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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

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Carlos Cumbreras, manager of Grufesa
"Spanish strawberry sector must communicate to gain competitiveness"
"After two really negative strawberry campaigns, we are not sure what to expect, but for now we can assure that the weather conditions so far have been suitable and that plants are producing early and with good quality. We're thus a little ahead compared to last year, with a little more volume than usual,".....

A report by Pac Life
Chilean cherry and blueberry shipments to China 'complex'
As in all seasons, the technical and commercial team of Pac Life, a manufacturing company of modified atmosphere packages, is present in the Chinese market; one of the most important and exclusive markets for the Chilean fresh fruit.Pac Life is a major player in the packing of cherries and a leader in fresh.....

Alex Boughton, Emmett UK:
Popularity of superfood kale continues to rise in the UK
“The kale season has gone well so far this year. Although the rapid increase in the popularity of kale is beginning to slow down a little, demand is still on the rise,” according to Alex Boughton of Emmett UK.“The growing conditions this season have been good. In terms of production and harvest, up until.....

AU: Stonefruit exports to Middle East increasing steadily
The Australian stonefruit harvest has delivered excellent quality fruit, and growers are expecting to produce around 100 000 tonnes across all four categories (peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots), according to Summerfruit CEO John Moore.Those in the industry expect to export 10-12% of that, generally to.....

Fairtrasa Group expands into China
Fairtrasa, a leading organic and fairtrade fruit producer and seller, recently expanded into Asia with the formation of Fairtrasa China. Based in Shanghai, Fairtrasa China will import fruit products from Fairtrasa supply companies and sell them in China and other Asian markets. Sophia Cai, co-founded.....

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Export season for Kenyan herbs heats up
With European countries not growing large quantities of herbs during winter, Kenyan growers are able to increase their exports to Europe. Those exports have been steadily increasing over the years as Israeli companies have lent their expertise with herbs to an already robust fresh produce industry.“During.....

No end to boycott if European sanctions remain
Prices Russia up to +654%
As long as Europe doesn't tone down its sanctions, Russia will maintain its boycott, the Russian government reports. A study in Russian supermarkets in Samara, Central Russia, shows that prices for vegetables have gone up significantly. And if a proposal by the government is voted through, Russia will be a.....

Washington crops hit $10 billion record
Washington agriculture broke records for the third consecutive year, with production values reaching $10.2 billion in 2013. Contributing to the 2 percent increase over the previous year were record high crop values for milk, potatoes, cattle, grapes and pears, according to data released Monday by the U.S......

Idaho and Oregon onion price and demand down
Demand and prices in the onion market are lower than they have been in the last five years. This decrease comes from major production areas in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing great growing conditions in 2014. This situation is not only exclusive to the United States, as North America, Asia, and Europe.....

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Rainfall not yet a reason to declare 'doom and gloom' on mango harvest
South east Queensland is on track to produce around 300 000 trays of mangoes despite recent rainfall, and Australia’s total mango production will still be close to 8 million trays, say industry experts. Experienced mango growers are dealing with an unusually wet week in Queensland, with rainfall as high as.....

Van Nature expands assortment with courgette flowers
Courgette flowers can now also be ordered from Van Nature, effective immediately.These edible flowers are a delicacy that can be used in many different ways. They can be stuffed with a mousse or coated in batter and deep-fried shortly. The flowers have a beautiful yellow colour making them very.....

North America

Florida without Oranges
Florida may produce as few as 89 million boxes of oranges this year, forecasters say, down 63 percent from the 242 million boxes the state produced a decade ago. One report, released in December by the University of Florida, estimated that citrus generates $10.68 billion annually in the state, contributing.....

Big export year for Northwest cherries
The 2014 season was not only a record year for Northwest cherries, it was one of the best years for Northwest cherry exports, especially to South Korea, which almost doubled imports from 2012.“Last year was one of our biggest export years ever,” said Keith Hu, foreign marketing director for Northwest Cherry.....

Wisconsin cranberry production declines
Wisconsin cranberry production totaled 5.04 million barrels in 2014, down from 6.02 million barrels in 2013, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.The report, titled, Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2014 Preliminary Summary, stated that.....

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China agreement to benefit NY apple growers
New York apple growers expect to benefit after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reached agreement with China to allow all U.S. grown apples access to the Chinese market.The agreement was announced Monday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. He said the apple industry expects exports to China to reach 5.....

