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Monday, July 16, 2018

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Photo report included

Enormous turnout makes for highly successful Organic Produce Summit

PHOTO REPORTMore than 1,500 participants traveled to California’s coastal town of Monterey last week to attend the 3rd annual Organic Produce Summit.On Wednesday, July 11 the summit kicked off with field tours that gave retailers and other interested attendees an opportunity to tour produce fields, talk with growers and.....

Imported lemon shipments failing to satisfy US demand

Lemon supplies from South America are failing to satisfy demand. This is coming during the time of year when California is in very low production and just prior to the Mexican season which is not due to start for another two weeks. Prices are very high and any box of lemons is attracting strong interest. It's.....

Promotable volume of Ontario-grown green beans

Ontario green beans are underway and volume is coming on. “The supply of beans is starting to increase because more growers are coming on right now,” says Peter Streef of Streef Produce Ltd. in Princeton, Ont. “We’re currently harvesting our own green beans and we started harvesting last week from our farms.....

California celery growers backing off as local regions start

The celery season is in a bit of a flux right now as supplies out of various regions experience mixed fortunes. In Mexico, heavy rain has meant volume and quality have dropped considerably, leaving the summer program in a difficult position."The Mexico season is stumbling along," observed Mark Sato of Fortune.....

New team member and a promotion for SunFed

SunFed® is announcing the promotion of Juan Carlos (JC) Barrionuevo to the company’s sales team in Rio Rico, Arizona. Barrionuevo brings six years of experience to his new role in sales, having previously been a part of SunFed’s warehousing team as the Facility Director in Texas.“We are very excited to welcome.....

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Key Technology appoints Bret Larreau as Director of Latin America and Asia Sales

Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, announces the promotion of Bret Larreau to the position of Director of Latin America and Asia Sales. Larreau is responsible for managing Key’s sales activities in the Latin America, Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand regions to bring.....

Ethylene application company’s virtual tour

An ethylene application equipment company for fruit ripening, Catalytic Generators, has produced and released a virtual tour of the company’s office and production facility in Norfolk, Virginia.“We wanted to give our customers, and prospective clients, a better vision of who we are and how we create the.....

Students to build apple-picking robots in competition

Teams from UC-Davis, UC-Merced and Cal Poly will participate in the ASABE international meeting July 31 in Detroit.Nineteen teams of college students from top universities in the U.S., Canada and China -including three from California- will compete to build robots to mechanize farm work at the American Society.....

Avocados marketed alongside health and wellness programs

Nutrition and wellness are playing an important role in a variety of California avocado retail promotions this year. Working with supermarket dietitians (SD), nutritionists and wellness advisors, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) supplements some traditional marketing tactics, such as brand-specific ads,.....

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Market report by Mark Greenberg, Capespan

Offshore easy peeler market softening

Citrus – Easy Peelers:The easy peeler market has softened in the last week owing to a confluence of factors. First, weeks 26 and 27 saw heavy USEC arrivals of clementines from Chile complemented by 2,000 metric tons that arrived aboard the first two South African bulk vessels and by an estimated 2,600 metric.....

Latest photo reports

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Organic Produce Summit 2018

Organic Produce Summit 2018

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United Fresh 2018

United Fresh 2018

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Hort Connections 2018

Hort Connections 2018

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Tomato Forum Düsseldorf 2018

Tomato Forum Düsseldorf 2018

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London Produce Show 2018

London Produce Show 2018

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GLOBAL FOCUS

Soft / Stonefruit

Second season for Idaho's only commercial blueberry grower

Blueberries are a major crop in the Pacific Northwest but they have yet to make their way eastwards into Idaho, until now. A grower in Parma, Idaho, took up the challenge by a friend in Washington to grow blueberries there, fully aware of the challenges the company was to face. However, these challenges have.....

Josep Presseguer, manager of Fruits de Ponent:

"This year, there is no downward pressure on prices, there is simply no fruit"

So far, the current Spanish stone fruit campaign has been marked by delays in the harvests in all production areas, as well as by a significant lack of supply. This is causing prices to remain stable at a time when there is usually downward pressure on them."The fruit has suffered the impact of frost, heavy.....

Mexico: New blueberry plantations in Jalisco

New agricultural businesses are emerging every day in the Valleys of Jalisco, Mexico. The Bloomberry Farms and Esquiberries Farms companies are new producers in this region and this is their second year working with blueberries. The project started as an idea in 2015 due to the concern of three young people,.....

