Hans Derks, FresQ Sales:
"Peace and trust in pepper market result in stable prices"
The start of the pepper season was slow. "During the first weeks supplywas small and peppers mainly went to European retailers. With that, the market was reasonably in balance," sales manager Hans Derks of FresQ Sales remarks."In the last few weeks the production increased quite a bit and at about the same.....

Poland: The growing popularity of asparagus
Asparagus is proving a runaway hit on the Polish market after many years of neglect.“According to our estimates, annual production levels reach about 5,000 tonnes,” noted Marian Jakobsze, chairman of the Polish Asparagus Producers Association, in an interview with the Puls Biznesu daily.“The vast majority.....

"Sugar snap prices very high for six weeks"
According to a Belgian trader the sugar snaps are very expensive at the moment. "A normal price would be around 4.5 Euro per kilo, but at the moment an average price is between 8 and 10 Euro. It started a few weeks ago, when Egypt stopped supplying earlier than usual. This meant that we barely had any supply.....

Belgium: First chanterelles at FME
Fresh Mushroom Europe had the scoop in February of this year withfreshmorels; now the mushroom company offers the first chanterelle. "The pickers areenthusiasticand I am too, to be honest. The new harvest is magnificent," says Corné Verboom of FME. The golden orangeCantharellus cibarius, also known.....

Growth is in industrial segment in Belgium
Brussels sprouts area in North Western Europe increases by 600 ha
The past season did not go well for all Brussels sprouts growers. In certain cultivation areas such asBelgium(West Flanders) and England the start of production in the Spring was difficult due to the abundant rainfall. In some areas the sprouts couldn't be planted until after the 15th of May, and in certain.....

"French cauliflower still on the market"
At the moment,French cauliflower is still available fromimporter W.Jonckheere in Brussels. "Normally the season is over earlierbut this year sufficient Belgian cauliflower is still available. There are a lot less of these because prices are a lot higher," Cedric Geens comments. "The Belgian ones are more.....

UK: New watercress eating record set
Watercress enthusiasts gathered in Hampshire, in the South of England at the weekend, to celebrate all things watercress. The event included a watercress eating competition, where a new world record was set, by the current Guinness World record holder.

Giant cabbage
This picture of an enormous cabbage was sent in to FreshPlaza by Rodger Bodle of New Zealand.

Cooperative C.O.P.A (Lazio)
Italy: We had to wait until mid-April to have consistent volumes of asparagus
"This year, the harvesting of green Canino asparagus (Viterbo -Lazio) started twenty days late. Therefore, whereas usually open field production start in the second half of March, this year we had to wait until mid-April. Volumes available at the end of April and in the first days of May were 50 tonnes per.....

China: Vegetable prices continue to drop in May
China's vegetable prices continued their downward spiral. By the end of Sunday trade, they had dropped 15 percent since April 23, official data showed.Prices for 21 types of vegetables are monitored in major cities across the country. More than 90 percent of vegetables have registered a notable decline in.....

Italy: Sicilian new carrot campaign is ending
The Sicilian new carrot campaign is ending. "The campaign was all right thanks to two factors: less sowed surfaces and the fact that it started 15 days early with satisfactory prices, which also increased towards the end. This was met with delays in production in Veneto and Lazio, because of an exceptionally.....

Peru can position itself as a major supplier of fresh peppers for the US
There is a great opportunity for Peruvian exports of fresh peppers to United States, and Peru can position itself as a major supplier, said the Association of exporters (Adex).Patricia Fernan-Zegarra, general manager of Adex, noted that the work group Pro-Peppers, made up of companies in the sector, Adex and.....

Improving quality and storage life of broccoli
Broccoli growers will be interested to note that the final report and growers’ summary for HDC project FV 395, Strategies for broccoli management to improve quality and extend storage life, is now available to download from the HDC website.UK consumers’ fluctuating demand for broccoli throughout the season.....

Orto Serre
Italy: "I would like to place my tomatoes in Italy as well as Holland"
The Orto Serre Commercial Farm specialises in cherry tomato cultivation for bunch harvesting since 1999. Located in San Nicola di Melfi (Basilicata), the farm spreads out over 60,000 sq m, 30,000 sq m of which are protected.Click here to access complete photo report.Orto Serre uses a soil-less hydroponic.....

Luigi Bompadre offers his experience and structures to new partners
Luigi Bompadre, owner of the Bompadre commercial farm located in Civitanova Marche (Marche) - a company specialised in the production and processing of vegetables, especially leafy greens - is looking to collaborate with a similar company or a foreign partner wishing to distribute its products.Agricola.....

Celebrate the Year of Purple with purple produce merchandising from Frieda’s
Purple, say Frieda's, is eye-catching on the runway and an attention grabber in the produce department. Frieda’s Specialty Produce encourages produce merchandisers to take advantage of the Year of Purple celebration and create an exciting and attractive display that will encourage shoppers to buy healthy.....

