Announcements

Job offersmore »

Specialsmore »

Top 5 - yesterday

Top 5 - last week

Top 5 - last month

Exchange ratesmore »

Monday, December 09, 2013

Sort by continent | Sort by sector

We apologize for improperly titling the Loss of Profit for Village Super Market as Village Farms and the improper use of their logo and company in the title.

US (CA): Citrus growers combat cold temps
Citrus producers received a welcomed reprieve from freeze conditions after 3 consecutive nights of cold weather. A dense cloud cover elevated temperatures, steadying in most areas around the mid-30s. Although rain is much needed, Saturday night's forecast calls for extremely cold temperatures,.....

Tony Fissette, Enzafruit: "Exceptional prices"
"Jazz succeeds in countries in which Granny Smith and Braeburn were popular"
The European Jazz apple season is going exceptionally well according to the manager of Enzafruit, Tony Fissette. "In general the apple market is a little calmer compared to the same time last year. But luckily it's a different story for the Jazz apples. We are noticing little of that less fortunate.....

Maarten van Fraassen: still more demand from other continents
Direct Source International offers a broad selection of citrus
The citrus season is in full swing at Direct Source International. Spanish mandarins, Oronules, have finished and the importer is now busy with availability of Clemenules and Esval. Shortly the Clemenvilla season will also start. In the orange sector, DSI have Navelina's available. "The Spanish Salustiana.....

AU: Honey Gold mangoes to reach supermarkets in time for Christmas
It may be Christmas before Honey Gold mango consumers see their favourite fruit in store in any large volume due to conditions which have affected this season's Northern Territory supply, according to Piñata Farms Pty Ltd managing director Gavin Scurr.However, Mr Scurr, said Honey Gold mangoes produced in.....

EU: Roamler offers retailer and supplier quick and accurate shelf information
In the past, companies hired so-called mystery shoppers to visit stores to check if their product was marketed the right way. Nowadays the procedure is much faster, with retailers and suppliers working together with a group of smartphone owners who provide direct answers to their questions. Is the price is.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Greece: Less kiwi export without the benefit of higher prices
Production of Greek kiwis dipped this season by about a fifth when compared to last year's production. Though that's led to higher prices for growers, it hasn't translated to higher prices on the export market, and Greek exporters are now dealing with fewer exports without the benefit of higher prices.“We.....

Marcel van Rooijen, Verdi Import
"Tax makes export for Argentinean fruit producers almost impossible"
Marcel van Rooijen of Verdi Import recently visited the Chilean and Argentinean fruit producing areas. He noticed that frost damage is enormously varied from area to area. "In San Juan they mentioned that in total about 70% of the white seedless grapes were lost. The two largest players, Expo Frut and.....

Eddy Kreukniet, Exsa Europe:
"South African and Namibian grape production very disappointing"
"This year's South African and Namibian grape season will begin in stark contrast to the previous season," said Eddy Kreukniet from Exsa Europe. "It was expected that the European season would leave plenty of room for Brazilian product to arrive into an empty market, however this year Europe's season ran.....

'Tycoon brand' fruit coveted by young consumers in China
A unique orange brand has become one of the most coveted kinds of fruit in China this winter, and is being sold for five times the average market price, with demand far outwaying supply. The fruit is always in short supply, though they are sold for at least 25 yuan (US$4.11) a kg, compared with the average 5.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Fruit Logistica 2014, 5 - 7 February at Messe Berlin, Germany
Dutch CBI to present 35 suppliers from 11 countries
The 35 suppliers from emerging and frontier markets include first-time exhibitors from West Africa and Central America. Seven companies supported by CBI will have representatives and products available at their own country pavilions. European companies shopping the world for new sources of fresh produce.....

North America

'Halos' vs. 'Cuties', may the best marketing win
It's a Halos versus Cuties battle at the supermarket. Shoppers now get to choose between two sweet-mini-tasty mandarins.Wednesday on "First Look with Scott Cox," Californian reporter John Cox talked about the $100 million campaign behind the newest product -- the Halos.Five years ago, Paramount Citrus and.....

