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Thursday, July 20, 2017

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Chris Pollock with BC Tree Fruits Cooperative

“Canada differentiates itself from other Ambrosia-growing regions”

British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has seen an ideal growing season for its apple crop. “We haven’t had any challenges during bloom,” says Chris Pollock with BC Tree Fruits Cooperative. “We’ve had some rain early in the season, but that didn’t affect the fruit during bloom,” he added.Early summer varieties.....

Americans spend nearly $900k a month on avocado toast

Accoridng to tech company Square, avocado toast may be even more popular among Americans than previously thought. The company helps businesses process credit card payments and after crunching data from sellers around the U.S. and found that Americans are spending nearly $900,000 per month on crusty bread.....

Argentina expects a positive blueberry season

“We are very positive about our season, which will start in September. Looking at our company, we work 100% with the newer blueberry varieties, such as Snowchaser, Emerald, Farthing, San Joaquin, Kestrel and Ventura. Moreover, the expectations are that the production is very healthy and of good quality”,.....

Oppy strengthens Western U.S. sales squad

Jose Mendoza, Jim Leach and Mario Illiano are Oppy’s new sales representatives, recently appointed from within the leading fresh produce marketer and distributor’s ranks.Mendoza and Leach are based in the company’s Los Angeles-area office, while Illiano is part of the Seattle, Wash. sales team. All three will.....

Hass Avocado Board names McGuigan Director of Industry Affairs

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) whose vision is to be the catalyst for fresh avocados being the No. 1 consumed fruit in the U.S. and industry stakeholders being successful has named John B. McGuigan as the new Director of Industry Affairs for the organization.John has worked with multiple commodities and in.....

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Brazil: Increasing volumes of papaya export from September onwards

“This is our winter period, which normally means that we have less volume available. Surprisingly, there are still good volumes of Golden papaya in the market. The local market of Brazil is quite slow, which results in volumes available for export. Formosa papaya as well has some product in the market......

NAFTA renegotiation could breed new opportunities for US farmers

The Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation objectives could bring benefits for American farmers, according to documents released Monday.“Under these new objectives, a new NAFTA will give our farmers (and) ranchers … new opportunities.....

Joel Crist joins Crunch Time Apple Growers Board of Directors

A fifth-generation farmer, Joel Crist, 29, is the youngest apple grower to date to join Crunch Time’s board of directors. Crist comes to Crunch Time with a passion for the apple industry, knowledge and firsthand experience growing up and working in his family’s business, Crist Bros. Orchards, Inc., based in.....

Annual BBQ fundraiser

California Giant staff serve over 1,000 lunches

The 11th annual Summer barbecue at California Giant Berry Farms did not disappoint as the staff rolled up their sleeves on July 18 to serve lunch to friends throughout the community. Skirt steak was the main dish for over 1000 lunches either eaten on premises or taken to go back to their offices in town. For.....

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Peru exports more processed food to the US

Up until last May, agricultural exports to the United States totaled US $541 million, i.e. 15% more than in the same period of 2016. Fresh products account for most of the exports, but exports of processed food are increasing, said the president of the Association of Exporters (ADEX), Juan Varilias.....

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GLOBAL FOCUS

Soft/Stonefruit

Cuba cultivates its first blueberries

Thanks to an international collaboration, the western province of Pinar del Rio has the first areas dedicated in Cuba to the cultivation of the blueberry, a species that has been greatly successful in the world's fruit markets.More than 720 seedlings from Chile are part of the experiment of the agroindustrial.....

Harvest 52, Mexico

"Mexican blueberry exports are different than its competition's"

"Although the bulk of our volume goes to the United States, we are increasing our export volumes to Europe. In addition to blackberries, we are trying to increase the export of strawberries and blueberries. We have a window to export our strawberries, because we have production in winter. The export of.....

metisweb

Chile will market a new variety of plum next season

In May, and after 10 years of work, Sweet Pekeetah officially joined the list of 40 Japanese plum varieties that are currently registered in the Agricultural and Livestock Service.The variety, which was developed by the Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Fruit Quality of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of.....

