Bumper cherry crop ‘just the start’ for busy summer at RD8
A bumper cherry season that started back in December, followed by full on harvesting of blueberries and other summer fruits is certainly keeping grower RD8 busy during the early part of 2015. “2015 has started with a record cherry crop out of New Zealand,” says Craig Hall, of RD8. That has really been the.....
AU: Mangoes start at good prices
A mango producer in the Tweed Valley in northern New South Wales is pleased with the start of this year's harvest.Steve Baker said prices for their fruit have never started this high."As the season progresses the price usually comes up, but this year's probably the highest we've started at," he said."There's.....
Software solution for packing logistics
Custom software specialists ABC Software have created a comprehensive packhouse software solution called ABC Pack. The software encompasses Bin Delivery, Grading Batch/ Run, Palletising, Inventory Management, Sales Orders, Despatch and Invoicing. Each of these modules can be customised to your needs, and.....
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Prices of Spanish canned mandarins go up
The high demand for food service canned mandarins this year expects the Spanish canned mandarin production to fall short at 20,000 tons. A lot of Spanish canners are complaining about the weak production of canned mandarin, asserting that there are enough fruit produced and to be packed. With this kind of.....
ProduceView:
British cucumbers now in Sainsbury's
In a new report from ProduceView the UK retail prices of a half cucumber, cherry
tomatoes and mixed peppers were recorded. These prices are monitored at
nine supermarkets in the UK, namely: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda,
Morrisons, M & S, Waitrose, Lidl, Aldi, and Co-op. The prices have
been monitored.....
Vegetable crisps: healthy or not?
On supermarket shelves, next to the well-known potato crisps, you'll find more and more crisps made from vegetables like parsnips, beetroot, carrots or sweet potatoes. Since vegetables contain hardly any calories, but instead many important nutrients, vegetables are extremely healthy. But does this also.....
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Light at the end of the tunnel for chicory market
The chicory market has had a difficult time, but growers and traders are finally able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. According to Rudi Coosemans, from the export/import company 'Coosemans', the market started improving somewhat near the end of last year, and has been quite stable since. "An upswing.....
Are French bananas more sustainable than others?
Eric de Lucy, President of UGPBAN (Union grouping banana producers in Guadeloupe and Martinique) states that “we have the world’s cleanest and most environmentally friendly banana." He says that "they are at -50% in pesticides” between 2008-2013 and socially, when they pay a €15 salary, an Ecuadorian pays.....
Alex Ghys, Ghysco bvba:
Belgian's fruit industry in the hands of only a few players
The origins of Ghysco bvba, a company in the fruit sector located in the Belgian city of Oudenaarde, goes back to 1878. The company transports hard fruit from growers and auctions, which it supplies to both the fresh market and to industry (50/50). According to manager, Alex Ghys, their long history offers.....
Castile-La Mancha
Spain: Melon and watermelon acreage expected to remain stable
This year's melon and watermelon production in Castile-La Mancha is expected to be similar to that of 2014, as reported by the newspaper La Tribuna de Ciudad Real.This follows from the region's seedling provisions; a slight increase is, however, expected for watermelons.Last season, a total of 10,000.....
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Czech retailers working to speed up logistics
Czech retail chains have recently been trying to reduce shipment times for most fruits and vegetables sold at their stores, both from Czech and overseas producers. The main motivations are cost reduction and the preservation of the products' freshness. Some traders have been opting for direct imports from.....
purpose: comparing procedure and cost price NEPG countries
British potato growers visit continent
Last week, the British Potato Council, in conjunction with the NEPG(North Western European Potato Growers), organized a four-day study trip for British potato growers. The purpose was to compare the procedure and cost price among the 5 NEPG countries visited, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain.....
Richard Soepenberg, Frunet Bio: high prices for Spanish growers
"More organic than conventional cherry tomatoes sold in Sweden"
The demand for organic greenhouse vegetables from Spain continues to experience a huge growth. "We are on a rising tide and something you think it's going to turn, but it seems to only grow," describes commercial director Richard Soepenberg of Frunet. "As Frunet we experienced a large growth last year and.....
New weighing line for British potato processor
Caythorpe Farmers UK is bagging around 300.000 bags of potatoes of various weights for the wholesale and export market each year. They were using traditional electronic weighers where 1 large bucket is us used to make a weight. These weighers are as accurate as the last product(s) put in the bucket. At.....
German Federal Government wants genetically modified plant ban
The German Federal Government is seeking a cultivation ban on genetically modified plants all over Germany, reports the German website Proplanta.de.The conversion method will soon be considered, said a spokesperson of the ministry of agriculture recently in Berlin. He confirmed that according to the minister.....