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North Americamore »

Promotable volume of Ontario-grown green beans

Ontario green beans are underway and volume is coming on. “The supply of beans is starting to increase because more growers are coming on right now,” says Peter Streef of Streef Produce Ltd. in Princeton, Ont. “We’re currently harvesting our own green beans and we started harvesting last week from our farms.....

California celery growers backing off as local regions start

The celery season is in a bit of a flux right now as supplies out of various regions experience mixed fortunes. In Mexico, heavy rain has meant volume and quality have dropped considerably, leaving the summer program in a difficult position."The Mexico season is stumbling along," observed Mark Sato of Fortune.....

Imported lemon shipments failing to satisfy US demand

Lemon supplies from South America are failing to satisfy demand. This is coming during the time of year when California is in very low production and just prior to the Mexican season which is not due to start for another two weeks. Prices are very high and any box of lemons is attracting strong interest. It's.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Photo report included

Enormous turnout makes for highly successful Organic Produce Summit

PHOTO REPORTMore than 1,500 participants traveled to California’s coastal town of Monterey last week to attend the 3rd annual Organic Produce Summit.On Wednesday, July 11 the summit kicked off with field tours that gave retailers and other interested attendees an opportunity to tour produce fields, talk with growers and.....

Ethylene application company’s virtual tour

An ethylene application equipment company for fruit ripening, Catalytic Generators, has produced and released a virtual tour of the company’s office and production facility in Norfolk, Virginia.“We wanted to give our customers, and prospective clients, a better vision of who we are and how we create the.....

ORE-IDA fries

Potato Pay: The latest in mealtime bribery

ORE-IDA hopes to offer support to those parents that are into mealtime bribery.For those people who can’t get their children to finish their greens, the company offers ‘Potato Pay’."Simply pay the children the ORE-IDA fries they love to eat, for bites of the foods they don’t. So the next time they won’t eat.....

Chiquita partners with Shazam to offer virtual tour of banana production

Chiquita Brands International announced a new partnership with Shazam, the popular audio and visual recognition app, which the company says will show its sustainability efforts. Utilizing the AR/VR expertise of creative agency Dffrnt Media, consumers will be able to scan a Shazam Code on the Blue Sticker via.....

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Market report by Mark Greenberg, Capespan

Offshore easy peeler market softening

Citrus – Easy Peelers:The easy peeler market has softened in the last week owing to a confluence of factors. First, weeks 26 and 27 saw heavy USEC arrivals of clementines from Chile complemented by 2,000 metric tons that arrived aboard the first two South African bulk vessels and by an estimated 2,600 metric.....

Celebrating South Florida's mangos with mango events

What would grocery stores in the U.S. be without mangos? What colors would adorn the beautiful menus in restaurant locations across the nation? With their beautiful golden flesh and skin tones that vary from greens to red to golds and pink, mangos bring color and flavor to the lives of U.S. consumers. For this.....

Avocados marketed alongside health and wellness programs

Nutrition and wellness are playing an important role in a variety of California avocado retail promotions this year. Working with supermarket dietitians (SD), nutritionists and wellness advisors, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) supplements some traditional marketing tactics, such as brand-specific ads,.....

Key Technology appoints Bret Larreau as Director of Latin America and Asia Sales

Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, announces the promotion of Bret Larreau to the position of Director of Latin America and Asia Sales. Larreau is responsible for managing Key’s sales activities in the Latin America, Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand regions to bring.....

New team member and a promotion for SunFed

SunFed® is announcing the promotion of Juan Carlos (JC) Barrionuevo to the company’s sales team in Rio Rico, Arizona. Barrionuevo brings six years of experience to his new role in sales, having previously been a part of SunFed’s warehousing team as the Facility Director in Texas.“We are very excited to welcome.....

Tanimura & Antle promotes Nick Sgheiza to Vice President of Harvest

Tanimura & Antle announced the promotion of Nick Sgheiza to vice president of harvest.Sgheiza began his career with Tanimura & Antle in 1999 as an intern in the company’s cooler, harvest shop, and planting department. After college he returned to Tanimura & Antle to begin his farming career working.....

Agriculture Canada in P.E.I.:

Search continues for natural ways to deal with ag pests

Entomologist Christine Noronha has planted multiple plots at the Harrington Research Station this summer. The research scientist from Agriculture Canada in P.E.I. is looking for natural ways to deal with pests that cause damage to cabbage, canola and potatoes.Noronha and her team are studying tiny black.....