China’s cold chain improving
Though China’s lack of cold-chain facilities and logistics for perishable products has been its Achilles heel, improvements are expected within the next five years, says Keith Hu, Northwest Cherry Growers representative.China is recognized as one of the hottest markets in the world due to its large.....

Port of NY & NJ reopen
All Marine Terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey will be opening (today) on Wednesday, January 28 at 8 AM with the exception of GCT Bayonne, which will open at 6 AM. Please check individual terminal websites for details on any extended hours, restrictions etc. As a reminder, in order to keep.....

Titan Farms upgrades peach packing facility
Titan Farms, grower, packer and shipper of peaches and vegetables in the Southeast, have announced a complete upgrade and expansion to their packing facility including the installation of a state of the art packing line. This upgrade it expected to take Titan Farms’ quality operations to the next level......

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US: Mainstreaming genetic potato diversity
Around the country, determined plant breeders, farmers, and chefs are joining forces to reinvent the potato and the transform the way Americans perceive the versatile tuber. Consider what happened to apples: By the 1980s, Americans were so fed up with the dominant and inaptly named Red Delicious that all.....

Central America

Mexico: New fertilizer that boosts crop growth rate
The companies Agroquímicos y Aspersores de Perote and ADV Mechanics, together with the Technological Institute of Monterrey, will sell a new organic fertilizer made from pumice residues.The product is expected to be up to 50% cheaper than others currently in the market; its production and marketing will.....

South America

Argentina: Citrus producers predict difficult year
Dante Grigolatto, president of the Citrus Federation of Entre Rios (Fecier), stated that the exchange rate would also complicate the Argentine citrus sector."We knew that there would be 30 to 40 percent more output in the 2014 season and that it would be a difficult year if we were unable to export to the.....

Brazil: Orange baron buying Chiquita revealed as billionaire
The tang of Jose Luis Cutrale’s orange juice factory permeates the air in the Brazilian town of Araraquara. For visitors who make the 173-mile trek northwest from Sao Paulo, the aroma is a welcome respite from the stench that normally emanates from the city’s sewage-choked Tiete river. For local inhabitants,.....

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Chilean avocados to be shipped to China
Recently, SAG and ASOEX managed to close negotiations to increase the shipment of fruit to the People's Republic of China."The SAG sent a series of studies explaining to the Chinese authorities that the quarantine for fruit flies should apply within a 27.2 km radius and that it made no sense to quarantine an.....

Asia

Sri Lanka: Veggie woes only till mid-Feb
Agriculture research experts last week said that the present situation of soaring vegetable prices, which has affected both vendors and consumers for the past several weeks, may not last long with a reduction expected by mid next month.Research Officer, Marketing, Food Policy and Agriculture Business at the.....

Bangladesh: Import onion prices drop
Prices of imported onion dropped slightly as demand fell in the aftermath of the nationwide indefinite blockade and hartals."We're not getting enough customers due to political turmoil. At this moment, demand is poor compared with supplies," Narayan Saha, a wholesaler of Shyambazar, told the FE. "This has.....

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Indian central government:
'States failing to act on black marketers'
The central government has come down heavily on the states for lack of prosecution under Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980. According to officials, the centre has written to all states in response to the data sent by the states to centre which is a.....

Singapore: Extra steps to reduce effects of dry spell
With the early onset of the dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon, workers at farms and nurseries are taking steps to ensure the quality of their products is not affected.Chinese New Year is less than a month away and workers at some nurseries have been installing sun shades to ensure imported festive plants.....

UAE residents prefer locally sourced produce
Residents are more inclined to buy local produce as farmers continue to expand their output of fresh fruits and vegetables for local consumption, according to a new report published by the Abu Dhabi Farmer’s Services Centre.The centre’s market position survey found that Abu Dhabi is growing four times faster.....

India: Mango area continues to increase
Until a few years ago, the harvest of mangoes used to alternate between ‘on year’ – when yield is bountiful – and ‘off year’, when the yield is scarce. This is no longer the case in Mysuru, say Horticulture Department officials in Mysuru.Ever since the area under mango cultivation in the district increased.....