Tulare County citrus growers hoping China opens its market
For most of the past eight months, Randy Veeh, and many of his fellow Central Valley navel orange growers weren’t greatly concerned about China’s decision to stop importing California citrus. That decision came in early May, after rotted oranges reportedly were found in shipments from the state.While the.....

Canada: $2.3 million in help for Nova Scotian strawberry farmers
The 2013 Canada-Nova Scotia Strawberry Assistance Initiative will provide help to producers with the one-time cost of removing and replacing plants to help manage the virus complex.Under the program, producers will be eligible for a payment depending on the production system used on their farm. This payment.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Red grapes, blueberries may enhance immune function
In an analysis of 446 compounds for their ability to boost the innate immune system in humans, researchers in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University discovered just two that stood out from the crowd, the resveratrol found in red grapes and a compound called pterostilbene from blueberries.Both.....

BioSafe Systems welcomes Alyssa Davis as agriculture and food safety brand manager
BioSafe Systems is pleased to announce the recent addition of Alyssa Davis, who joins the team as the Brand Manager for the Agriculture and Food Safety markets. Alyssa will contribute to the marketing efforts for these two markets, including consumer marketing, public relations and company branding. Excited.....

US: Limoneira to sell Santa Maria properties
Limoneira Co., an agribusiness with prime agricultural land and operations, real estate and water rights in California and Arizona, has agreed to sell its Sevilla and Pacific Crest properties located in Santa Maria, California. Both properties are being sold to the same buyer and the combined purchase price.....

US (IA): Sweet potato grown successfully in midwest
Iowa State University Horticulture Research Station has conducted sweet potato trials that show that the vegetable can grow successfully in the Midwest, producing close to the national average of 20,000 pounds per acre. Horticulturist Ajay Nair used three cultivars of sweet potato—the Beauregard, Covington.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

US (CA): Retailers earn awards from Avocado commission contests
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) announced the winners of its advertising and display contests for 2013. CAC conducted the contests concurrently from May 1, 2013 through September 11, 2013, to encompass the period of American summer holidays that included Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Flag.....

U.S. dried Cranberries added to USDA school foodservice list
In collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, the U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) and industry representatives announced on friday news from USDA Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack. Effective July 2014, schools will have the option to purchase dried cranberries from the Foods Available.....

Canada: P.E.I. Potato Board elects new executive
Summerside’s Gary Linkletter was re-elected as chairman of the P.E.I. Potato Board at the group’s Dec. 5 board of directors meeting. Linkletter is currently serving his second three-year term representing the tablestock sector for the Summerside District. He is a partner in Linkletter Farms, a family farm.....

Veggies Inc. expands facilities, employee base to increase production possibilities
Veggies Inc. under the leadership of CEO Mike Vohland, has expanded their facility square footage by seventy-five percent, increasing their number of dock doors from eight to thirteen and added a ramp for expanded cross-docking services. Their warehouse, which is completely Primus certified, has the ability.....

Highline mushrooms raise over $18,000 for Philippines Typhoon Relief Fund
In response to the devastating typhoon which hit the Philippines last month, Highline Mushrooms and their associates have collectively raised a total of $18,368 to aid in the relief of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan.When members of Highline’s Leamington Filipino community learned of the typhoon that was.....

Hass avocado study eyes shopper motivations
A new study by the Hass Avocado Board examines the purchase decisions of avocado consumers.The study, “Shopper Motivations and Influences: Driving Hass Avocado Sales at Retail,” focuses on heavy users — the 50% of consuming households who account for nearly 90% of volume, according to the Irvine,.....

Yuma frosts slow vegetable harvests
Frost is slowing vegetable harvests in the Arizona desert, and if cold temperatures continue, yields could fall, grower-shippers said.“We had a little frost yesterday, but today was by far the heaviest,” Jason Lathos, commodities manager for Salinas, Calif.-based Church Bros. LLC, said Dec. 6. “We anticipate.....