US: June 2018 makes record books for Port of Long Beach

Container cargo volumes in June of 2018, has made the record books for the Port of Long Beach, making it the highest volumes in the port's 107 year history. Trade increased 14.2 percent in June, compared to the same month in 2017. The Port’s terminals moved 752,188 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 4.4.....

US: Pathogen contamination a leading reason for food recalls

Both USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversee food product recalls—the removal of risky food products from the U.S. marketplace.From 2004 to 2013, there were 4,900 food recall events in the United States involving a wide variety of foods. Most of these recalls.....

Students to build apple-picking robots in competition

Teams from UC-Davis, UC-Merced and Cal Poly will participate in the ASABE international meeting July 31 in Detroit.Nineteen teams of college students from top universities in the U.S., Canada and China -including three from California- will compete to build robots to mechanize farm work at the American Society.....

US (OH): Creating incentives for better food choices

Encouraging people to choose cucumbers over, say, potato chips or milk instead of soda can be a hard sell. Federal legislators are considering ways to do that.Both the U.S. Senate’s and the House of Representatives’ versions of the federal farm bill include funding to measure how effectively financial.....

United States

Cyclospora parasite cases in 5 states – some linked to McDonald’s salads

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has received confirmation of approximately 90 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite. Cases have been reported in counties across Illinois with people becoming ill starting in mid-May.The initial investigation.....

Attacking tomato, soybean and sweet potato

New pest identified in Louisiana

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne enterolobii, is a serious pest with a high rate of reproduction and a wide host range that includes soybean, sugarcane and sweet potato. It has also been known to attack varieties of tomato, soybean and sweet potato that are considered resistant to the Southern root-knot.....

US: Food companies launch Sustainable Food Policy Alliance

Four of the largest food companies in the US have launched the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, a new organization focused on driving progress in public policies that shape what people eat and how it impacts their health, communities, and the planet. Founding member companies include Danone North America;.....

Second season for Idaho's only commercial blueberry grower

Blueberries are a major crop in the Pacific Northwest but they have yet to make their way eastwards into Idaho, until now. A grower in Parma, Idaho, took up the challenge by a friend in Washington to grow blueberries there, fully aware of the challenges the company was to face. However, these challenges have.....

Latin Americamore »

"Asia is the future for Chilean agriculture"

After the meeting held by the Minister of Agriculture, Antonio Walker, with the recently appointed ambassador of Chile in China, Luis Schmidt, the sectorial authority of the Government of President Piñera highlighted the potential of Chilean products in the Asian market and the work that the new representative.....

Brazil: A cherry tomato with more sugar and lycopene

Brazilian researchers have developed a new cherry tomato that contains higher levels of sugar and lycopene, and that presents a greater natural resistance to diseases.According to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, the research, which was led by scientists from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Company.....

Argentina will continue exporting lemons to Japan

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan sent a technical mission to cooperate with Senasa in the phytosanitary inspection and to initiate the cold quarantine treatment for the export of fresh lemons to the Asian country.Some members of the Japanese Ministry toured the province of Tucuman.....

Uruguayan citrus consolidates in the US

Within the framework of strategic planning that began in 2010, the Uruguayan citrus sector adopted some parameters to produce products that comply with some of the most important requirements of the US market: mandarins without seeds, good color, and that are easy to peel.Good results were achieved and at.....

Why is Argentina important for the Colombian avocado?

The Colombian agricultural sector found another product to boost its exports of non-traditional products. The product: Hass avocado, a product that has been gaining markets. The last client that opened its doors to this national product is Argentina.Why is it important for the country? This opening is.....

Argentina: Negotiating the purchase of Moño Azul

Patagonian Fruits Trade (PFT) is negotiating the purchase of the assets of the Rio Negro production company Moño Azul, in the hands of Italian capital."Negotiations to consolidate a commercial alliance are under way," according to sources cited by rionegro.com.ar.If the operation is completed, PFT - which is.....

Asiamore »

"There will be a reduction in Gansu apple production, but to what extent isn't clear"

"The Fuji apple season in Gansu Province kicks off in October each year and is expected to last until around June the next year. This year, it was affected by several extreme climates, including the cold of April 6-7 and the hail days ealier. Apples in some production areas in Gansu have severely reduced.....

India to take advantage of China's retaliatory tariff on US goods

The trade war between the United States and China is leaving it's effect on potential exports of other countries. China imposed retaliatory import duties on more than 800 items from the US last week and there might be more on the way. New Delhi is looking to take advantage of the situation by pushing their own.....

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All those possibilities of sweet potatoes...