First British white asparagus hits the shelves
Home grown white asparagus has gone on sale in the UK for the first time. Cobrey Farms, one of the UK's biggest asparagus suppliers, has brought the first British white Wye Valley asparagus to the market.Chris Chinn, from Cobrey Farms says it came about through requests from chefs and restaurants and the.....

Taiwan: New mushroom composting method devised
A new composting technology has been devised that can boost mushroom production by 20 percent to 30 percent while increasing revenues and reducing air pollution, the Council of Agriculture said Monday.The indoor tunnel composting method not only turns agricultural waste such as rice straw and bagasse into.....

AUSVEG launches innovative 1800 Agronomist hotline for vegetable growers
AUSVEG has launched a 1800 Agronomist hotline for vegetable growers, an industry-driven initiative which will be introduced on a national basis to provide technical information and address gaps in knowledge across the industry. AUSVEG spokesperson Andrew White said the hotline would provide vegetable growers.....

Kenya gets green light for US bean export
Kenya has received the green light for export of French beans to the US.The move follows improvements in washing, packaging and processing of beans and could earn farme more billionsThe permission precedes a 12-year ban and five years of intense lobbying by fresh produce growers.The move will now open a new.....

UK: The great rhubarb revival
In the UK, rhubarb production has moved from forced production to open field. In Yorkshire the outdoor season started 4 weeks late because of the cold Spring.Janet Oldroyd Hulme from E.Oldroyd & Sons explained, "As growth is affected by temperature, the crop has been very slow growing, this results in a.....

Azienda Pasquariello (Carapelle - Puglia)
Improved asparagus quality leads to more exports
The asparagus campaign of Puglia's "Pasquariello Giovanni" commercial farm started at the end of March. Because of a particularly rainy Winter, it was not possible to have produce available for Easter, the best period for asparagus."As the campaign started late, we only had good prices for a few days. Prices.....

Mexico: Asparagus packing plant to be set up in Michoacan
With the goal of reactivating Michoacan's agriculture and promoting the creation of jobs, the firm Growing Green will seek to set up a new asparagus packing plant in Michoacan's eastern region.The firm's Vice-president in operations, Roberto Jaime Díaz Celaya, stated that after an analysis of the area's.....

Cinzia Busana
Italy: Availability problems for salad and chicory
"The sale season for fresh-cut salads is positive, even though at the moment there are some problems as regards the availability of raw material. In particular, there is a lack of curly salad and endive because they have not been transplanted due to bad weather. Chicory is also limited."This is the.....

Pea growers frozen by imports
Around 20 Tasmanian pea growers have been informed by frozen vegetable producer Simplot that they are not required to grow any peas for the company this season, news which comes as another blow for the struggling Australian processed vegetable industry.Growers in the Kindred region of Tasmania, where peas.....

US (MI): Asparagus growers continue marketing program support
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced May 8 that asparagus producers have voted to continue the Michigan Asparagus Industry Development Program.MDARD Director Jamie Clover Adams said the program will continue for an additional five years beginning June 8 and ending.....

Ukrainian regions to get new veg storage facilities
Each Ukrainian region will get its own new vegetable storage space.This statement was made by Mykola Azarov, the Prime Minister of the country, at a conference on Tuesday. According to the Ukrainian official, the construction of modern vegetable storage facilities in each region will ensure a steady supply.....

Pro Planet: Sustainable tomatoes and peppers
After a long Winter, the vegetable season finally starts in Vienna and, all of a sudden, there are healthy vegetables with the sustainabilitylabel 'Pro Planet', as announced on the German website Gabot.de. Consumers are finding production circumstances and origin more important nowadays. The perfect.....

Taylor Farms debuts Italian salad kit
Salinas-based Taylor Farms Retail this week debuts a new Italian Chopped Salad Kit with Salami and Cheese, expanding the company's wildly popular chopped line. The new "Italian Chopped Salad Kit" is a delicious mix of romaine lettuce, broccoli, red cabbage, celery, Italian cheese blend, green onions, salami.....

Kenya removes levy on Tanzania vegetables
Kenya has abolished an import levy on fresh vegetables and fruits from Tanzania, including those transiting through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, relieving Tanzanian producers of a burden they have carried for months.Nairobi has been levying Sh2 or TSh36 ($0.024) on every kilo of.....

Cucumbers and tomatoes worth over 40% of the import volume
Germany imports 3 million tonnes of vegetables
The German market is vital to the Dutch vegetable sector. This was reported by Jan Kees Boon of Fruit & Vegetable Facts. Of the total export value of fresh vegetables from Holland ( incl. re-export) of an estimated 4.3 billion Euro in 2012, the trade to Germany (1.65 billion Euro) has a share of just.....