Central America

The state contributes 85% of Mexican production
Mexico: Michoacán continues to increase avocado acreage
The Mexican state of Michoacan contributes 85% of the national production of avocado as it produced 1,117,338 tonnes, in 105,512 hectares, in 2012. According to a report by SIAP-Sagarpa, this represents a production value of 14,835,697 pesos, the highest production value of agricultural products in the.....

South America

In order to export and satisfy markets
Peru: Ocabamba plans to cultivate 1,500 hectares of pineapple
Farmers from the Ocobamba district, located within the province of La Convencion (Cuzco), are betting on pineapple cultivation, said the town's mayor, Alex Curi León, under the I Productive Mayor National Award event, organized by Export Sierra last Friday.In this regard, the authority said that Ocobamba has.....

Asia

Vision 2023 Plan
India: Plan to export 10,000 tonnes of banana to Gulf countries
Measures are being taken to expand the area under tissue-cultured banana cultivation to 10,000 hectares from the present 6,000 hectares to tap export markets and meet the growing demand, said Agricultural Production Commissioner Sandeep Saxena.The State government had allotted Rs.1.2 lakh crore for.....

Indonesia to export bananas to Singapore in 2014
Indonesia's state-owned plantation company PTPN VIII will export bananas to Singapore from 2014, said Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Dahlan Iskan on Friday.Dahlan said banana export to Singapore presents a major milestone for Indonesian tropical fruits to enter international markets, Indonesian news.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Europe

Guy de Meyer: "We need colder weather to get the prices higher"
Demargro sees increase in demand for smaller cabbages
Demagro is mainly known for its leek in the autumn, but they also supply many other winter vegetables. "We do a lot with red, white and savoy cabbage, which are mainly intended for the French market," indicates Guy de Meyer. "There is also regular demand for these products from Russia, but they have enough.....

Sophie Ringoot: "Now Italian vegetables are plentiful"
Nino Ferrari reasonably satisfied with Italian grape season
The Italian grape season is just about over at Nino Ferrari, but they will still be available till the beginning of January. "We now still have long-life varieties. The start of the season with the Vittoria grapes ran better than the Italia season" Sophie Ringoot explains. 'The Vittoria was of exceptional.....

Bad weather in the province of Foggia
Giorgio Mercuri (Apo Foggia): Gap of at least 15 days expected in the production of broccoli and cauliflower."
“In the province of Foggia two rivers flooded, Cervaro and Carapelle, causing heavy damage to crops. Approximately 1,000 hectares of land are underwater and many companies associated with the Consortium Apo Foggia probably will not be able to collect their vegetables, adding to the lack of production and.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

Tomra develops unique biometric technology for nut, raisin sorting
Sensor-based sorting systems pioneer TOMRA Sorting Solutions has made its latest technological breakthrough for nut and raisin processors available in its Nimbus free-fall machine. The company has introduced its unique biometric signature identification (BSI) technology, developed in-house by its own.....

Spain: Pomegranate shelf life extended by almost 100 days
A team of researchers from the Institute of Plant Biotechnology of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) have managed to produce high quality pomegranates with a shelf life of almost 100 days, while reducing water consumption during cultivation by up to 40%. The fruits are also ideal for the.....

"3rd edition of Fresh Produce Ukraine great success!"
The third edition of Fresh Produce Ukraine took place from 26 – 28 November 2013, in the International Exhibition Center (IEC) in Kiev, Ukraine. The exhibition welcomed 4,859 trade visitors in three days.Some 150 companies have chosen Fresh Produce Ukraine as their platform to start or expand their business.....

Analysis of the winter fruit season
Granfrutta Zani: "Kiwifruits meet high expectations of producers"
Raffaele Bucella, sales representative of the Italian OP Granfrutta Zani comments on the commercial performance of the fruits that mark the winter campaign of the company: persimmons, pears, apples and kiwifruit.The 2013 production should be about the same as last year, that is around 11,000 tons, as.....

Click here to receive this news directly in your inbox

The Greenery reorganises
"We are bothered by the fact that retail market is growing stronger and sales organisations are breaking up. The competition on the side of demand and supply are both high. If you look at our results over the past few years you can see the turnover decreasing," The Greenery explains their reasons for the.....