UK: New brand of black garlic launched
The company that bought us Black Garlic has launched its own brand, "Balsajo", in a bid to offer a guaranteed and consistent flavour profile to chefs and foodies using this new ingredient. Black Garlic UK Ltd have also launched a new consumer and distributor website, where orders for stores and purchases for.....
France: €5.2 million financial aid following agricultural disaster
The French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve and Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll announced the release of over €35 million of State assistance for collectives in areas in the South of France affected by the bad weather in July, September and October 2014, and over €5 million for farmers in this.....
Ukraine: Battle for cheap bananas in Crimea
A video was released on the Internet showing the turmoil caused by cheap promotional bananas at a supermarket in Simferopol, in occupied Crimea.According to TCH reporters, the store announced that it would reduce their usual price of 130 Rouble down to 70-80 Rouble.It is worth noting that, overall, the ban.....
New packaging for Eosta
Resealable Belgian endive box to improve shelf life
Food waste is a worldwide problem. According to statistics, a third of the global food production is wasted. To combat loss of Belgian endive, a vulnerable product, in supermarkets, Eosta went looking for new packaging. They ended up at Flemish Smart Packaging Solutions. The companies developed a resealable.....
Oceania
AU: Blueberry industry questions food labelling reform
The boss of Queensland's largest blueberry farm says country-of-origin labelling laws for berries are adequate.After a string of hepatitis A cases were linked to frozen berry imports from China, the Federal Government pledged to strengthen labelling laws. But Smart Berries CEO Anthony Poiner said the laws.....
Mushrooms keep people feeling satisfied for longer
The mushroom industry is hoping to increase mushroom consumption tenfold, with a new ad campaign. It highlights new health research showing mushrooms keep people feeling satisfied for longer, lower cholesterol and are rich in anti-oxidants.Growers voted to double their levies to pay for this campaign, to.....
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Corny story is sweet news for growers
Sweet corn continues to be a family favourite, with the latest Project Harvest consumer research study revealing that more and more Australians are enjoying this staple with their families.The latest data from the tracking study shows consumers are increasingly turning to corn as a healthy addition to their.....
Record forecast for AU macadamia's
The peak industry body has released an initial forecast of 47,000 tonnes of nut in-shell. The Australian Macadamia Society's chief executive officer Jolyon Burnett said the total crop last year weighed in at 43,600 tonnes.Mr Burnett said the damage caused to farms in Central Queensland by ex-Tropical Cyclone.....
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce:
AU: Family farms underpin economy
Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has endorsed Australian agriculture as a critical moral and economic activity that underpins the national interest.During a passionate plea at the first day of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) annual Outlook.....
Nathan Guy addresses fruit fly concerns
Auckland's fruit fly outbreak was expected to be high on the agenda of today's meeting between Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Western Bay kiwifruit growers. The 4pm meeting was held on the orchard of Peter Ombler, the chairman of Kiwifruit Vine Health and a member of the Biosecurity Ministerial.....
Africa
Ghana: USAID supports ag investment plan
The Feed the Future Agriculture Policy Support Project (APSP) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana, in collaboration with other development partners, is supporting the policy agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoFA) to implement the Ministry's Medium-Term Agriculture.....
Kenya, Tanzania:
Mango exporters gain access to Middle Eastern markets
Mango exporters in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania have sealed business deals in the Middle East after participating in one of the world's largest food and hospitality exhibitions, as part of a project implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC).The exporters participated in the Gulfood.....
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Fruits, veg big deal for Rwanda’s Exports
The growing appetite for Rwandan vegetables abroad is pressing local farmers to transit from subsistence to commercial farming to meet the growing demand. Since 2011, vegetables have boosted the country’s exports value by $20M with an average of 7% growth every year. In 2011, Rwanda earned $4M, increasing to.....
S. Africa: Mpumalanga invests in infrastructure
Mpumalanga has set aside R2.065-billion for its infrastructure development programme for 2015/16. "Our infrastructure development programme continues to prioritise socio-economic infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools," Premier David Mabuza said in his the State of the Province Address on 27.....
World
Researchers establish link between climate change and food safety
Climate change can impact our food safety in various ways. Researchers of Wageningen University and Ghent University propose in a European study that there's often a correlation between long-term changes in temperature and precipitation and contamination of fruit and vegetables. Floods could cause increased.....