Henk van Doorne: "We won't make the same amount as in previous years"
Greenhouse fennel season started at Van Doorne Imex
At Van Doorne Imex from 's-Gravenzande the greenhouse fennel season has started again. On Saturday Henk van Doorne harvested the first fennel from the greenhouse himself. There used to be more Dutch greenhouse fennel growers, but Henk is now one of the few left, 'Last of the Mohicans' style."There has been a.....

Except tomatoes and beans
Spain: Increasing prices for all vegetables
As published in the latest 'Follow-up report: 2012/2013 campaign', elaborated by Andalusia's Council of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, all vegetables, except for tomatoes and beans, have seen an increase in their average prices during the current campaign. According to Almeria's Fruits and.....

US: Frieda's getting fired up for Summertime grilling
As shoppers kick off the grilling season with Memorial Day, Frieda’s Specialty Produce offers an exciting variety of produce to put on the grill. “Vegetables are no longer just the side show at the grill—they’re taking center stage,” said Karen Caplan, Frieda’s President and CEO. “Consumers are adding more.....

Favorable weather makes for good Vidalia Sweet Carrots™
Good weather during the growing season has resulted in a good crop of Vidalia Sweet Carrots™. The carrots, grown and marketed by Curry & Company, are available until June.“We've had terrific weather, so that's made for a good crop,” said Curry & Company's Jamie Brannen. “The right combination of warm.....

Granada
Spain: Asparagus losses calls for employment program
Huétor Tájar's town council, in the Spanish province of Granada, will request a special employment program to alleviate this year's "catastrophic" losses in the town's asparagus plantations, caused by draughts in 2012 and heavy rains over the past few months.According to a statement from the town council,.....

Switzerland: Price pressure causing vegetable producers trouble
In the past year the vegetable consumption per head of the population grew to 85.2 kg in Switzerland. Despite this, 2012 was a difficult year for the vegetable producers; the persistent price pressure made it difficult for them.Hannes Germann, president of the Union of Swiss vegetable producers VSGP,.....

First red onions from Egypt arriving:
Iceberg lettuce in short supply, Freeland to import from Egypt and USA
The cold Spring has caused iceberg lettuce to be in short supply. "The Spanish season is almost over and The Netherlands isnot as yet producing because of the cold weather. The same goes for the smaller lettuce varieties. Therefore we receive the first iceberg lettuce from the United States by air on Monday.....

Mixed bag for Israeli produce prices
This year has brought changing market situations for Israeli growers. While carrot prices started off strong, competing products from Europe cut down on prices. Grapes had an off year, but potato growers were pleased with the way this year has progressed.“Demand was good and prices were high for conventional.....

NZ: Irradiated tomatoes a chance for "sound and robust" labelling
Historically Australia has used a dimethoate dip to ensure the tomatoes and capsicums it exports are free from Queensland fruit fly. However, the chemical treatment has now been phased out, which for biosecurity reasons, has led to a cessation in exports. Now the Queensland government has applied to export.....

Almeria
Reduced supply increases tomato, courgette and cucumber prices
Tomatoes.The supply of tomatoes has slightly fallen and prices have significantly increased, surpassing 0.60 Euro/kg on average. Raf tomato prices average 0.95 Euro/kg, while smooth tomatoes reach almost 0.75 Euro/kg. Pear and vine tomatoes stand at an average of 0.60-0.65 Euro/kg. The lowest price is that.....

For Nature Fresh Farms, way forward is in innovation, efficiency
For Peter Quiring of Nature Fresh Farms, the business of growing greenhouse produce presents some challenges, like rising costs and increased competition from Mexican and Central American growers. But he believes that the way for Nature Fresh Farms to meet those challenges is to focus on the future with.....

Florida growers challenge Mexican tomato revision
Florida tomato growers re-contesting the deal made with their Mexican counterparts over the revision of the suspension agreement for imported tomatoes back in March.Florida growers say the floor prices in the agreement are not high enough. “Farming is one of America’s most important industries, and most.....

Consistency of quality, pricing and supply
Westmoreland/Topline keeps focussing on founding pillars
Click here for a photo report of the company's facilitiesAwareness of greenhouse vegetables is growing throughout North America. Though consumption is still not as high as it is in Europe, North American consumers are increasingly buying premium greenhouse produce. For a grower, this can be a tricky time;.....

Wim Grootscholte, 4Evergreen:
"We're all starting to believe it might be a good year for peppers"
The Dutch pepper season is finally starting to get going. "We've had little supply for a long time, and now it's finally starting to get going," says Wim Grootscholte of 4Evergreen, who grows peppers together with his four sons in Zeeland, The Netherlands.. "You can see that the prices immediately decrease a.....