Purple sweet potato ice cream from McDonald’s Hong Kong

McDonald's outlet in Hong Kong is the one blessed with the Insta-viral Purple Sweet Potato ice cream in an Oreo Cookie cone. Oreos with sweet potatoes sounds like a cool combination you’d get at a hipster ice creamery, except here, it comes at a friendly price of HK$10 ($1.75).This sweet treat is not exactly.....

Jiaxing Fruit Market:

Imported fruit trade continued to grow rapidly in the first half of the year

In the first half of the year, the import fruit trade in the Jiaxing fruit market continued to grow rapidly. According to statistics, the transaction volume and turnover of imported fruits increased by 23.93% and 22.22% respectively from January to June. In terms of varieties, the imported fruit in the market.....

Trial export of red dragonfruit to Canada

The Taizhong City Government Agricultural Bureau explores new export destinations on behalf of fruit farmers. They actively expand the marketing channels of Taizhong agricultural products. They recently set up a trial export of 2,160 kg of red dragonfruit to Toronto, Canada, with the support of trade.....

Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree to take root in India

Descendants of Sir Isaac Newton's iconic apple tree, which is believed to have inspired the theory of gravity nearly 350 years ago, may soon be taking root in India.The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune is on an ambitious mission to graft a Newton tree shoot on Indian.....

S. Korea cuts import tariffs on 17 Indian products

Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030 from the existing level of $ 20 billion.In the upgraded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), South Korea has eliminated import tariffs for.....

Africamore »

Launch of citrus variety 'Outspan Gems'

New gems in the Capespan Crown

Capespan recently launched its new dedicated soft citrus brand Outspan Gems.Outspan Gems is an expansion of Capespan’s iconic citrus brand, Outspan, and will be used exclusively to brand soft citrus varieties produced, procured and marketed globally by Capespan.The rich heritage of the Outspan brand was a key.....

Smoother overlap between South African and Turkish lemon seasons expected

“Europe is literally waiting for every lemon”

Lemons are the only silver lining to a season in which other citrus from South Africa have had a hard time of it in a full European summer market, says Snyman Kritzinger, managing director of Grown4U in Kirkwood, Sundays River Valley.“Europe is literally waiting for every single lemon, and the lemon season has.....

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South African drone technology improves pest control

South African drone technology can help farmers reduce their reliance on chemicals to control pests on their crops by up to 30%. This will result in less stressed plants and a healthier harvest, says Jean Kuiper of Rosenhof Organic Farm, 70km south-east of Cape Town.The farm produces organic vegetables, apples.....

Goji berry production makes its way to Morocco

Moroccan ag producer, Al Khales Group, has announced that they plan on being the first company in the country to produce goji berries.The berries are being produced in the Kenitra region, in the Sidi Yahia El Gharb municipality. According to Al Khales, it is the largest goji berry production in Africa, the.....

Citrus growers & scientists join forces to fight the false coddling moth

VIDEOThe false coddling moth has been plaguing South Africa's citrus crops, putting this lucrative industry in danger. Now farmers are working with top scientists to sterilize these pests and keep this industry growing.Source: cnn.com

SPECIAL

Machinery/Packing/Labeling

First ever fresh produce packaging survey reveals the facts

The British Growers Association has launched the first ever survey of packaging in fresh produce. The survey uses data from British Grower’s ProduceView market intelligence survey and provides an independent overview of fresh fruit and vegetable packaging type by category and retailer.Jack Ward, Chief.....

Reusable bags for O&G, no more straws

Supermarket chains increasingly fighting against plastic waste

The fight against plastic is moving up the agenda of politicians and society. Here, retail takes on an important key role as well. The plastic bags at the cash register are often gone, and the O&G department is also looking for alternatives.The Schwarz-Group, that includes Lidl and Kaufland, has launched a.....

Biogro campaign targets organic labelling confusion

BioGro, New Zealand’s certifying organisation for organic produce and products, is marking its 35th anniversary by launching a campaign to combat misleading organic labelling in the country. The 'World of Good,' campaign ran for the first time in 2017 and BioGro is hoping it will be even more successful this.....

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Europemore »

Greenyard shares plummet by 30%

Greenyard under fire after listeria contamination

On Friday, it was announced that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had linked the deaths of nine Europeans to the listeria contamination in one of Greenyard's Hungarian factories. At 12.43 on that day, the trading in Greenyard shares was halted by the financial watchdog, FSMA. This was in anticipation.....

Italy: Courgette and cucumber prices are low

Whether it is due to higher courgette production in July or the increased supply of vegetables in general, various wholesale operators have confirmed that courgette and cucumber prices are low."There's a courgette invasion and sales are slow. We have even seen producers that were unable to sell them. Current.....

