Click here for more information about our specials Europe
Majorca potato growers fear bad harvest
The potato growers in Majorca are concerned about the yields. The low temperatures announced by the meteorological service AEMER, which may drop below zero, could damage the potatoes.The mild winter so far in Majorca has positively influenced the growth of the potatoes. But ground frost could damage the.....
Sixty former employees from Waling van Geest present at reunion
Waling van Geest used to be a leading Westlands fruit and vegetable export company. Many of those working in fruit and vegetables learnt their trade there. Last Saturday they all met up again during a reunion. The initiative came from Perry van der Meer, and along with his former colleagues Ingrid van den.....
Frans Neijenhuis, The Recruiting Specialist
"Good growers from the Netherlands always in demand"
There is more than enough cultivation knowledge available in theNetherlands and internationally there is always demand for Dutch cultivation knowledge. The work of recruiter Frans Neijenhuis of The Recruiting Specialist may seem almost simple due to this, but nothing is further from the truth. "We always aim.....
Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox
Cordoba, Andalusia
Citrus prices at origin down 40%
Times are hard for Cordoba's citrus sector; for many reasons, but mostly due to the prices at origin received by growers, as revealed in the latest Index of Prices at Origin and Destination of Foods (IPOD), elaborated by the agricultural organisation COAG. This report notes that, in just a few years, the.....
Europe’s largest organic food hall to open in Rungis, France
The Rungis fresh produce wholesale market has started to construct a building for 100% organic products. It will be Europe’s largest hall devoted to such products. Consumers will notice a difference as of next Autumn when there will not only be fruit and vegetables on offer, but also “deli” products. To.....
Salvatore Scarcella (CAI)
Italy: "Gino Robot optimised our citrus line"
They called it "Gino Robot" because it replaced the employee, named Gino, who had to empty the crates full of fruit and restack them. Now, at theOP Società agricola cooperativa agricoltori jonici C. A. I., it is a machine that does this job."It is the latest innovation we invested in to optimise.....
Strawberry group to analyse 2015 campaign prospects
The strawberry acreage this season has returned to the levels recorded in the 2011 and 2012 campaigns, according to FRESHUELVA, while the acreage devoted to red fruits like raspberries, blueberries and blackberries registered an average 25% growth. Specifically, the acreage devoted to raspberry cultivation.....
Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox
Germany:cucumber supply decreases
While German consumers could buy cucumbers in week 4 at discounted prices, wholesale prices have increased, reports the German Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI) (Agricultural Market Information Company) on their website. Due to the cool weather, supply has become more limited, and the hailstorm in.....
Domestic peaches likely to disappear
Czech Republic: Low prices boost apple consumption
The head of the Fruit Union of the Czech Republic, Martin Ludvik, has reported that apple prices have dropped by 25% compared to last year, which entails a loss in revenue totalling about 300 million crowns (10.81 million Euro). "The decline in sales will limit the capacity of fruit growers to invest in the.....
Poland: White cabbage prices almost double
According to Fruit-Inform daily price monitoring, white cabbage prices have almost doubled at Bronisze Wholesale Market, Warsaw, Poland, over the period from January 12th to 26th.For the present, sellers offer white cabbage at 0.14-0.17 euro/kg, an increase of 17-21% year-on-year thanks to high demand for.....
Proven technique with new twist
The Sormac Pulstar flotation washer for leafy vegetables receives positive feeback from many companies, according to the company. Now Sormac decided to give the existing machine a new twist. The renewed Pulstar distinguishes itself by its 20 % lower water capacity and this leads to a considerable daily.....
Greenhouses to be heated by wood
On Monday evening elected officials in Vire agreed to install a wood heater in the garden service greenhouses. They have made €1.159 million available to carry out the project, whilst waiting for a budget vote that is planned for April 2015.The installation of a wood heater will replace the gas system, “we.....
23-25 April 2015, Thessaloniki, Greece
Still spots left at Freskon International trade show
Freskon, the International trade show for fresh fruits and vegetables will take place in Thessaloniki from 23-25 April 2015, with the support of the Greek Association of Packers and Distributors of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.Many informative events are planned to be held during the trade show. One of them is.....