Ontario greenhouses keep growing
In the past two years, growers in Ontario have increased the total greenhouse acreage in the region by more than 16 percent. Greater awareness of healthy eating habits has caused the consumer demand that's driven the expansion in acreage.According to George Gilvesy, general manager for Ontario Greenhouse.....

Australian growers hit back on irradiated tomatoes "scaremongering"
The debate over importing Australian tomatoes which have been zapped with radiation has been driven by fierce trans-Tasman rivalry rather than legitimate food safety concerns, growers in Australia.New Zealand growers have raised concerns that supermarkets could be stocking irradiated Australian tomatoes and.....

Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Lettuce featured on Appetite for Health
Tanimura & Antle’s Artisan Lettuce will appear on the nationally-syndicated nutrition news show, Appetite for Health, during May, National Salad Month. Two separate segments, “Heart-Smart Salads” and “The Mediterranean Diet” will air across the United States in more than 250 media markets on May 6 and.....

Kale, hot in the US and Canada
Kale and chard are in high demand. This is due to the new crazeracing across the North American continent, in which the health aspects of these members of the brassica family are held in high esteem. They're in demand partially due to their use bycelebrities. In the photo you can see a very nice display of.....

This year, beef tomatoes will also be available
Italy: Cherry Passion starts the imported tomato and pepper season
"We started importing increased volumes of produce from Holland last week - mainly high-quality bunch tomatoes from hydroponic greenhouses," explains Stefano Pezzo, sales manager forCherry Passion Srl, an import-export firm located in Verona (Veneto).The feedback from markets and supermarkets has been.....

Wim Vertommen: "Quality demands translated into value compensation"
"Price comparison between Dutch and Belgian vegetables should be more fair"
Do Belgian growers notice the value of compensation put in place by LAVA? Tomato grower Wim Vertommen says, "it's hard to tell. We do get up to 5 cents per kilo more, but it's still unclear as to what the buyer's response to this is. The danger is that they will bid less. But the stories about the value.....

Italy: Zeta Seeds presents Zingaro, the new sweet, productive and easily digestible cucumber
Together with its sales staff, Zeta Seeds has met a number of agricultural companies from the Ragusa area (Sicily), many of which organic are, to make an assessment on the greenhouse cultivation of "Zingaro" cucumbers.One of the demonstrative greenhouses is located in the Puccia Giovanni commercial farm, in.....

‘Forgotten’ vegetables no longer forgotten
Lesser-known or "forgotten" vegetables have received so much interest lately that you can hardly speak of "forgotten" any more. Not that these products were ever really forgotten. They had simply become less known to the general public. Today, every self-respecting cooking column in the media calls attention.....

Jan Kees Boon, Fruit & Vegetable Facts:
Turkey large fruit and vegetable exporter. Western Europe plays a modest role
The Turkish economy and trade is clearly growing faster than average. As far as the Gross Domestic Product is concerned, Turkey and Holland aren't that far apart. Worldwide, Holland is one place higher than Turkey. In 2000, both countries were at the same place. The Turkish goods export has grown so fast.....

Jo Lambrecht, BelOrta:
EU: "There are certainly opportunities in trading with Canada"
Jo Lambrecht, commercial manager of BelOrta, sees definite opportunities in trading with Canada. We have noticed an increase in demand for various products over the last few years and we want to stimulate this. There is still sufficient space for various Belgian fruits and vegetables. We visited the.....

Cherry tomatoes from Cora Seeds
Sicilian producers and their experience with new Vispo F1
In Sicily, the harvesting of the new Vispo F1 cherry tomato from Cora Seeds, for transplants in September and October, has started already at the end of December. This type of tomato was introduced this year in the Fratelli Gianblanco commercial farm in Ispica, a company that has been producing tomatoes for.....

UK asparagus season delayed
The arrival of British asparagus looks set to be delayed.The arrival of the first open-field British asparagus looks likely to be delayed by the dismal Spring, but growers are confident that new farming practices will ensure a steady supply of high-quality spears. Traditionally, the season began on April 23.....

Yellow Karlone F1 peppers from Southern Seed introduced to Sicilian producers
"F.c.f di Fiorilla", a company selling agricultural products, has hosted in its Santa Croce Camerina (Sicily) facility an important event organised in collaboration with Southern Seed. It was a display of all of the products available and an occasion to launch new varieties.As pepper crops are very popular.....

TransAKT announces construction of vegetable production facility
TransAKT Ltd. has announced that it has completed construction of its 19,375 square foot (1,800 square meter) vegetable production factory located in Yangmei City, Taiwan, that can accommodate 600,000 vegetable plants at once or 1,800,000 plants per month for a yield of approximately 75,000 kg of vegetables.....

“Poland has growing potential for investors"
Dutchman Erik van Vugt has lived in Poland for years now. He is co-owner and founder of Fresh World Warsaw, an import and export company in vegetables, situated at the wholesale industrial estate of Bronisze. Erik, who took to selling a few bananas in order to pay his way through college, is now a firmly.....