Stephan Junkers, Go Fresh GmbH:

'Convenience product needs additional value'

He was one of the pioneers in the field of pre-cut goods when the term convenience was not even around. Today, longtime entrepreneur Stephan Junkers is still dealing with this product segment, which is currently growing rapidly, especially in Germany. Despite the huge growth, conditions are the same as they.....

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France's succes directly effective on packaging

One day after the victory of France in the World Cup football in Russia, Fruits Rouges & Co modified the packaging immediately. First it said "Allez les Bleus" and now it has 2 stars and says "Merci les Bleus". "We did it, we are World Champion," said Jacques Cailleaux from Fruits Rouges & Co. "All the.....

Spain: Orri mandarin sales doubled in the 2018 campaign

The producers of the protected mandarin variety Orri have managed to market around 52,000 tonnes in the 2018 season. The results obtained in their third season, following the voluntary regularization carried out by TEO, the master licensee of the variety in Spain and Portugal, entails a 100% increase compared.....

National tomatoes first? How chauvinism influences buying behaviour

What influence do politics, economy and culture have on our buying behaviour? In socially insecure times, people tend to turn inward. This also counts for EU member states. They increasingly focus on their national economy and therefore, promote local products. Consumers follow; an Englishman will prefer to.....

Chamber of Agriculture North Rhine-Westphalia launches European LEADER project

Protection of resources and environment in spinach production

Sustainably oriented agriculture and groundwater protection go hand in hand in North Rhine-Westphalia. Under the auspices of the NRW Chamber of Agriculture, farmers from the Münsterland region, the food-processing company Iglo, the Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft mbH, the fertilizer-producing.....

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McCain Foods USA is the primary tenant

NewCold to open fully automated cold storage facility in Burley, Idaho

Earlier today, NewCold, the deep-frozen storage and logistics specialist based in The Netherlands, announced it will open its second fully mechanized facility in the USA in the Spring of 2019. Located in Burley, Idaho the state-of-the-art freezer facility is a joint design effort and construction built by.....

Chiquita is taking a banana as payment for taxi ride

Chiquita now has the "We are bananas" campaign, to raise awareness of Chiquita bananas among mothers and millennials.The company will be wrapping London buses and taxis with its branding over the next seven weeks. It launches with the brand offering free rides across zones one and two in Hackney Carriages that.....

Fresco Senso melon and watermelon bags

Melon and watermelons are very popular in summer and Agribologna has just introduced special packages containing fruit slices with a shelf-life of 6 days. Traditional filmed slices available in supermarkets have a shelf-life of 2-3 days.Heat-sealed watermelon packaged with a re-sealable system to keep the.....

Josep Presseguer, manager of Fruits de Ponent:

"This year, there is no downward pressure on prices, there is simply no fruit"

So far, the current Spanish stone fruit campaign has been marked by delays in the harvests in all production areas, as well as by a significant lack of supply. This is causing prices to remain stable at a time when there is usually downward pressure on them."The fruit has suffered the impact of frost, heavy.....

First ever fresh produce packaging survey reveals the facts

The British Growers Association has launched the first ever survey of packaging in fresh produce. The survey uses data from British Grower’s ProduceView market intelligence survey and provides an independent overview of fresh fruit and vegetable packaging type by category and retailer.Jack Ward, Chief.....

Oceaniamore »

AU: New fully recyclable packaging set to take fresh produce industry by storm

After noticing a gap in the market for sustainable fresh produce packaging, Sydney-based procurement company i-Procure is introducing a 100 per cent recyclable product to Australia. The new packaging solution, “Fruitpack” is 100 per cent recyclable carton board and has previously had success in Europe with.....

Sliced mushrooms recalled across Australia

Sliced white and brown mushrooms in pre-packaged punnets have been recalled from supermarket shelves due to the potential presence of foreign matter. The products from Mushroom Exchange have been recalled from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and other independent supermarkets and greengroceries in New South Wales,.....

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Worldmore »

Between May 2018 - reference period 1981-2010

The difference in average temperatures Europe

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Retail

GrubMarket: $32mln to expand delivery

Walmart: More convenience stores

US: Minneapolis startup Inspectorio raises $10mlnInspectorio, a startup that moved to Minneapolis after completing Target’s Techstars accelerator program, has raised an additional $10mln it will use to further expand its efforts to modernize and improve how retailers monitor their supply chains. “It’s a big.....

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