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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

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Organic Alexander Lucas pears coming to market in April
Organic Alexander Lucas pears are back this spring, brought to the North American market by Viva Tierra Organic, Inc. This little-known heirloom variety has a dedicated following among pear connoisseurs who look forward to its brief season. The Alexander Lucas, known as Alex Lucas among friends, is a.....

David Bell, Chief Marketing Officer of Houweling’s Tomatoes:
Craftsmanship & specialisation: keys to success in the tomato business
Houweling's Tomatoes is a family owned, world-renowned greenhouse tomato grower with facilities in Camarillo, California and Delta, British Columbia. It controls its entire production chain, from seed to planting, growing, packing and shipping, which ensures maximum control over the product’s quality. David.....

Philippine banana export to UAE jumped 87% in 2013
Banana exports to the UAE from the Philippines jumped 87 per cent in 2013 despite major supply disruptions caused by a string of tropical storms that battered the archipelago. The far-east Asian country shipped $79 million worth bananas to the UAE in 2013, from $42.2 million in 2012, according to a senior.....

Gerard Hoekman, Mulder Onions:
"Smooth sales for New Zealand onions"
New Zealand onions are selling well. So says Gerard Hoekman from Mulder Onions in Kerkrade. Howeverstatisticsshow that volumes have never been this big in the run up to week 18 and there are few supplies on the market. "The big difference to the same period last year, is that everything is being sold.....

US (WA): Strong cherry crop possible
Though official crop volume estimation numbers won’t be available until mid-May, the Washington State Fruit Commission is gearing up for a strong cherry crop in 2014. Trees are healthy from winter dormancy and early indications point to a robust crop, which could be anywhere between 20 to 25 million boxes—if.....

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Harsh winter weather in US opens market for B.C. farmers and distributors
Harsh winter weather throughout the Americas has combined with the rising U.S. dollar to push up local fruit prices – a situation that helps bottom lines for B.C. farmers and fruit distributors but forces grocers and consumers to pay more.The Canadian dollar dropped 6.4% against the U.S. dollar in 2013 and.....

Growers predict:
UK: Longest and largest cherry season ever after warm winter
Britain is set for a bumper cherry crop this year – with growers predicting the longest and largest season ever recorded.The boom has been sparked by the fifth warmest winter since records began, meaning blossom has already begun appearing on trees.It is thought the first harvest of the season will come a.....

10% increase
Spain: 70,000 tonne seedless watermelon harvest expected by Grupo Fashion
Asociación Grupo Fashion (AGF), a conglomerate of 18 horticultural companies, expects its black seedless watermelon harvest to grow by 10% this year. The group, based in Adra, plans to start the harvest and trading of its flagship product on 25th April and aims to reach a total production of 70 million.....

Portugal is Fruit Logistica 2015 partner country
Portugal is the official partner country for FRUIT LOGISTICA 2015 taking place in Berlin on 4-6 February.Portugal is making its largest appearance ever at the leading international trade fair for fresh produce marketing. The country is looking forward to attracting even more international buyers and.....

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North America

Idaho® potatoes perfect gluten-free solution for foodservice
Health issues have become hot button foodservice topic as consumer lifestyle concerns continue to grow. In particular, consumer awareness of gluten as a trigger for autoimmune and other conditions has rocketed to prominence, creating both a new industry of gluten-free products and a new gluten-free menu.....

Canada
Pear Bureau Northwest names culinary student recipe contest winner
The national finals for the 2014 USA Pears “Pear Excellence” Canadian Culinary Student Recipe Competition were held on Tuesday, April 8, at The Dirty Apron Cooking School in Vancouver. Five culinary student finalists from highly competitive regional competitions faced off before a panel of esteemed judges.....

Frigid winter's effects will hit produce aisle
Steve Tennes, a Charlotte, Mich., fruit grower, predicted he could see a total loss of his peach and sweet-cherry crops from damage to the buds. Although his apple trees fared better, piles of snow enabled rabbits to chew off many more buds than usual, said Mr. Tennes, 36 years old, the owner of Country Mill.....

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California leads fresh market vegetable production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports fresh market vegetable and melon production for 24 selected crops totalled 414 million hundredweight in 2013. That's down 5 percent from the year before.Harvested acres were down 2 percent at 1.63 million acres, but the value of those crops was up 14 percent,.....