Church Brothers:
Large Californian vegetable export to Asian market
The American open ground vegetable company, Church Brothers, has already been exporting directly to countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. And still the volumes increase in the direction of Asia.The American company grows a large number of open ground vegetables on an area of almost 35,000 acre.....

US (CA): Spinach markets even out
After spinach production in desert areas earlier this year garnered strong prices, the market for California's spinach has evened out. Moderate weather has also made for good production this year.“Prices were a little higher in the desert areas,” said Talley Farms' Jeff Halfpenny. While Talley Farms doesn't.....

With a photo report
Bejo's Napa F1 carrots starred in the Sicilian campaign
Sicilian New carrots have a new star: Napa F1.Napa F1 carrots. - Click here for the photo report.It is not a new Bejo variety but, after patient positioning and observation, it has found a prime location in Sicily. Carrot harvesting in Sicily is carried out between the end of February and the end of May,.....

New Zealand onions expensive this year
Even though the export of Dutch onions went very well in the first few months of the season, oversees sales are now grinding to a halt. Both Russia and Senegal are no longer buying, and New Zealand onions are expensive due to increased production, transport costs and an unfavourable exchange rate.According.....

AU: Beetroot shortage could last until January
The sell-off of the last wholly Australian-owned cannery, Windsor Farm Foods at Cowra in central western NSW, has caused a shortage of processed beetroot which could last until January.Grower Ed Fagan is ploughing part of his 4,000 tonne crop into the ground this week, and says supermarkets are in short.....

Belgium: StarMeal focuses on France, Netherlands and Germany
Healthy food, especially fruits and vegetables, was something Belgian entrepreneur Lieven Van Lommel grew up with. In 1925 his great-grandfather started selling vegetables. His grandfather and parents were in the fruit trade. Last year the founder of StarMeal became the winner of the Flemish JCI Young.....

Savéol now also producing sea vegetables
Savéol, known for its tomato production, loves to surprise. This time in the form of the arrival of halophiles, including the samphire which grows in the wild on dunes and in marshes, but can also be grown in greenhouses. "It is a plant that doesn't require much as far as energy and labour is concerned,".....

Spanish vegetable exports more expensive than the Dutch in 2012
In 2012, the average price of Spanish vegetable exports surpassed that of the Netherlands, with 0.92 Euro per kilo compared to the 0.77 Euro per kilo reached by the Dutch produce, according to the statistics serviceEuroestacom.The Netherlands exported last year a total of 5.91 million tonnes of vegetables,.....

The Cucamelon takes the UK by storm
The cucamelon, it is a cucumber, a melon? It looks like a watermelon and tastes like cucumber, but is only the size of a grape. It is now available in the UK through Suttons Seeds. Tom Sharples, Senior Horticultural Manager at Suttons Seeds, said sales have just gone mad! "We have had the seeds in our range.....

Canada: No raise for tomato growers
Tomato farmers won't be getting a raise this year. In some cases, they may suffer a pay cut.The price for some is lower than last year.Contract talks between tomato farmers and food processors went to arbitration after the two sides couldn't negotiate a price.The arbitrator ruled that prices either remain.....

Vegetables from Guizhou
The vegetable park in the Chinese town ofAnshun in the Southwestern Chinese provinceof Guizhou has a large center for vegetable trading. Also thereis a gigantic platform for cultivation, research and development, selling and purchasing and the transport of vegetables. From here vegetables of quality are.....

Robert den Ouden, Liedo:
"Slightly more demand for celeriac, but difficult to increase price"
Sales of celeriac were difficult recently, but in the last two weeks there has been a rising trend in the sales."Especially from Eastern Europe there is some demand, which shows that own stock is almost finished or in those countries the quality is not up to standard anymorein any case," according to Robert.....

Kenya floods disastrous for sales of beans, mangetouts and suger snaps
Flooding in Kenya led to serious problems during the last few months. The Red Cross announced earlier that more than 18,000 people had to leave their homes because of heavy rain.Most of the uprooted peopleare in the west of Kenya. Also tens of deaths have been reported and high ways washed away or damaged by.....

Mushrooms provide more Vitamin D than daily supplements
A new study suggests that adding more mushrooms to your diet could be a good way to increase Vitamin D levels. A research team from Boston University has found ingesting mushrooms may provide an equivalent amount of vitamin D as taking dietary supplements, according to MedPage.During a small, randomized.....

Chilli peppers in migraine prevention experiments
Chilli peppers and migraines, scientists have noticed, have traits in common. This has led to research into the development of drugs which can prevent the symptoms of migraine before occurrence. The link between how skin reacts when rubbed with chili oil and what happens in the brain during a migraine has.....

