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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

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What will result in EU from Chiquita/Fyffes merger?
Fyffes Exec: "Takeovers have been an important factor in the growth of Fyffes"
It is not very common that a news story within our sector comes along that has such an impact on the international economy, as the news that Chiquita and Fyffes was to merge. Analysts believe that the merger was due to the fact that there is less and less to be earned in the banana market. This is also.....

Job Offers:

• STC - Led for Crops, Technical Agronomy Support/Trainee Project Leader - Yorkshire, UK
• TSF Fruchtkontor GmbH, Manager Apple Orchard - Germany
• TSF Fruchtkontor GmbH, Sales/Purchase - Germany

USDA
Florida orange crop forecast decreases slightly
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) monthly forecast of the 2013-2014 Florida orange crop released Monday decreased slightly to 114 million boxesThe USDA estimated early-mid orange varieties down 1 million to 53 million boxes while Valencias remained at 61 million boxes. "Everybody in the industry.....

Good taste but lighter volumes
New season organic pears from Argentina arrive at AweSum Organics
Awe Sum Organics has announced they are extremely excited about the quality of their Organic Pears coming from Argentina this season. Confident they will be some of the best tasting and highest quality organic pears in the market, Awe Sum Organics President and CEO, David Posner says, “I love our pears, they.....

Return of the ‘cherry Ferrari’ as the glamour fruit season begins
Glamour Cherries, the only cherries available worldwide during March and April, which are famed for their superior quality and expensive price, will be available again over the next four weeks. The brand which has been nicknamed ‘Red Gold’ for its high price tag, will return to supermarket shelves this.....

Good volumes expected
Early start for Polish apples
Polish apple export is moving slowly but regularly, which seems to be a positive trend. The main export destination for Polish apples is Russia, but also Western Europe and further destinations. As a consequence of the difficult political situation and tension in Ukraine, export to this country has all.....

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Grosvenor House hotel, London on June 4-6
Valentine Warner signs as Ambassador for London Produce Show
Cook, writer & broadcaster Valentine Warner will act as Ambassador for the inaugural London Produce Show and Conference in June. Presenter of several hit TV programmes – including ‘Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia’, ‘Coast To Coast’ and BBC series ‘What To Eat Now’, Valentine has made a huge impression.....

World première of new Polish sorting machines with Sorter logo
The world première of the new series of RDS sorting machines with the Sorter logo, was held during Fruit Logistica 2014 in Berlin. The new machines offered by the Polish company Sorter can be successfully used not only for sorting apples, but also for ball-shaped citrus fruits and vegetables in maximum 90 mm.....

Turkish pomegranate size, production increase due to research
After several years of scientific research and improving growing techniques, Turkey's pomegranate growers have managed to increase their fruit sizes, as well as production. Those gains, according to Alnar Pomegranate's Ibrahim Kahramanoglu, translate to more access in the global market.“Our agricultural.....

Sigfrido Molina: "We have discovered a big market for air-imported mangoes"
Spanish Hass avocados reach the best export prices
At the moment, the situation for Spanish Hass avocados in the export market is excellent, with record-breaking prices at origin oscillating between 1.80 and 2.00 Euro/kilo."The domestic produce is by far the most in demand by the largest Spanish distributors, which are the ones setting the prices," says.....

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Paolo Pagali (Conad)
Italy: Tomato category is not well managed
During the Information day on Sicilian tomatoes held on 28th February 2014, Paolo Pagali (in the photo below), national category manager forConad, presented a report on the evolution of the product in stores."The instruments ruling the market are price and quality, which are obtained with constant work.....

North America

Limoneira reports first quarter results, solid start to fiscal 2014
Limoneira Company has reported their financial results for the first quarter ended January 31, 2014.For the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, revenue was $25.9 million, compared to revenue of $17.4 million in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Agribusiness revenue was $24.7 million, compared to.....

Free resources to help produce marketers master social media
Since October 2012, DMA Solutions has collected and qualified data about the challenges facing fresh produce marketers today identifying online and social media marketing as the top area needing help in 2014.As a result, DMA Solutions created four easy-to-follow tools that provide a wealth of knowledge and.....

Calif. appeals court tosses $2.3M Dole pesticide verdict
A California appeals court tossed a $2.3 million jury award against Dole Food Co., at the end of last week, saying a lower court correctly vacated the award and axed the suit because the plaintiffs may have lied about being affected by pesticides the company used in the 1970s.A three-judge panel wrote on.....