Sam Sleiman leaves Accu-Label to start LABELPAC Inc
Sam Sleiman, former co-owner and founder of Accu-Label Inc. in Lakeshore, Ontario, recently sold his half share in Accu-Label to start his own company, LABELPAC Inc., where he serves as sole owner and president. “Being sole owner has given me the autonomy to become more diverse in the produce industry as a.....

Central America

Guatemala: Poppy and marijuana crops to be replaced by potato and fruits
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), invested 30 million quetzals (3.8 dollars) to help growers in areas where poppy and marijuana cultivation are most prolific to replace them with potatoes and fruit trees.Poppies are the source of raw opium, from which drugs like heroin and as sedative.....

South America

Peru's Jan-Feb blueberry exports total US$ 4 million
According to Ana Maria Deustua, AGAP's head, the United States and some European countries were the main destinations for blueberries, which are mainly cultivated in the coast of the Andean country.In 2012, the South American nation exported nearly 45 tons of blueberries with revenues worth nearly US$ 1.....

Walnut production; an expanding alternative in Argentina
Through the development of six new varieties that meet the strictest international quality standards, Argentina's National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) aims to promote walnut production in the country.According to INTA's latest report, walnut production volumes have multiplied by four in the.....

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Grapes to follow in 2014/2015 campaign
Peruvian citrus and avocados may enter Japanese market this year
Peruvian avocados and fresh citrus could start being exported to Japan this year, while grapes would follow in the 2014/2015 season, according to the head of the National Agricultural Health Service (SENASA), Jorge Barrenechea Cabrera.He pointed out that the National Plant Protection Organisation of Japan.....

Asia

China: First Chongqing's certified organic citrus
Chongqing's first organic late maturing citrus is now in the market. This "W Murcott" organic citrus variety has attracted a lot of attention.According to the organic agricultural technology expert Yu Bin, this kind of orange has just acquired its organic certification February of this year, a first in the.....

China: Jiangxi citrus exports last year reached a record high
According to the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, total citrus exports of Jiangxi Province has reached a record high last year. According to statistics, only through self export, Nanfeng County alone has exported 300,000 tons of Nanfeng tangerine (14 times higher than the previous year); the.....

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UNIVEG and Mahindra ShubhLabh Services enter into Joint Venture
Mahindra ShubhLabh Services Ltd. (subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.) part of the USD 16.7 billion Mahindra Group, this week signed a joint venture agreement with UNIVEG. The joint venture, between Mahindra and the UNIVEG Group will have Mahindra ShubhLabh Services Ltd (MSSL) and UNIVEG holding 60.....

Xinjiang Kuche:
Vegetable greenhouses in China leading farmers to riches
In the small town of Yaha, in Kuche County of Xinjiang Province, villagers grow cucumbers in greenhouses, under the guidance Mayinuer, the town agricultural technology station technician.With help from the town government, the village started greenhouse vegetable cultivation back in early 2004. Each year the.....

Binchuan pesticide-free garlic harvest sold in Northern China
At the start of April, the Binchuan County of Dali Bai Autonomous Region of the Yunnan province has harvested 40,000 acres of pesticide-free garlic. The harvest will be packed and sold to the northern cities of Beijing, Shandong, Gansu, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, etc. Last spring, local agricultural authorities.....

Europe

Maltese potatoes heading to Sweden
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Roderick Galdes today announced an "important achievement" for the Maltese potato sector.Mr Galdes said that a Swedish company has agreed to start purchasing between 25,000 to 50,000kgs of Maltese potatoes this year.In a statement, the Parliamentary Statement said that.....

French potato producers advised not to plant more than needed
Potato planting is about to begin, or has already started, in the main production areas. The Unpt (National Union of Potato Producers) has expressed concern about a further surface increase expected in the 2014/2015 season. Definitive figures will be published mid-June. ''Whilst aware that weather conditions.....

Italy: Agrieuropa invests in leaf spinach
"This year we decided to invest in leaf spinach, a new product introduced in October 2013 on 2.5 ha.Things are going well so far and we plan to reach 40 hectares next year," explained Alberto Nocera, chairman of Agrieuropa.Agrieuropa is a cooperative specialised in the production, processing and packaging of.....

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Italy: Musica potatoes harvest started
The harvesting of Musica potatoes has started. The variety did very well in 2012/13 and, according toAgricola De Lorenzis Srl, it is going to do so in 2014 as well.Antonio De Lorenzis, CEO, stated that "the company launched Musica potatoes in 2012 and is currently the sole producer for the Salento area."The.....