UK: Black garlic gaining popularity
Mark and Wendy Botwright were sheep farmers at Hazel End Farm, Hazelbury Bryan for ten years until foot and mouth took its toll. 17 years ago Wendy gave Mark some garlic bulbs to grow in the family garden, and as the bulbs grew and flourished, so did a new idea.The couple is now the UK’s largest producer of.....
French man posts letter using sticker from banana label
A man from a small village in the South West of France sent himself a letter using a sticker from a banana instead of a real stamp. To his great surprise the envelope stamped with the “Banane de Guadeloupe et de Martinique” sticker arrived at its destination with no additional charges!
Ugly fruit and veg sold to combat wastage
Ugly fruit and vegetables are being sold in some supermarkets in the Landes region of the South West of France to fight against wastage. These badly calibrated products sell for about 30% less than calibrated products…they are ugly but taste the same.They may be too big, lumpy, badly shaped, out of.....
Oceania
AU: Hills growers worried about import bans
Perth Hills fruit growers have blamed a lack of action by the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) to control Mediterranean fruit fly for Vietnam stopping importing fresh Australian fruit.Hills Orchard Improvement Group (HOIG) members also claimed Malaysia has changed its fruit imports program because.....
Potatoes SA continues push for marketing campaign
Potatoes South Australia has vowed to make a national marketing campaign its 2015 priority, despite strong opposition from national industry body AUSVEG.Potatoes SA will ask growers from all states to contribute between $5 million and $8 million for a generic campaign, based on one that the potato industry.....
Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox
Africa
Farmers to gain from banana, potatoes drive
A programme aiming to assist banana and sweet potato growers in Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia in securing reliable markets was launched here, targeting to benefit nearly 100,000 families in Tanzania alone.The four-year initiative dubbed ‘SeFaMaCo,’ short for ‘Seed-Farmer-Markets Consumer,’ funded by Bill and.....
1 million to benefit from banana, sweet potato project East Africa
Over one million people in East Africa should benefit from the banana and sweet potato agricultural project that aims to resolve food safety and poverty problems in Tanzania, Ouganda and Ethiopia. The 4 year project was initiated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has been called the SeFeMaCo.....
Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox
World
Granny Smith apples can prevent obesity
A study published in the journal Food Chemistry found that nondigestible compounds in apples can help fight obesity — as well as disorders related to it, like diabetes, heart disease and stroke — and that Granny Smiths, containing the most weight loss compounds, were the clear winner in the apple.....
Photographer makes fruit, vegetables glow
Romanian photographer Radu Zaciu has been experimenting recently with photographing fruits and vegetables using internal lighting. He places bulbs inside and uses that as the main light source for his series of glowing images. The project is called “The Light Inside.”He starts by drilling or carving holes.....
Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox
Optifuse:
Using a diffuse paint on your greenhouse
Optifuse diffusing paint for glass greenhouses is developed for crops requiring a high transmission and high diffusion of the light. Optifuse decreases the stress of the plant by protecting it against direct light. Optifuse stimulates the penetration of light into the lowest part of the plant.Indeed,.....
Global coconut water consumption on the rise
While the UK’s coconut water market is thriving, Datamonitor Consumer’s latest research on the global coconut water market suggests that there are several unexploited countries that could hold even further potential.Findings show that although UK consumption is due to near 25m litres in 2015, much higher.....
Presentation given at Fruit Logistica
JSB Group optimizes fresh produce packaging
The highest-quality fresh produce is not worth much if the packaging in which it's shipped and sold doesn't preserve that quality. So it makes sense for growers and shippers to ensure their packaging is designed specifically for their products, and JSB Group helps growers fine tune their packaging to get the.....
Laser labelling to become more common
With a new partnership between Laser Food and JBT, the practice of etching labels directly on the skin of fruit could become much more common.Laser labelling consists of using lasers to remove a minuscule area of pigment from fruit surfaces and apply a safe contrasting liquid to label the product. It can be.....