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North Americamore »

Chris Pollock with BC Tree Fruits Cooperative

“Canada differentiates itself from other Ambrosia-growing regions”

British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has seen an ideal growing season for its apple crop. “We haven’t had any challenges during bloom,” says Chris Pollock with BC Tree Fruits Cooperative. “We’ve had some rain early in the season, but that didn’t affect the fruit during bloom,” he added.Early summer varieties.....

Americans spend nearly $900k a month on avocado toast

Accoridng to tech company Square, avocado toast may be even more popular among Americans than previously thought. The company helps businesses process credit card payments and after crunching data from sellers around the U.S. and found that Americans are spending nearly $900,000 per month on crusty bread.....

Acadian Plant Health™ hires new Business Development Manager for Brazil

Acadian Plant Health™ (APH™) recently hired Daniel Gheller for the position of Business Development Manager in the Brazil region. Within this position, Gheller will help create the APH™ crop solutions portfolio for the Brazilian market, lead and develop the sales team, as well as help develop a distributor.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Oppy strengthens Western U.S. sales squad

Jose Mendoza, Jim Leach and Mario Illiano are Oppy’s new sales representatives, recently appointed from within the leading fresh produce marketer and distributor’s ranks.Mendoza and Leach are based in the company’s Los Angeles-area office, while Illiano is part of the Seattle, Wash. sales team. All three will.....

Michigan University releases fruit update to keep growers informed on threats

Michigan State University has released an update on fruit crops in the state which highlights concerns of note growers are facing. The update covers apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, grapes, blueberries and strawberries. Mark Longstroth, Brad Baughman and Bill Shane from the University.....

NAFTA renegotiation could breed new opportunities for US farmers

The Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation objectives could bring benefits for American farmers, according to documents released Monday.“Under these new objectives, a new NAFTA will give our farmers (and) ranchers … new opportunities.....

California

New website simplifies latest citrus greening research for farmers

California citrus farmers have their ears perked for all news related to Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB) disease, but the very latest advances have been available only in highly technical research journals.UC Cooperative Extension scientists are now translating the high science into readable.....

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US study recommends eating two bananas a day

Researchers from the United States conducted a series of experiments, and concluded in the end that one of the essential foodstuffs of the people must be bananas. Scientists recommend to eat bananas daily: these fruits, according to them, can greatly improve health.The authors of a new study have come to.....

Annual BBQ fundraiser

California Giant staff serve over 1,000 lunches

The 11th annual Summer barbecue at California Giant Berry Farms did not disappoint as the staff rolled up their sleeves on July 18 to serve lunch to friends throughout the community. Skirt steak was the main dish for over 1000 lunches either eaten on premises or taken to go back to their offices in town. For.....

Organized by PMA and United Fresh

Sold-out workshop delivers produce-specific tools for Listeria control

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh), two of the fresh produce industry’s leading trade organizations, joined forces July 18-19 to host an inaugural workshop on preventing and controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in fresh produce. This hands-on workshop was.....

Hass Avocado Board names McGuigan Director of Industry Affairs

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) whose vision is to be the catalyst for fresh avocados being the No. 1 consumed fruit in the U.S. and industry stakeholders being successful has named John B. McGuigan as the new Director of Industry Affairs for the organization.John has worked with multiple commodities and in.....

Joel Crist joins Crunch Time Apple Growers Board of Directors

A fifth-generation farmer, Joel Crist, 29, is the youngest apple grower to date to join Crunch Time’s board of directors. Crist comes to Crunch Time with a passion for the apple industry, knowledge and firsthand experience growing up and working in his family’s business, Crist Bros. Orchards, Inc., based in.....

Latin Americamore »

Brazil: Increasing volumes of papaya export from September onwards

“This is our winter period, which normally means that we have less volume available. Surprisingly, there are still good volumes of Golden papaya in the market. The local market of Brazil is quite slow, which results in volumes available for export. Formosa papaya as well has some product in the market......

Worldwide interest for red Brazilian pineapple varieties

“The demand is enormous for our new red pineapple. After the publication in Freshplaza, we received emails from importers and producers from all over the world who were interested in this new fruit. Two groups of people are showing an interest: For example, importers, wholesale and retail, are asking for small.....