Area of peaches and nectarines has decreased in Italy
In recent years over production and a decrease in consumption have considerably influenced the cultivation of peaches and nectarines in Italy. There were also a number of difficult years with unusual seasons, reports the GermanAgrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) on its website. This is why more and.....

Netherlands: "For this money no one can grow Leeks"
The leek season has not been great these last few months and seems to have fizzled out. "It looks like the season is going to end like this too. Making it a year to quickly forget. And that is very tough", ascertains Frank Jensen vanGebr. Jansen Teelt- en Verpakkingsbedrijf uit Etten-Leur.The warm winter.....

Agricola Don Camillo
Italy: New Sicilian Charentais melons now on the market
"After a few years of tests, we are now harvesting a new type of Charentais melon which is tender, with a deep colour and smaller placental cavity. In addition, fruits are compact, with good productivity and shelf-life," explains Ettore Cagna (in the photo below), chairman of Agricola Don Camillo.The.....

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Concentration of Rewe Group warehouses
The Rewe Group is systematically extending its logistics by taking their first German main warehouse to fruit and vegetables in Leipzig. Until now all fruit and vegetable supplier passed through one or more regional warehouses throughout Germany to supply the amounts ordered by the Rewe Group. Now they will.....

By Nadav Nitzan, Ph.D.
Postharvest pathology of beans
The most common diseases affecting bean pods are Gray Mold (Botrytis cinerea) (Fig. 1), and White Mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) (Fig. 2). Other diseases may be pod russeting (Plectosporium tabacinum) (Fig. 3), Rhizopus rot (Rhizopus stolonifer), Pythium leak, and Alternaria rot. These fungal pathogens are.....

Germany: consumers spend increasingly less on food
German consumers spent 1,442 billion Euro in total in 2012, reports the German website Proplanta.de. The'Rheinische Landwirtschafts-Verband' (RLV)announced that 170 billion Euro of this (11.7%) was spent on food and alcohol free drinks. People also spent 45 billion Euro on alcoholic drinks and tobacco.....

New Edeka distribution centre opens in Frauenwald
Last week in Landsberg Germany the inauguration of the new Edeka distribution centre was officially held, reports German website Kreisbote.de. The distribution centre is one of the most up-to-date of its kind in Germany, emphasized Edeka personnel with pride. 500 shops in the regions Schwaben and Southern.....

Healthy eating difficult to combine with working lifestyle
The 'Techniker Krankenkasse', a German health insurance company recently did some research into the eating patterns of working people and it showed that one in three men 36% and one in four women 24% had difficulty in finding healthy food to eat at their place of work, and only one in two workers 48% could.....

Photoreport Bronisze Wholesale Market Warsaw
During our visit to Warsaw last week, we visited the Bronisze wholesale market and took pictures of the products and retailers. The atmosphere was excellent, although we attracted some strange looks. It was not too busy around 8 o'clock in the morning. The supply on the market was huge and it was striking.....

Q-key snack cucumber with herbs sold by Jumbo Food Market
More and more attention is being paid nowadays to healthy eating habits; also in the field of snacks, where an increasing number of healthy alternatives are appearing. This motivated cucumber grower Roel Versteegen to introduce a new concept in the market: The Q-key.From 2015, the Dutch government wants all.....

EU to reduce vegetable transport prices
The European Commission (EC) aims to reduce road transport costs across the European Union (EU) through the implementation of a number of measures that will improve the road transport standards applicable to the sector, the drivers and the environment.Almost a quarter of all trucks circulating on European.....

"Inmaduros, no" ("Reject the unripe")
Spain: Calls for withdrawal of campaign against early melon harvest
The agricultural organisation Asaja-Almería expressed its concerns to Almeria's territorial delegate of Andalusia's Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, José Manuel Ortiz, regarding the campaign "Immaduro, no" ("Reject the unripe") referring to the melons and watermelons supposedly.....

Italy: New INFIA website in three languages
The new INFIA website is now online. The company specialises in packaging for fruit and vegetables and produces 3 billion pieces each year, destined to over 75 countries worldwide. The website is available in three different languages (Italian, English and Spanish) at:www.infia.itThe new website can also be.....

Balancing quality and impact:
Fairtrasa Holland celebrates its first Birthday
Peter Abma is an experienced businessman who has been in the organic fruit and vegetable industry for the past 14 years. In April 2013, he merged his company Organic Fruit and Vegetable B.V. with the Fairtrasa Group, establishing Fairtrasa Holland. As the company celebrates its first year today, the.....