Europe

Bad weather affects veggie production in Spain
The bad weather in Spain consisting of hail and frost has affected vegetable production. On top of vegetation slowing down due to the wave of cold weather at the end of December, the Almeria area has been affected by heavy rain over the last few days which resulted in blocked roads and there was also damage.....

Ukraine: Onion price growth rates up
Onion prices have been growing up in the southern regions of Ukraine thanks to high demand for export-quality produce.Prices have gone up by 30-40% since the beginning of this week, and now farmers are ready to ship high-quality onions at no lower than UAH 3.00-3.50/kg (EUR 0.13-0.15/kg).Prices are growing.....

Lithuanian producers compensated for losses
According to the Lithuanian Agricultural and Food Market Regulation Agency, on 31 December last year, 10 companies in the domestic market benefited from aid for withdrawals related to the Russian embargo.A total of 36 applications were submitted for the withdrawal and delivery of fruits and vegetables to.....

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Romania: 2.42 million Euro in EU aid for producers
Romanian fruit and vegetable producers will receive a total of 10.8 million Lei (2.42 million Euro) in funding, as an exceptional measure of temporary support to cover part of the losses incurred as a result of the Russian government's decision to ban the import of fruit and vegetables from the EU.The funds.....

Ukraine: Fruit and veg prices continue to increase
According to "APK-Inform: Vegetables and Fruits", Ukraine's fruit and vegetable price index for the week between 16 and 23 January increased by 3%, continuing the upward trend registered since November 2014. Over the past two and a half months, fruit and vegetable prices in Ukraine have grown by.....

Freshtime raises over £15,000 for Children’s charity
The Ally Cadence Trust has received a final charity cheque from Boston food producer Freshtime UK, bringing the total after a year of fund raising to £15,064.The trust, set up by Emma and Karl Humphries from Walcott in 2009, provides emotional and financial support for families affected by Spinal Muscular.....

Significant drop in Polish tomato and cabbage exports
According to Eurostat data, Polish exports of fresh vegetables and mushrooms in the period from July to October 2014 registered a 3.7 percent drop compared to the same period in the previous year, amounting to 223 thousand tonnes. This is largely due to effects of the Russia embargo; exports of these.....

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Veerle van der Sypt, Fresh Trade Belgium:
"Belgian top fruit exporters pick up thread with India"
Belgian auctions and exporters have been exporting apples to India since 2011. So far the volumes haven't been big, but this is expected to increase within the coming years. Veerle van der Sypt of Fresh Trade Belgium indicates that the export to this country has also stood still for a while. "Now, with the.....

Esther van der Hoorn, Carsol Europe:
"So far demand for Chilean blueberries greater than last year"
Horacio Ozer Ami and Esther van der Hoorn represent the European sales office of the Chilean production company of blueberries Carsol Fruit in the Netherlands. This has gone well so far, according to Esther. "Until December there has been good demand. January traditionally starts off quieter, but at the.....

Lidl to open largest distribution centre in Spain
On Wednesday the German supermarket chain, Lidl, has started construction on what will be the largest logistics centre in Europe. The plans for this were already announced three years ago. The centre is being built in Alcalá de Henares on a large plot of land next to the M-300, where a large branch of.....

Organized by Cardiff University
Successful edition of educational event in fresh-cut industry
About 70 participants from 9 Countries throughout Europe met last week in Cardiff, UK for an important educational event for the fresh-cut industry organized by Cardiff University, in cooperation with the University of Foggia (Italy), Cranfield University and University of Reading. As in the last.....

María Pérez, manager of Delta Blau
"Andalusian oranges may follow Valencia's steps"
Despite the apparent growth of orange production in Andalusia, the sector's future looks uncertain, looking at the negative results achieved in recent campaigns, to which the Russian veto must be added this year."The citrus market is too brand-conscious, with a really big difference between the major brands.....

"More and more services added in addition to traditional storage and transfer"
Rien van beek (R&M Forwarding) developed own IT system
R&M Forwarding celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. In February, 2011, the fruit expediter moved to the former Ebrex building in Schiedam, and in 2013 the company opened a second office in the FMI building in Ridderkerk. "We have been through a significant expansion, and have had a good start in.....

Consumption decreased six percent in October
Drop in consumption of fruit and veg, Spain
October was a bad month for the consumption of fruit and vegetables in Spain. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, the demand fell by six percent, and there were sharp declines in the consumption of bananas, stonefruit, green beans, tomatoes and cabbage.Spanish households consumed a total of.....