Maarten Verhaegen, BelOrta: "Quality very good this season"
EU: "Asparagus selling very well, but there's not enough of it"
The Belgian open ground asparagus season opened last week, but so far the volumes are a little disappointing. This was said by Maarten Verhaegen of BelOrta. "We have been working with the greenhouse asparagus for a while, but the numbers are very quiet at the moment. The greenhouse production is as good as.....

US (FL): Retired lettuce breeder, 98, keeps on working to develop better varieties
Faster than many people half his age, 98-year-old Victor Guzman climbs down from his pickup truck starts to scrutinize his lettuce crops. Guzman, a native of Peru, began working at the University of Florida’s Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade in January 1952 with a starting salary of.....

US: Michigan asparagus delayed by weather
Local farms usually start harvesting asparagus about the first week in May. With this year's late snowfall, will the asparagus crop be affected?Richard Friske, owner of Friske Orchards looked over records for the past several years. He said that he usually starts picking asparagus at the beginning of May and.....

Agribologna:
Italy: The courgette season has been delayed
"We will start harvesting courgettes in a protected environment, which were transplanted in February-March, about two weeks later than expected. We have 14 hectares of light green courgettes and 7 hectares of dark green ones. Surfaces will then be doubled in April, and so will production," explains Marco.....

Sicily
Italy: New red and yellow Cora Seeds peppers from a producer's point of view
The pepper sector has been enriched with two new proposals from Cora Seeds: the CRX 60030 F1 yellow pepper (currently being registered) and the CRX 60047 F1 red pepper, which took the name of BUFFALO F1.These are two brand new hybrids which you will shortly have the chance to see directly on fields in Sicily.....

Natura Iblea
Italy: Spring starts for organic products
"Spring is starting for organic produce. Actually, two springs are starting: the first one is that of typical Mediterranean products such as new carrots, green beans and asparagus followed by Cantaloupe melons. These products have finally reached fair prices in line with the expectations of producers. I will.....

"Turning local cucumber growers into Persian kings"
Canada: Leamington manufacturer designs cost effective cucumber grader
Once a specialty greenhouse crop, Ontario greenhouse grown Persian/Mini cucumbers are now available year-round. Retailers require these bite-sized cucumbers to be sold in 1lbs pre-packaged bags or trays. Ontario greenhouse grown cucumbers are technically a fruit but are treated, eaten, and thought of as a.....

Tomatoes NZ chairman wouldn't eat them though
NZ: Irradiated tomatoes "safe to eat"
A New Zealand industry leader is confident that imported tomatoes zapped with radiation, which could soon be on supermarket shelves, are safe, but says he wouldn't eat them.Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has given its approval for tomatoes and capsicums to be irradiated to kill pests and.....

Ukraine: Vegetable prices 21.7% lower this year
In early April the retail prices of vegetables and potatoes were 21.7% lower than in 2012. Prices of potato, beetroot, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes decreased at the food markets. Only the price of cabbage is slightly higher than last year. This was announced by Mykola Prysyazhnyuk, the Minister of Agrarian.....

CO2, the tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, and productivity
Huang, L., Ren, Q., Sun, Y., Ye, L., Cao, H. and Ge, F. 2012 have produced a paper entitled "Lower incidence and severity of tomato virus in elevated CO2 is accompanied by modulated plant induced defense in tomato."The authors write that the tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) "causes severe damage to.....

US (WA): Asparagus season gets an early start
The asparagus season in Washington got off to an early start in Washington this year, but cold temperatures have slowed down production. Volumes are expected to be higher than they were last year.“We started the Washington asparagus season on April 2, which is a week earlier than normal,” said Phil Clouse,.....

Australian vegetable growers ready to rise to the global food challenge
Speaking at the Global Food Forum this morning in Melbourne, News Limited Chief Executive, Kim Williams challenged Australian food producers to meet the food needs of a growing global population.The Global Food Forum is a landmark conference taking place today which is exploring the potential for agriculture.....

Sicily
EU: High prices for plum tomatoes, though in line with last year
This week, the price list of the Vittoria wholesale market shows a quotation of €2.10/kg for plum tomatoes. The previous week, prices were even higher.Giuseppe Ottone (photo below), nursery gardener and historic plum tomato producer, explained: "Prices are rising in general. In fact, there is less.....

EU controls on Kenyan peas and beans leads to 25% decrease in sales
A 25% decrease in Kenyan beans sales was registered in January 2013, compared to January 2012, after the European Commission decided in December 2012 to increase to 10% the frequency of pesticide residues border controls on French beans and peas imported from the country, the Fresh Produce Association of.....

Carrots are the most popular vegetables and apples are the top fruit
Belgians eating more fruit and vegetables
The eating pattern of the Belgian consumer has changed over the last decade, partially due to health trends and othernutritionalneeds.Vegetables seem to profit even more from the changing diet than fruit does. The standard for both fruit and vegetables remains home consumption. 70% of vegetables and 62% of.....