UK: Deal signed to make organic export to China cheaper
Soil Association Certification and China’s organic certification body, Organic Food Development Centre (OFDC), have entered into a unique partnership that makes it cheaper and simpler for the UK’s organic businesses to export to China.Demand for organic products in China is growing rapidly, with the market.....

Oceania

Pomegranate growers no closer to solving tree dieback
Trees in commercial pomegranate orchards are still dying across the country and growers still don't know why. For the last few years crops have been hit by a mystery dieback and a number of producers have pushed crops out.At Griffith in south-west New South Wales, Scott Vaessen, has decided to persevere with.....

Australian citrus growers support raising levy
Riverland citrus growers are supporting a plan to increase the levy paid to industry body Citrus Australia. More than 20 growers attended a meeting in Waikerie to discuss raising the levy from $1.97 a tonne of fruit, to $3.20 a tonne.Citrus Australia says more money is needed for research and development to.....

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AU: Online market grows SE garlic sales
Technology has proven beneficial for a pair of local business owners who are breaking into the produce market.Liz Crowley and Rob Wallis have an organic garlic farm just out of Naracoorte and have experienced booming online sales, selling to customers all over Australia.Using the Australia Post initiative.....

Millions in fines due to price fixing in New-Zealand
In New-Zealand, the largest Swiss logistics company Kühne + Nagel is to pay a fine of approximately 2.06 million Euros having been convicted for price fixing, writes the Swiss 'Handelszeitung' in it's newest edition.The company received the fine also due to participation with Panalpina in an air freight.....

Africa

Moroccan minister of agriculture, Aziz Akhannouch:
'EU decision to modify prices 'astonishing and incomprehensible'
Moroccan minister of agriculture and fisheries, Aziz Akhannouch, said the European Union’s decision to modify mechanisms of the access price for Moroccan fruits and vegetables is both “astonishing and incomprehensible.”“Moving to modify the access price system for Moroccan fruits and vegetables is a step.....

World

Citrus ready for Chinese boom
Riverland citrus growers have plenty of reasons to smile, with exports to China likely to double this year, according to Citrus Australia market development manager Andrew Harty."In order to send fruit to China, growers have to register and be certified under our KCT - standing for Korea, China, Thailand -.....

Maersk Line increases import rates from Asia to Central America
The Danish shipping company Maersk Line will implement a general increase on rates for imports from Asia to Mexico and Central America from May 15, in order to maintain a sustainable level, the company said.Thus, the 20 ft containers will pay a fee of $700 and 40 ft containers will apply a fee of $1,400,.....

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Aussie grapes bound for South Korean tables
The first ever shipment of Australian table grapes to South Korea has been sent from Robinvale, marking a significant new milestone for Victoria’s table grape industry.Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the table grapes had been grown, packed and exported by Robinvale company.....

Retail

Casino releases frozen vegetable chips
As part of their new CVous program which aims at developing new products alongside consumers, Casino released frozen vegetable chips in March 2014 (carrots and parsnips). The product will have a label on it explaining the co-creation concept. Last year the program allowed them to develop madeleines for the.....

Pressure from Aldi and Lidl: British supermarkets lower their prices
British consumers increasingly buy in discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl. This development is not good news for the profits of British supermarkets who are presently lowering their prices more drastically than ever, report German newspaper 'Handelsblatt' on their website.The tough competition from.....

Malaysia: Launch of Middle East hypermarket to boost trade relations with Arab region
The operator of the biggest chain of hypermarkets in the Middle East will invest US$200mil (RM645.2mil) in Malaysia in a move that will boost the country’s trade relations with the Arab region.Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Abu Dhabi-based EMKE Lulu Group of Companies, which has more.....

Casino sales slow on Brazil, French hypermarkets improve
Casino said on Monday that it saw a further improvement at its French hypermarkets, with sales returning to growth at its Geant stores as it continued to benefit from previous price cuts. But sales at its LeaderPrice discount stores fell 9 percent. These are still in the early stages of resetting prices,.....

Whole Food, Sprouts & Publix earn top marks from consumers for finest fare
No one likes limp lettuce, mushy melons, bland brisket, or chewy chicken. And for more than two decades, Consumer Reports has surveyed hundreds of thousands of readers in search of the nation’s top grocery chains—stores that offer what consumers demand most: great fresh foods, fast and friendly service,.....

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