Harvest 52, Mexico

"Mexican blueberry exports are different than its competition's"

"Although the bulk of our volume goes to the United States, we are increasing our export volumes to Europe. In addition to blackberries, we are trying to increase the export of strawberries and blueberries. We have a window to export our strawberries, because we have production in winter. The export of.....

Argentina expects a positive blueberry season

“We are very positive about our season, which will start in September. Looking at our company, we work 100% with the newer blueberry varieties, such as Snowchaser, Emerald, Farthing, San Joaquin, Kestrel and Ventura. Moreover, the expectations are that the production is very healthy and of good quality”,.....

Peru exports more processed food to the US

Up until last May, agricultural exports to the United States totaled US $541 million, i.e. 15% more than in the same period of 2016. Fresh products account for most of the exports, but exports of processed food are increasing, said the president of the Association of Exporters (ADEX), Juan Varilias.....

A cold front damages crops in Bolivia

The snowfall and sudden drops in temperature caused by the arrival of a cold front in the last hours affected several regions of the departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz, and Chuquisaca. The low temperatures even forced the suspension of schools and producers reported agricultural losses.The National.....

Mexico: Researchers encapsulate health-giving substance from broccoli

Scientists from the Technological Institute of Sonora (ITSON) have developed a Micro-encapsulation process to preserve and maintain sulforaphane (a substance contained by broccoli, Brussels sprouts, purple cabbage and radish, and that has anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties).....

Bolivia: Banana leaves to replace foil or plastic wraps

Would you like some roasted chicken? Okay. How should we wrap it? With foil? No, better with banana leaves. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Banana leaves are a serious, economic and ecological alternative. Grilled fish? Great idea, and wrap it with banana leaves. An international dish? Okay, but instead of taking.....

Producers expect up to 30% less lemon

Argentina: Citrus production in Tucuman decreases

Even though it hasn't been confirmed by official data, Tucuman's Citrus Association (ATC) stated that the provincial citrus production fell this year and, according to them, it was mainly due to the climatic adversities of 2016 and early 2017."Fruit production has fallen this year, but I still can't.....

Cuba cultivates its first blueberries

Thanks to an international collaboration, the western province of Pinar del Rio has the first areas dedicated in Cuba to the cultivation of the blueberry, a species that has been greatly successful in the world's fruit markets.More than 720 seedlings from Chile are part of the experiment of the agroindustrial.....

Chile will market a new variety of plum next season

In May, and after 10 years of work, Sweet Pekeetah officially joined the list of 40 Japanese plum varieties that are currently registered in the Agricultural and Livestock Service.The variety, which was developed by the Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Fruit Quality of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences of.....

Coliman inaugurates new organic banana farm

In the framework of its 54th anniversary, Coliman Group proudly celebrates the inauguration of its new organic banana farm.The new banana farm, which has about 300 hectares of organic production, also has a modern packaging machine with state-of-the-art technology. This new project is located in Coliman’s.....

Asiamore »

Indian potato farmers get subsidy for transport costs

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a statement in the Assembly on Tuesday said that his government has decided to provide the subsidy to potato farmers for transportation of their produce to other places for better prices. He also said that there has been a higher yield of potatoes this year and the price of.....

Africamore »

Good Valencia season in the north of South Africa

“The citrus season in the north is much as we hoped, with volumes up after the devastating hail in Hoedspruit,” says Maarten Venter, marketing manager at Zest Fruit. “Quality is good, although fruit reached maturity a bit earlier than usual, so we expect to be finished about two weeks earlier on citrus from.....

SPECIAL

Machinery / Packing / Labeling

Witron's OFP system brings automated order picking to produce

The first bite is with the eye, therefore, product quality is of extremely important, Witron explains. This makes the fresh food segment one of the most challenging for logistics experts these days. However, the company believes requirements with regard to product sensibility and ergonomics can be resolved.....

Automatic tape machine for loose fruit and vegetable products

Sarco Packaging introduces the newest machine by their partners Rev: the 'Eagle'. The Eagle is an automatic tape machine, suitable for loose products such as melons, small watermelons, pineapples, coconuts, bananas, celery, leeks, bundles of veg etc. The machine is designed to automatically place tape around.....