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Central America

Bananitos represent Guatemalan agriculture
Searching for a name that captures the unique ties that the baby bananas, or Bananitos, they produce have to their native country of Guatemala, CAISA came up with the Tropic502 brand. The company, which was founded in 1999, is now in their seventh year of exporting the unique baby bananas.“In 2006, we began.....

South America

Colombia: Onion prices increase because of rains
As was reflected in the Dane's weekly wholesale prices newsletter, the prices of basic household goods have increased due to the rains that have affected most of the country in recent days. Throughout this week, there's been a general rise in the wholesale price of white onions, which had price increases in.....

Argentina: Authorities investigate tax evasion via garlic exports through shell companies
The investigation of an accident on February 7, in which an inebriated truck driver from Brazil carrying a cargo of garlic crashed against a bus, has brought to light a possible tax evasion manoeuvre: goods are being exported to Brazil through shell companies so as to avoid paying taxes.The Argentine.....

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Peru: Chinese grape export coming to an end at 38,000 tonnes
Miguel Galvez Escobar, deputy general manager of Capechi, estimated that Peruvian table grapes exports to China (mainland China and Hong Kong) this season (October 2013/March 2014) would amount to 38,400 tonnes and would generate $95.2 million dollars in revenue.Galvez Escobar also indicated that, by the end.....

Asia

New Zespri importers in Taiwan
CEO Lain Jager says interest is strong from Taiwanese importers and within the next couple of weeks decisions will be made on which companies will handle Zespri fruit this season, in what is its seventh largest market.The decision to appoint new business partners came after Taiwanese customs asked Zespri to.....

Indian cashew exports up 20% from last year
Cashew exports in the first three quarters are seen higher by 28% in value realisation, and 20% in volume compared with the performance in the same period last year.Value realisation for the first nine months of the fiscal has already touched R38,888,000,000 ($640 million USD) and likely to exceed last years.....

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India: Half of Kesar mango produce lost
The recent unseasonal rain has caused heavy damage to Kesar mango crops in Marathwada region, growers have estimated that almost 50% of the fruit has been lost and it will affect their export target. The summer delight may not even be seen in large numbers in the local markets.D P Waskar, director of.....

Europe

Planting started in week 2 instead of week 6
Early start for cucumber harvest in Austria
The harvest of cucumbers has already started several weeks earlier than last year in the Austrian community Wallern. A mild winter and days with sunshine have advanced the growth of the cucumbers. Reports the Austrian website orf.at.In the beginning of the year 105,000 cucumber plants were planted in Wallern.....

Spain exported 1 million tonnes of tomatoes in 2013
In 2013, Spain exported a total of 1,003,770 tonnes of tomatoes at an average price of 0.98 Euro/kilo, according to data provided by the Department of Customs and Special Taxes of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.20.86% of the exports went to Germany, which received a total of 209,430 tonnes. The.....

Family flee home after hundreds of dangerous spiders found in bunch of bananas
A family were forced to flee their home and have it fumigated after finding hundreds of potentially deadly spiders - in a bunch of bananas.Shocked father Jamie Roberts, 31, of Hednesford, Staffordshire, spotted white patches covering pieces of the fruit from a local shop after he put them in a bowl - but.....

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Giampaolo Nasi (FMG)
Italy: The price of Italian pears is not right
"There are too many producers, dealers and agencies in the market that can put as many as 50-60 offers on the market. There is therefore too much competition, which in turns affects prices," says Giampaolo Nasi (in the photo), director ofFruit Modena Group (FMG)."That is why we have given up a little.....

Two new Cauliflower varieties retained in Brittany
These varieties chosen by the Evaluation Commission comply to Prince de Bretagne's minimum requirements regarding whiteness, coverage and weight. Between the October to December period, 9 varieties were retained. Leocen (Syngenta's 4013) is the only new one this year. It is in a niche between the Damsell.....

Spain: New Delhi virus affecting melons, despite protection measures
Concerns are being raised amongst growers in El Ejido, Spain, as the New Delhi virus, which forced hundreds of growers to destroy their courgette plantations last autumn, is starting to appear in some melon plants.Growers have not been caught by surprise, as when the outbreak affecting courgettes was.....

Jan Franje, Franje Onions:
"In fact, all onions are too expensive this season"
If there was an upturn in the onion market last week, this week it has again fallen. "Some say it is because of the high prices, another because it is carnival, but the fact is that it has been changeable all season," said Jan Franje of sorting packing station Franje Onions. "It could be busy next week but I.....

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WARNING! Italian and German companies warn operators
O.D.C. FRUCHTHANDELS GmbH, O.D.C. Srl and O.R.D. Broking Srl warn operators that "CITRICOS GIGAX" IMPORT/EXPORT - CTRA, based in San Miguel de Salinas (Alicante - Spagna) is not authorisedto act as an agent or delegate of the companies mentioned above.In addition, alleged collaborators use the data of the.....