Bumper cherry crop ‘just the start’ for busy summer at RD8
A bumper cherry season that started back in December, followed by full on harvesting of blueberries and other summer fruits is certainly keeping grower RD8 busy during the early part of 2015. “2015 has started with a record cherry crop out of New Zealand,” says Craig Hall, of RD8. That has really been the.....
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Fernando Sat, Chilean Table Grape Committee
Chilean table grapes: "Europe demands much and pays little"
"The European market has not been favourable, basically because prices are low, the exchange rate has plummeted and other markets, like the U.S., offer better prospects," affirms Fernando Sat, president of the Chilean Table Grape Committee.Fernando notes: "Our shipments to Europe are currently 8% smaller.....
Retail
How Target plans to win with food
As part of a broader strategic update, Target’s senior leadership has shared details of its new strategy to win with food.Three themes came through very clearly from Target’s update on its business strategy to build what it called the ‘Target of Tomorrow’.First, the leadership stressed that it is still in.....
Weis Markets expands online grocery ordering, in-store pickup
Weis Markets is expanding its grocery online ordering and in-store pickup service. Starting March 8, shoppers at the chain's Lower Allen Twp. store will be able to order and pay for groceries online and pick up the order at the store off Lowther Road.Shoppers place their orders via Weis' website in the.....
Romania: Auchan increased social capital
Auchan Romania which owns a chain of 32 hypermarkets increased its social capital by 30 million euro in January, at 299.2 million euro, by issuing new bonds,according to the decision of the AGM.‘The increase of the social capital is made by the issuing of 1,351,020,000 new shares, each with nominal value of.....
Lessons from Canada's changing retail landscape
As Target Canada tumbled into bankruptcy, Loblaw announced that its fourth-quarter profits more than doubled. What can be learned from this tale of two retailers?The main reason for Loblaw's surge was its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart last March, which turned it into Canada's largest grocer and pharmacy.....
Latvia: Proportion of local vegetables over 70%
At the moment, the proportion of local vegetables exceeds 70% of all vegetables sold at department stores, as the Agricultural Organizations' Cooperation Council informed LETA.The Agricultural Organizations' Cooperation Council has found out from farmers and retailers that the proportion of local vegetables.....
UK: McColls sales up 6%
Major national UK convenience retailer, McColls Retail Group has published its first set of annual results since the business was floated in February 2014. For the 53 weeks to 30 November 2014 group sales reached £922m, up 6.1% (4.1% on a 52-week comparative basis), underpinned by a like-for-like uplift of.....
Norway: Discount drives growth for Reitangruppen
Reitangruppen, Norway’s second largest grocery retailer has released its 2014 results, reporting a 6.5% increase in turnover to NOK 83bn (€9.5bn).Discount success: ‘running logical concepts that customers want’The retailer’s discount banner, REMA 1000, continued to perform, reporting a 5.8% increase in.....
Ahold US launches 3rd stage ‘Project Thunder’
As Ahold US begins to implement the third stage of its ‘Project Thunder’ initiative, launches an international line of private label products and announces management changes, we round up the news from the retailer.‘Project Thunder’ to see revamp of produce departmentsAhold has launched the third stage of.....
Sainsbury's launches grocery click & collect
Sainsbury's has begun the nationwide rollout of a grocery click & collect service which will see the facility brought to 100 locations by the end of the year.Collection free from refrigerated vansCustomers using the service will be able to collect their purchases from a refrigerated van in a designated.....
Russian retailers agree on fixed prices for basic products
Russia's largest retailers have agreed to set fixed retail prices for socially important products for the next two months, as reported by the Russian service of the BBC.Executive Director of the Association of Retailers Andrey Karpov has confirmed that the draft agreement was prepared last week. He stated.....
Study reveals Giant’s prices were lower
Earlier this week, Giant announced the results of a price comparison study revealing that Giant’s prices were lower relative to Safeway, Shoppers and Harris Teeter, several of our top competitors in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.In its continuing efforts to ensure low, everyday prices for.....
Carrefour wants to bring ED brand back to life
Carrefour is silently preparing to relaunch its former discounter brand ED. Some 30 % of the acquired Dia stores in France would be turned into Ed stores, while the remainder would become a Carrefour.ED to Dia and back to EDAccording to our colleagues at Linéaires, Carrefour has registered the ED trademark.....
US: Publix, Aldi, H-E-B earn top ratings
Temkin Group announces the publication of the 2015 Temkin Experience Ratings, the fifth year that the company has published the industry's most comprehensive benchmark of customer experience delivered by large organizations. Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, Publix, Aldi, and H-E-B earned the highest.....
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