Jan Segers: "Slow growth in fruit and vegetable transport for Belgian and French market"
Kuehne+Nagel extends perishables logistics network in Belgium
Keuhna+Nagel has been trading perishables in Belgium since the start of this year. A few months ago two new warehouses in Zaventhem and Luik were invested in, specifically for perishables, mainly flowers and fruit and vegetables. First Keuhne+Nagel did this through a contractor, but this year they decided to.....

Jean Bernard Bonduelle:
More research needed to increase vegetable consumption across EU
A new Marie Curie funded research project will focus on overcoming barriers to eating more vegetables, says Jean Bernard Bonduelle.There are several EU funded projects who focus on food component model development and consumer characteristics on meat, fish and seafood but none on vegetables, and little.....

Wim Moerdijk, Monie:
"Onion trade in a rut"
Onion sales are difficult at the moment. This according to Wim Moerdijk of onion sorting and packing station Monie from Nieuwkoop. "One has to pay too much to the growers and in the trade one cannot make up for this. We are just in a difficult position, but if we have to pay 17/18 cents to the grower, then.....

Vanes Cantieri
Italy: New tendencies in European retail and the Coop Italia model
Vanes Cantieri (in the photo), manager of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector ofCoop Italia, comments on the new tendencies of European retail and on Italian chains."While European retailers are interested in developing direct procurement programmes, we at Coop still believe in direct imports from overseas,.....

Oceania

Australian summer fruit gets off to an early start
Favourable growing conditions have produced excellent crops of sweet, juicy Australian summer stonefruit that can be air-freighted or undergo in-transit cold treatment via sea shipment to arrive in peak condition.Australian peaches and nectarines are now available for export. Warmer conditions in August and.....

Africa

Eddy Kreukniet, Exsa Europe:
"South African and Namibian grape production very disappointing"
"This year's South African and Namibian grape season will begin in stark contrast to the previous season," said Eddy Kreukniet from Exsa Europe. "It was expected that the European season would leave plenty of room for Brazilian product to arrive into an empty market, however this year Europe's season ran.....

World

World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference
Farmers call for fair and balanced 'Mini trade package' deal in Bali
Farmers from across the world united in Bali today calling on negotiators to agree on a “mini package” in the world trade talks which ensures a fair and balanced deal for farmers and agri-cooperatives. The move came as negotiations step up at the 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation.....

April 2013
Dull spring takes toll on EU production, positive start for SH citrus
April 2013 saw the French apple season wrap up earlier after a strong demand cut supplies short, while in Canada it was cut short due to bad weather and Washington apples saw a big demand in record production year, an estimated 130 million boxes, 18 percent larger than the previous record.....

Retail

Ireland: Strike hits some Marks & Spencer shops
Marks and Spencer shops across Ireland closed today, due to strike action taken by 2,000 employees over changes to their pensions and other working conditions. The company said the changes were designed to protect their business in Ireland and it apologised to customers for the disruption.Unions including.....

Vanes Cantieri
Italy: New tendencies in European retail and the Coop Italia model
Vanes Cantieri (in the photo), manager of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector ofCoop Italia, comments on the new tendencies of European retail and on Italian chains."While European retailers are interested in developing direct procurement programmes, we at Coop still believe in direct imports from overseas,.....

more than 20 hypermarkets every year
Carrefour plans continued expansion on Chinese mainland
Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer by sales, Thursday said the company planned to open more than 20 hypermarkets every year on the Chinese mainland, a reflection of great ambition and confidence in the country's highly competitive retailing market. Currently, Carrefour operates 236 hypermarkets.....

Lekkerland Germany appoint new managing director
German wholesaler, Lekkerland, has appointed Peter Spitlbauer as their new General Managing Director of the company. In a statement released yesterday, Lekkerland said that the 48-year-old Spitlbauer will begin in his new role from 1 January of next year.Frank Fleck, who also works in a Managing Director.....

FreshPlaza Funny

Pay attention Karin!