European project Fruitylife: positive results after two years
The European projects Fruitylife, coordinated by Alimos, reached almost 60 million readers in the press and online, as well as 9 million consumers in the shops, the German website Fruchtportal.de reports.Fruitylife, which is financially supported by the EU and the ministries for Agriculture and Food Politics.....

Spain: CASI refutes fraud allegations against president José María Andújar
The accusations of alleged fraud against the president of the Agricultural Cooperative San Isidro (CASI), José María Andújar, and its manager, Antonio González García, have been declared admissible by Almeria's number 1 Court of first instance. The statement reporting alleged "improper management and.....

Slight rise in Belgapom quotation
The potato market is sustained with offers being inferior or equal to demand. Belgapom share price from Friday 7th March has slightly increased reaching €10/100kg (VAT n/a) or €10.60/100kg (VAT inc). The Belgapom quotation is the price most frequently applied and is determined based on the following criteria.....

Germany: Harvest of 410,000 tomato plants begins at the end of March
Hans Hinrich Mumm is the manager of 'Gemüsering Thüringen', located in the German district of Alperstedt. In two large greenhouses of over ten hectares they grow tomatoes. "We grow ten hectares of cocktail tomatoes, mostly the Annamay variety," explained Cornelia Hiller, an executive in Alperstedt. "We are.....

Romania's PM may opt for VAT reduction on fruits and vegetables
Romania's Prime-minister Victor Ponta said on Sunday that he would choose to reduce the Value Added Tax for fruits and vegetables, a field characterized by huge tax evasion and non-loyal competition with European producers. Eventually, the PM reminded the press, the VAT would be cut to 9 percent for.....

Oceania

AU: Broccoli prices skyrocket following Victorian heatwave
Dry weather throughout much of the country has affected vegetable growers with supplies of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, scarce for this time of year.Fruit and vegetable wholesale Peter Kedwell says broccoli is fetching up to $50 per carton.Mr Kedwell says the high prices are.....

Queensland University of Technology:
Taking genetic modification to a new level
Biotechnology research being undertaken by Queensland University of Technology through HAL's transformational R&D program has the potential to help the horticulture industry overcome common pest and disease issues facing vegetatively propagated crops, while helping to shift the public perception of.....

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Tony Abbott 'pleased' with SPC Ardmona's $70m fruit, vegetable deal
Prime Minister Tony Abbott says SPC Ardmona's $70 million deal to supply Woolworths with Australian-grown canned fruit shows the company never needed taxpayer assistance from the Federal Government.SPC will provide an extra 24,000 tonnes of product to the supermarket over five years, and the boss of the.....

Australian native plum likely new weapon against Alzheimer’s
West Australian researchers are confident the native Australian fruit Kakadu plum could provide the most powerful antioxidant treatment yet in combating Alzheimer’s disease. Chair of Edith Cowan University’s Foundation of Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease, Ralph Martins says early indications are the Kakadu.....

Africa

Moroccan citrus market faced with tough competition
Citrus production has almost doubled to 2.2 million tons in the last five years, however, export has not followed suit. On the contrary, the amount exported compared to volume of production is strongly dropping : 25% compared to 40% five years ago. ''It is the effect of a more lucrative local market that is.....

European demand results in Egyption greenhouse cherry tomato cultivation
In Egypt, the cultivation of Cherry tomatoes in tunnel greenhouses and underneath protective shade nets are still a niche market. For the past few years however, importers from The Netherlands are shipping in an increasing amount of Egyptian cherry tomatoes, who apparently achieve better financial results.....

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World

South Afrcan trade mission to visit Italy
The Department of Trade and Industry (Dti) South Africa will be organising a trade mission to Italy this month. As well as fresh produce exporters there will be suppliers of wine and spirits and processed food. The delegation will be in Italy from 17th to 21 of March and will visit markets and potential.....

Retail

Auchan bets on price cuts to lift French business
French retailer Auchan said it plans to take on larger rivals such as Carrefour and Casino with price cuts and aggressive promotions this year after seeing its domestic market share and sales decline in 2013.The hypermarket and supermarket operator's revenue fell 1.1 percent last year in France, which.....

Leclerc still cheaper than Carrefour or Casino
Difficult trade negotiations between distributors and industrials came to a legal close on the 28th January. None of the companies want to give too much distance in terms of price, despite the fact that household food expenditure dropped 0.5% in January (+0.1 over 12 months) according to Insee. ''We are in a.....

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