Spain: PGI Navarra Asparagus hopes rains will increase production
The president of the Regulatory Board, Cayo Martínez, pointed out that this year's acreage reached around 1,000 hectares; 5% less than last season.Although he stated that it is still early for production estimates, he hopes that the moisture caused by rains will push the numbers a little further than last.....

Spain: In search of more resistant artichoke varieties
The Ministry of Agriculture is conducting research into the improvement of artichoke growing - aimed at producing early varieties similar to the White Tudelafrom various types of seeds. The White Tudela is a variety that adapts well to both fresh consumption and industrial processing, but its production is.....

India: Potential to develop mushroom industry
Dr Amrik Singh Sidhu, director, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore, on Tuesday said that India could produce 7.2 million tonnes of mushroom while providing employment to 30 lakh people.While inaugurating a two-day Indian Mushroom Conference-2013 at Punjab Agricultural University, he.....

China: Farm food prices rebound after consecutive drops
Prices of edible farm produce in 36 major Chinese cities rebounded after declining for seven consecutive weeks, new official data shows.The Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday in an online statement that the average wholesale prices for 18 vegetables on the monitored list surged 7.1 percent week on week.The.....

Italy: Framework agreement for industry tomatoes in Northern Italy
On 15th April 2013, tomato producer organisations and representatives from the processing industry have signed the framework agreement for Northern Italy in Parma (Emilia-Romagna).The basic price of industry tomatoes was fixed at €86/ton, against the €84/ton of 2012.

Kenya: Floods force up tomato price
It currently costs a lot more than usual to buy tomatoes in Kenya. This is the result of demand exceeding supply after heavy rains and serious flooding affected production.Source: youtube.com

Italy: lower prices of peppers in Sicily
The Sicilian Susino Giovanni commercial farm has many years of experience in pepper cultivation, with 50,000 square metres of crops destined exclusively to this product."At a commercial level, the beginning of the campaign was good, whereas in the last few weeks sales prices dropped below the production.....

Bayer’s plastic sheets selected for Japanese agricultural reconstruction project
High-performance plastic sheets from Bayer MaterialScience have been chosen for an agricultural reconstruction project in the disaster area of northeast Japan, hit two years ago by a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The material is used in a new greenhouse of a local farming corporation called VEGi-Dream.....

Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Tomatoes to get radiation treatment
Tomatoes zapped with radiation could be heading towards the dinner table.Food Standards Australia New Zealand has declared the treatment - to destroy insects and bacteria, but which has been linked to pet deaths - safe for fresh tomatoes and capsicums.FSANZ spokeswoman Lorraine Belanger said irradiated food.....

Sotea Coop. (Lazio)
Italy: Rising temperatures penalise demand for courgettes
"Our courgette campaign starts in August and ends in June, with a peak between February and May. 80% of the produce is cultivated in a protected environment, whereas the remaining 20% grows in open fields," explains Stefano Bellato, one of the counsellors of the Sotea cooperative."We cultivate the Renata,.....

Spain: European supermarket promotions increase asparagus sales
The green asparagus campaign in Granada, Spain, has had a poor start due to intense rains and floods, which have already spoiled over 20% of the production and delayed the harvest by 25 to 30 days. According to UPA, the losses amount to approximately 33.7 million Euro.Francisco Delgado, Manager of Los.....

India: Agriculture department to open 36 new vegetable centres in Nashik
The agriculture department plans to open 36 new vegetable centres across Nahik in a couple of months which will provide fresh vegetables directly from farmers to consumers at reasonable rates. Currently, there are 21 vegetable centres in the city.An agriculture officer said, "Our aim is to eliminate.....

Persistent drought threatens New Mexico chile industry
The worst-ever Rio Grande drought is posing plenty of challenges this season for chile growers in New Mexico.One of the challenges relates to groundwater being applied to crops in the absence of river water. The ground water is saltier and not so conducive to good cropping. "It's affecting all crops. The.....

Fonteverde Consortium
Italy: Good year for peppers in production and sales
"The pepper campaign is already over and we sold the product until the end of March. Harvesting started around 10th November and wecarried on from then.The year was good both in terms of production and sales;there were many weeks in which peppers sold well."This, according to Mr. Carmelo Calabrese.....

Colle d'Oro
Organic carrots are more popular in Germany and Denmark
The 2013 organic and standard new carrot campaign of the Colle d'Oro PO in Ispica (Sicily) started on the 1st March.The Colle d'Oro PO cultivates approximately 6,500 tons of organic and standard carrots on 110 hectares of open fields extending from Noto (Syracuse) to Comiso (Ragusa).Tony Solarino, processing.....