Organic up in Sweden
ICA and Coop Sverige have announced that organic sales increased by 55% and 40% respectively in 2014, with organic now representing 7.7% of total sales at Coop Sverige.Different products driving the trend for both retailersCoop Sverige, which sells a range of 2,400 organic products, revealed that the most.....

Hungary: Electronic control system aids 75 tonne potato seize
Members of Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county found and seized 75 tonnes of Polish potatoes that were not marked with the necessaryElectronic Road Transportation Control System (EKAER) number.EKAER audits allowed the NAV of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county.....

Oceania

AU: Potato giveaway drives wedge between growers
Earlier this month fruit and vegetable grower and Spud Shed owner Tony Galati gave away 200 tonnes of potatoes for free at his stores. Mr Galati said he gave the potatoes away because they were potatoes grown outside the limit he was able to sell under a strict industry quota system.The WA Potato Marketing.....

Slow start to NZ apples
A slow start to summer has led to a national shortage of New Zealand-grown apples, with some supermarkets able to offer only fruit imported from the United States. The dearth of new-season apples has led to empty shelves in some fresh produce departments and seen a popular drinks maker switch to apple.....

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AU: Berry farms target for Fair Work Ombudsman
Northwest blueberry and strawberry farms will be the target of Fair Work Ombudsman visits ensuring they are correctly paying seasonal workers. The Ombudsman's regional services team is making site visits to randomly selected properties on the Coast.It will ask growers and labour hire contractors to open.....

AU: Mass mango dumping as juice contracts dry up
The sad reality this summer is tonnes and tonnes of mangoes have ended up on the scrapheap for no reason other than their appearance.A loss of juicing contracts and a bumper season in the Mareeba-Dimbulah district resulted in tons of blemished fruit, that won't make the premium grade, being thrown out.Mango.....

FTA gives hope to AU veg growers
Recently concluded free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China could pave the way for greater exports of premium Australian vegetable products according to a discussion paper released today by AUSVEG titled ‘Exporting Australia’s vegetables to the Middle East & Asia: Market analysis &.....

Symposium to boost exports to Malaysia and UAE
Over 60 Australian vegetable growers will converge on Adelaide tomorrow for a two-day symposium aimed at helping the industry capitalise on United Arab Emirates and Malaysian export markets, currently worth a combined $31 million each year.“Both Malaysia and the UAE are currently in the top ten destinations.....

AU: Close to 100 million mangoes sold
Nearly 100 million Australian-grown mangoes will be sold this summer as the industry harvests its best crop in five years.“We’ve had good weather which allows us to grow a good-quality product, that creates more demand, hence the price being nice and reasonable,” Queensland grower Gavin Scurr said.Mr Scurr,.....

AU: Tas cherries sought by Chinese
Tasmanian cherries are being sold on China's largest online shopping platform, TMall.Cygnet-based cherry grower Glenburn Orchards is the first Tasmanian orchard to sell fruit through TMall, which has 15 million visitors, a day."Cherries are picked and packed in Tasmania, and airfreighted into Shanghai,.....

Africa

Zambia: Farmers advised to diversify
The National Union for Small-scale Farmers of Zambia (NUSFAZ) has advised farmers who received inputs late for the 2014/15 farming season to venture into other crops like beans, tomatoes and water melons as a way of diversification.NUSFAZ director of outreach and member services Emack Kaoma said in an.....

Candidates selected Green Pioneer Accelerator Program
The Green Pioneer Accelerator, a business accelerator that seeks to support social enterprises with innovative products and services mitigating the effects of climate change, has selected 11 entrepreneurs for the program in Kenya and 12 entrepreneurs for the program in South Africa.The selected entrepreneurs.....

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World

Spanish bananas request help against advance of non-EU bananas
Members of the Association of Banana Producers of the European Union (APEB) held a meeting with the French Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, where they have requested support for the creation of a common front with the governments of Spain and Portugal for the undertaking of continuous monitoring of.....

Key for success Total Produce
Global sources with local experts
Total Produce’s ability to deliver the “best of both worlds” to customers; the service levels and market expertise associated with local suppliers alongside the collective resources of an international group is to be the theme adopted by the Group at Fruit Logistica 2015. At Total Produce they believe in.....