Tummers describes recent developments in their line of machinery

Tummers believes R&D is the backbone of the company and are continuously working on improving their machinery, the process, service or other aspects to apply to the demands of the market. Normal 0 21 false false false NL X-NONE X-NONE.....

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Europemore »

Eddy Gieraerts, fruit tree nursery Carolus

"25% more apples thanks to our own Magnum tree"

What started as a fruit cultivation company eventually grew into a fruit tree nursery over the years. Carolus Trees from the Belgian Nieuwerkerken has been growing apple and pear trees, mainly intended for European export, for over 32 years. "We grow two million fruit trees for the international market each.....

Spain: Galia melons, between 30 and 40 cents per kilo cheaper

"The market is very slow and we still have a lot of melon production that needs to be sold," explains Virginia Domínguez de la Costa, a self-employed trader. Prices at the moment are about 0.40 Euro cheaper than last year. "In the end, the growers are the ones on the losing end." This trading company has a.....

Italy: White onions based on three pillars

A varietal trio that combines productivity, colour and long shelf-life was described by Nunhems on 17th July 2017 in Imola (Bologna) at azienda agricola Ghini. While the focus was mainly on white onions, other types were discussed as well.Technical meeting at Ghini in Imola"We have some popular and some.....

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Italy: Only 35% of Melinda apples are expected

Expectations for theMelindaapple production depend on the area, although only 35% of the total production is forecast. The varieties most affected are Golden and Renetta, while it is presumed that the other varieties, including Stark, Fuji and Gala, will do better. This is what reported by Federico Barbi,.....

Kloosterboer expands with fully automated cold store facility in the Netherlands

International logistics service provider Kloosterboer is to extend its services for, amongst others, McCain, the world's largest producer of french fries and other potato products. Kloosterboer is set to develop a new fully automated high-bay cold store featuring a capacity of 40,000 pallet spaces. The new.....

Rijk Zwaan enters squash market with big ambitions

Rijk Zwaan has launched its first three commercial squash varieties. With this new addition, the company aims to actively improve the financial performance of squash growers."Squash is a valuable addition to our already very broad range of vegetables. Squash is produced globally and the popularity of the crop.....

Italy: Sweet potatoes provide new market opportunities

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are the seventh most important crop in terms of production on a global level. Approximately 8 million hectares are cultivated worldwide, producing almost 100 million tons. It's a typical crop in developing countries, which represent over 97% of the global production. Despite.....

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Pound climbs against the Euro ahead of European Central Bank meeting

On the currency markets, investors pushed the pound higher against the euro yesterday, ahead of the European Central Bank's policy meeting which is to take place today. The pound was trading at €1.1316 against the euro, a 0.3pc rise.The pound has continued to cede ground to other currencies, however, finishing.....

Scottish potato growers learn that "less is more"

The “less is more” lesson for potato growers in Scotland continues with the revelation that overall yields could be increased by reducing nitrogen top dressings by 25-30 kg a hectare. The message being given at the AHDB’s Strategic Potato open day at Meigle in Perthshire on fertiliser follows on from.....

Oceaniamore »

Australian and Guatemalan Achacha growers work together to expand market

A tropical fruit grower in Guatemala has helped expand the Achacha market, with a major company in the northern hemisphere, Prime Tropics, now producing the fruit from May to August. The Achacha (achachairú, Garcinia humilis) has been available from Achacha Fruit Plantations in North Queensland for several.....

Worldmore »

Witron's OFP system brings automated order picking to produce

The first bite is with the eye, therefore, product quality is of extremely important, Witron explains. This makes the fresh food segment one of the most challenging for logistics experts these days. However, the company believes requirements with regard to product sensibility and ergonomics can be resolved.....

Retail

Price Rite to add more organic produce

Loblaws to freeze imperfect produce

Ahold USA suppliers star in ‘fresh stories’Ahold USA brands Stop & Shop Giant Landover, Giant/Martin’s and e-grocer Peapod have launched a video campaign, Fresh Stories, consisting of more than 30 profiles of fresh product suppliers that have been viewed more than 14 million times so far in 2017. Each.....

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