaden: Focus on long shelf life and great taste
This year one of the focus points on the Enza Zaden
booth at the Fruit Logistica is melon. Melon is a worldwide product, but
not all markets have the right climate to be able to meet the demand
for this product. So importing is the only answer – and preferably from
growing areas as close to home as.....
Banana company launch new premium brand
The Allfresch Group have launched a new brand of premium bananas, "Amorita" which translates as Little Love.These top quality bananas are grown by a limited number of selected growers in Mexico and Ecuador and are destined for the US, New Zealand, Chinese, European and Middle Eastern markets.AllFresch will.....
New spinach varieties presented at Fruit Logistica
Pop Vriend Seeds, a Dutch international vegetable seed company with 60 years of experience, will participate at Fruit Logistica 2015 in Berlin. The family owned company is known worldwide for its successful varieties in Spinach, Swiss Chard, Bush Beans and Sweet Corn. Pop Vriend Seeds’ commercial and.....
Retail
US: H-E-B exploring small-format stores
H-E-B, San Antonio, plans to talk with executives at Sobeys about operating smaller-format stores, according to industry reports.Observers told SN several H-E-B executives plan to travel to Canada later this month, though they declined to indicate with whom they would meet.However, they said the company is.....
Canada: Walmart to open 11 supercentres in 2015
Walmart Canada announced it will open 11 new supercenters by Jan. 29, in time for the end of the current fiscal year. These locations will bring the country's total to 394 stores, including 280 supercenters and 114 discount stores.When the year began, Walmart pledged to 35 supercenter projects, which.....
Online dashboard for loss prevention released
Gatekeeper Systems, provider of Intelligent Cart Solutions has recently announced the release of GNet™ online dashboard designed to monitor Gatekeeper’s CartControl® shopping cart containment and purchek® loss prevention solutions any time, from anywhere. The GNet dashboard gives retailers greater access and.....
Vietnam: supermarkets sell dubious veggies
Vegetables delivered by Ba Chu Safe Vegetables Co., Ltd. have been removed from display racks at BigC, Metro and Lotte Mart, the three biggest supermarket chains in Ha Noi, following a scandal over their origin.Nong Nghiep Viet Nam (Viet Nam Agriculture) newspaper revealed on Tuesday that a truck owned by.....
Ireland: BWG drives Irish convenience consolidation
It has been announced that multi-platform wholesaler BWG, the parent of the SPAR brand in Ireland is to acquire the ADM Londis, adding another symbol network to its existing portfolio of retail brands, and enhancing its position as one of the two key players in the Irish convenience retailing alongside.....
South-Korea: Shinsegae sets out to overtake Lotte
Retail giant Shinsegae Group has unveiled a series of aggressive steps this month, including the biggest investment plan in its history, in pledging to improve employees' job security and opening the country's first wine-only department store.The moves are seen as evidence of its determination to challenge.....
US: The power of Kroger
In the past few days, there has been increasing speculation that Kroger might be making another acquisition after last year’s takeover of regional powerhouse Harris Teeter. Both Bi-Lo Holdings and Roundy’s have surfaced in recent days as potential targets. That said, Kroger has been the rumored front-runner.....
Former Tesco executive David Potts in pole position to become next chief executive of Morrisons
UK: new chief executive of Morrisons from Tesco
Former Tesco executive David Potts is in pole position to become the next chief executive of Morrisons after the company ousted Dalton Philips two weeks ago.The process is understood to be ‘advancing rapidly’ and the shortlist is now down to ‘four or five’ candidates, sources told The Mail on Sunday.Several.....
Canada: Sobeys owed $3 million after Target closure
Sobeys Inc. of Stellarton was left holding a $3-million tab in the wake of the Target Canada meltdown, according to documents filed in Ontario by a court-appointed monitor.The retail fiasco left a long list of creditors owed more than $5 billion in total, according to documents filed by Alvarez & Marsal.....
Consumer-driven trends center on convenience
What’s the biggest factor affecting grocery industry trends in 2015? Consumers in the driver’s seat. They’ll push for technology-enabled convenience to fit their busy lives. They’ll demand a greater focus on health and wellness. Consumers will force grocers to rethink not only what, where and how they sell,.....
Carrefour to pursue Egypt growth as retail recovers
The owner of Carrefour SA’s (CA) franchise for the Middle East will pursue expansion in Egypt after business at a shopping mall in Cairo’s suburbs recovered from looting during the 2011 revolt that ended Hosni Mubarak’s rule.“There is probably no worse challenge than 2011 when the mall was looted,” Iyad.....
Galeries Lafayette owner raises Carrefour stake to 9.5%
The Moulin family that owns French department store Galeries Lafayette has raised its stake in supermarket chain Carrefour to 9.5 percent, business daily Les Echos reported on Sunday.The Moulin family announced last April that it had acquired 6.1 percent of Carrefour, a transaction worth about 1.28 billion.....
Carrefour Belgium is to open its first 'hypermarket of the future'.
The exact opening date of the store is yet to be announced, however it is expected to be in the autumn. The store concept is focused around eight pillars, covering: product choice, innovative services, a digital approach, sustainability, simple and ultra-modern concept, low prices and competitive.....
Thailand: Aeon plans big expansion of MaxValu supermarkets
Aeon Co, the operator of MaxValu supermarkets, has announced plans to speed up expansion in Thailand by increasing its number of stores to 500 by 2020. The company, which now operates 76 outlets in supermarket and mini-supermarket formats, is expected to open 15 more outlets this year.
US: Wawa launches app and rewards program
Mid-Atlantic convenience chain Wawa has announced the launch of two new initiatives, a mobile app and a rewards program that allow customers to use their phones to make purchases and get rewards for their spending at Wawa’s 680 locations.To use the new Wawa Rewards program, customers create accounts through.....
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