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Sweet potato leaves good source of vitamins
Sweet potato is known to be a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and certain B vitamins that are considered essential to human health. Besides the commonly consumed root of the plant, certain tissues in sweet potato are also edible and high in nutritional value.Although studies have confirmed that.....

Leeks: Cancer-busting and all around healthy
One of the main reasons to start including leeks into your diet is their cardiovascular supporting property thanks to their high levels of vitamin B folate. (1) They also contain an exceptionally high level of vitamin K, which is important in blood clotting and the healing of wounds. (2)Allium in leeks ward.....

Coconut water hit in US and UK
Coconut water is already a thriving market in the UK and US, but demand for the packaged drink is now spilling out into other countries such as Japan and Canada.The drink has gained popularity in recent years because of its purported health benefits, which include providing high levels of potassium and other.....

Tacler launches new start page just before Fruit Logisica
Livestream of trade leads on FreshPlaza
At the beginning of the new year, FreshPlaza, Tacler and AGF began sporting a new face for many, as Tacler launches a new homepage. The fruit and veg trading website used to be a fully closed platform. Starting January 2015, the user created content will be visible on the homepage of Tacler. This being.....

Retail

Ireland: Supermarket ombudsman to ensure fair price
The Irish Farmers’ Association has called for the appointment of a supermarkets’ ombudsman to ensure that farmers get a fair share of the consumer price for their produce.Speaking at the association’s AGM, its president Eddie Downey said high-quality farm produce had lifted food exports by 45 per cent since.....

UK: Waitrose announces job plan
Waitrose has announced plans to create 2,000 jobs as it embarks on a store-opening spree following strong Christmas trading.The retailer, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, will open 14 shops in the coming year – split between supermarkets and little Waitrose convenience shops.“​Our expansion story.....

Merger condition:
Safeway, Albertsons required to sell stores
Last March Albertsons supermarket owners Cerberus Capital Management and AB Acquisition LLC announced that they would acquire the Safeway chain of stores in a merger valued at more than $9 billion, but as with most deals of such magnitude, the new coupling between the second- and fifth-largest grocers in the.....

Could interim CEO turnaround Morrisons’?
A recent Guardian article entitled, Wanted: new Morrisons CEO. Same as old one, but without the mistakes[i] talks about the recent removal of Dalton Philips as the company’s chief executive.The article highlighted that despite most people, including Morrisons’ new chairman, Andy Higginson thinking that.....

Metro revenue beats estimates
Canadian grocer Metro Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit as same-store sales rose 3.8 percent, the biggest increase since the third quarter of 2009.The company increased its quarterly dividend to 35 Canadian cents per common share from 30 Canadian cents and also announced a.....

Vietnam: Aeon announces tie-up with major retailers
Retail giant Aeon Co. said it has formed a capital and business tie-up with two of Vietnam’s major retailers in a bid to expand its business in the country.The company said Tuesday it has decided to take a 30 percent stake in Fivimart Co., which operates 20 stores in Hanoi, and a 49 percent stake in Citimart.....

India: Reliance retail sees 114% profit
Improved margins drove profit before depreciation, interest and taxes (PBDIT) by 114 per cent year-on-year at Reliance Retail during the third fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2014.Reliance Retail said it posted its highest ever profit before depreciation, interest and taxes (PBDIT) in the reporting.....

Magnit plans ‘aggressive’ 2015
PJSC Magnit, Russia’s largest retailer, plans to strengthen its market position by accelerating store openings just as the country’s economy enters a recession.“We’ll have our most aggressive opening plan this year,” billionaire Chief Executive Officer Sergey Galitskiy said Tuesday on a conference call. The.....

Greencore: More US acquisitions not ruled out
Greencore hasn’t ruled out the prospect of making more acquisitions in the US as part of its ongoing growth and investment strategy. The convenience food group’s US operations mainly sees it provide sandwiches and other food products to the Starbucks and 7-Eleven chains. It saw revenues increase 25% in the.....

First Spar opens in Oman
Spar, one of the world's largest food store retailer, has opened its first supermarket in Oman.M. Sridhar, CEO, SPAR Oman, said that the first supermarket is located near Taimur Mosque in Al Khuwair and will offer customers a new and rewarding experience. "The 700 square metres supermarket will deliver a.....

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