Rising tomato prices drive inflation in Brazil
The tomato, a staple of Brazilian cuisine, has seen its price more than double in the past year, in a worrying sign for an economy with a recent history of hyperinflation.While the price surge has been partly driven by seasonal factors, such as crop destruction from wetter-than-normal weather, the tomato is.....

New broccoli could help fight age-related eye problems
A new North Carolina State University study under way at the Plants for Human Health Institute at the North Carolina Research Campus is focused on enhanced levels of lutein in broccoli.Lutein, an antioxidant, is also found in leafy greens such as kale and spinach. Lutein is associated with lowering risks for.....

Spain: Zayintec presents heart and star-shaped cucumbers
Heart and star-shaped cucumbers were presented at Madrid's Gourmet Fair by the firm Zayintec at the stand of Almeria's Provincial Government (Hall 6, Stand 6B12).The heart and star-shaped cucumbers, grown in Almeria through biologic control techniques, do not only have an original and attractive aspect, but.....

Rhineland-Palatinate:
Germany: Start of the asparagus season likely in May
The asparagus harvest in Germany has been further postponed due to the cold temperatures. This was announced by the Agricultural Agency ofRhineland-Palatinate in Bad Kreuznach last Friday.In the last few years, growers fromRhineland-Palatinate could begin harvesting asparagus between mid March and mid.....

Mastronardi’s new products drive theme for CPMA
With Canadian crop production about to peak, Mastronardi’s increased capacity will have the company shipping more products than ever before. In adding more than 100+ acres of production in Ontario alone and doubling its primary Canadian distribution centre, the company continues to focus on new product.....

TOM System used for peppers as well as tomatoes
Clipping peppers an alternative to twisting
Sweet pepper is one of the most important crops grown in greenhouses worldwide. In the Netherlands, the heart of the greenhouse industry, there are about 700 hectares of greenhouse peppers.In order to tie the plants to the twine, most of the growers twist the plants around the twine or they use bio.....

First asparagus harvested from German Rhineland
Finally after a long period of waiting: the first asparagus from the German Rhineland have been harvested,as mentioned on the German website taspo.de. At the moment the harvested quantities are still very small, because the royal vegetableup to now only grows in hothouses or on heated fields. The.....

Israeli pepper prices rising at end of season
The Israeli pepper season is about to end, but product is still coming to Europe. According to Malou Even form Arava Export Growers, prices have been on the rise over the last weeks. "It has been a strange season. We started with relatively low prices in November. In between we had a peak of 21 Euro. Since.....

Herwig DeJonghe, Pinguin: "Possibly big shortages peas and spinach"
"Historically difficult start European vegetable season"
Thesituation this spring in the field is a problem in all of Europe. In the north-west because of the cold weather and in the south of Europe it was too wet till the middle of April. As a result various crops suffered.According to Herwig Dejonghe, COO of PinguinLutosa Food Group, sowing of mainly spinach and.....

Les Paysans de Rougeline touts its co-op roots
Formed by a group of cooperatives, Les Paysans de Rougeline grows and markets their own vegetables in the South of France. Though they grow a variety of products in their greenhouse facilities, their tomatoes are the product for which they are best known.“We are 160 producers growing on 280 acres of.....

Tomato and onion smuggling at the Brazilian border
Draughts affecting southern Brazil over the past few weeks and Argentina's attractive prices, measured in "blue" dollars, have led to an unusual form of smuggling at the national border, where it has become common to find Brazilians trying to smuggle tomatoes and onions to their country.The phenomenon is.....

Sales grow due to attention in women's magazines
EU: "Spinach season three to four weeks later"
Normally Jacob Broersen of Mts Broersen can harvest the first spinach around the 10th of April, but this year it won't be until the beginning of May. "It's barely growing, really just a tiny bit," reports the grower from Lutjebroek. But there is some good news: due to attention in women's magazines, the.....

Cuba: Tomato harvest proves to be satisfactory in Camagüey Province
In Cuba, over 5,300 metric tons of tomato, an amount which goes beyond expectations, have been processed by El Mambí and Camalote plants, industrial entities belonging to the local Empresa de Conservas y Vegetales (pickled vegetable processing company).José Molina Álvarez, one of the executives of this.....

Italy: good prices for Sicilian peppers in wholesale markets in the North
The campaign of long Sicilian red and yellow peppers started twenty days ago, and prices are good in the wholesale markets in Northern Italy. For example, price lists in Turin and Verona show prices going from €2.20-2.50 to €2.60-2.90/kg for yellow peppers and from €2.00-2.30 to €2.20-2.60/kg for red peppers.....

Stats show Australian vegetable growers getting squeezed
New figures have backed vegetable farmer claims that they're being squeezed by ever-increasing cheap imports of processed and frozen veggies.The peak vegetable group AUSVEG has cited figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) which show vegetable imports.....