Marco taking last bookings for one-on one meetings
Fresh produce technology specialists Marco are making final preparations for this year’s Fruit Logistica in Berlin and taking last bookings for their one-on-one meetings at the show. Marco will be launching new concepts and technologies at the exhibition (Hall 3.1 Stand C-12), designed to bring further.....
Retail
Panic grocery shopping before the storm
By now, this kind of pre-storm mad rush at the supermarket is to be expected. Heck, it’s far more reliable than the actual weather forecasts ever are. And to some extent, this behaviour is reasonable. We’re relentlessly instructed to take precautions, prepare for the worst, go the route of better safe than.....
Delhaize exceeds estimations
Delhaize Group has reported operating profit and cash generation that beat analyst estimates as US revenue got a boost from an extra week of sales and accelerating food inflation.Operating profit excluding one-time items fell to €764 million last year, the Brussels-based company said today in a statement......
Can rating system change mainstream farming?
Organic agriculture may avoid synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but there are a growing number of voices concerned about the environmental impact of large-scale, monoculture organics too. Similarly, while mainstream industrial agriculture has caused countless environmental problems, there are some.....
Walmart official: retailer strives to prevent corruption
Walmart superstores in Mexico have drawn scrutiny over allegations its executives regularly bribed officials. Most companies would say (at least publicly) corruption is a very, very bad thing.The United States certainly believes this, which is why Congress passed the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in 1977,.....
Qatar: Local markets losing out to shopping centres
Prices for fresh vegetables are at their lowest at the Central Market as traders struggle to cope with the low turnout of buyers caused by the cold weather and the competition from shopping centres.A number of traders in the market said their profit margins were also hit as the priority was to sell all the.....
Edeka and Tengelmann
Interim measures halts merger between German food retailers
In an unusual step, the German Federal Cartel Office (“Bundeskartellamt”) has put the implementation of the merger between the two supermarket chains Edeka and Tengelmann on hold. The Bundeskartellamt imposed an interim injunction to prevent the two companies from implementing parts of the intended merger.....
US: Inflation sparks 'solid' Q4 sales at Food Lion
Food price inflation helped U.S. banners Food Lion and Hannaford post “solid” sales gains in the fiscal fourth quarter, Belgium-based parent Delhaize Group said in preliminary financial results released Monday.U.S. sales totaled $4.7 billion for the quarter and $17.8 billion in the fiscal year, Delhaize.....
US: Publix eyes changing consumer behaviours
Retailers must address quickly changing consumer needs - both low-tech and high-tech - in order to retain customers and make them into advocates.That was the message of Ed Crenshaw, CEO, Publix Super Markets, who welcomed retailers to the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference in Miami Beach as chair of that.....
Africa: Famous brands in talks with Shoprite
Famous Brands Ltd. (FBR), the South African owner of fast-food chains including Debonairs Pizza and Steers burgers, is in talks with supermarket operator Shoprite Holdings Ltd. (SHP) about expanding a partnership to Nigeria and Zambia.That strategy, and other moves to add fast-food outlets throughout the.....
US: retailers unveil strategies to attract Millennials
Generation Y is drawn to retailers who are authentic, help them learn about food, and care about local communities, said Justin Dye, EVP and COO, East Region, New Albertsons. He was part of a panel at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference in Miami Beach that delved into how younger consumers are changing.....
Philippines: 7-Eleven franchise holder to spend P3B for 2015 capex
Philippine Seven Corp. has set P3 billion for its capital expenditures this year, up by more than 50 percent than its budget last year.The local franchise holder of 7-Eleven convenience stores will use the fund to support its "accelerated" store expansion strategy, according to a disclosure to the Philippine.....
Latin America: regional news review
In this update, we look at developments from retailers across the region in the last quarter of 2014, including financial performance, expansion plans and management changes.Management changes see retailers strengthen for new phase of growthDaniel Rodríguez Cofré resigned as CEO of Chile's Cencosud in.....
FreshPlaza Funny
Getting scared...
Photos
