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Nuts and dried fruits

US (CA): Groundbreaking nitrogen research arrives for almond growers
New protocol developed under a multi-year, multi-disciplinary fertilizer management project funded in part by the Almond Board of California and led by UC Davis pomologist Patrick Brown, is refining the way almond growers and other farmers make decisions about fertilizing their crops.As a result of this.....

AU: Breeding superior almonds for a growing industry
More nutritious almonds for consumers and a greater range of high-quality varieties for industry – these are the aims of the Australian Almond Breeding program at the University of Adelaide, which has just received industry funding of $2.35 million to continue developing new almond varieties.The almond.....

New research shows health benefits
Pistachios: "All they're cracked up to be"
A new research study, using an experimental model that mimics digestion, suggests that nearly all of the polyphenols in pistachios are released to the body during digestion. The new findings, when considered along with earlier research that suggests dietary fat may not be completely absorbed, is a win-win.....

Large Brazilian cashew firm to set up $25m processing plant in Ghana
A Brazilian processing company, Usibra Ghana Limited, is to establish a $25 million cashew processing plant in Ghana.The plant, which is expected to process 300 metric tonnes of cashew daily, will provide about 2,000 direct jobs in the country.The Director of Usibra Ghana Limited, Mr. Tarisco Falcao,.....

2012 exports made 200 million dollars
Chilean walnuts take a leading position worldwide
Chilean walnut exports have grown substantially in recent years. Their quality is recognised worldwide and this has positioned Chile as a major player in the international market.This was announced by the sector's representatives, who met at the latest edition of ExpoNut; an event organised by the National.....

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Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds responds to healthy snacking trend
Paramount Farms launches new packaging
Paramount Farms, best known for its success in the produce aisle, is expanding its product offerings to meet the growing demand for quick, healthy snacks in convenience and foodservice channels with Wonderful Pistachios, the number one selling snack nut item, and Wonderful Almonds. The popular snack nut.....

US (CA): Almond crop to reach 2 billion pounds
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's initial forecast for this year's California almond crop predicts production will reach 2 billion pounds this season. That's more than last year's production, and such volumes will allow growers to keep up with robust worldwide demand.The 2 billion pound forecast for this.....

16-19 September 2013, Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria: ACA announces World Cashew Festival
On 16-19 September 2013, the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) will hold the World Cashew Festival and the Expo13 in Lagos, Nigeria at the Eko Hotel Suites. Cashew farmers, processors, traders, exporters, services providers, retailers, equipment manufacturers, bankers, and governments will certainly convene.....

US (CA): Large almond crop predicted
The federal Government has this week issued projections suggesting that the California almond crop could, this year, be close to record breaking. This is good news to the industry, as it does not have any problems in finding buyers for its produce. The estimate of 2,000,700,000 pounds was announced at the.....

India: Pistachio prices down on low demand
Pistachio prices fell by Rs 5 per kg in the India capital on Wednesday owing to subdued demand from retailers and stockists.Adequate stocks following increased arrivals from overseas markets also put pressure on prices.Pistachio (hairati and peshawari) eased by Rs 5 each to Rs 800-850 and Rs 980-1,000 per.....

Traders threaten boycott of Guinea-Bissau's cashew nuts
Guinea-Bissau's association of importers and exporters have threatened to boycott the sale of cashew nuts in 2013, the West African country's main export product, if a tax adopted in 2011 is not suspended.The association's chairman, Mamadou Yero Djamanca, urged the transition government to suspend the.....

India: Kochi ports top in cashew exports
Among various ports through which cashew nuts were exported, Cochin Port and the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam topped the list, exporting 45,243 tonnes during the ten-month period between April 2012 - January 2013.Tuticorin came to the second slot with exports of 23,192.....

Judge hits California Raisin Marketing Board
The future of the California Raisin Marketing Board may be in jeopardy after a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled that the organization was not created legally.Judge Raymond Cadei's decision was hailed by lawyers representing a group of dissident growers and packers who have been trying to.....

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Tanzania riots over cashew nut prices
About 20 houses have been burnt down in riots by cashew nut farmers and other protesters in southern Tanzania, the local MP has told the BBC.Faith Mitambo said two buildings in Liwale town had been set alight and that other houses targeted belonged to members of the ruling CCM party.The trouble began after.....

AU: Walnuts Australia has big plans for Riverina
The country's largest walnut exporter has big plans for the Riverina in Southwest NSW.Walnuts Australia, a subsidiary of Webster Limited, is a year away from completing a $10 million nut cracking plant at Leeton.The first stage of the project, a de-hulling and drying facility at the site, is already sorting.....

US (CA): Law proposed to protect walnust growers from thieves
Butte County supervisors will look at amending a county code to help protect Californian walnut growers from thieves.The current law allows the county agricultural commissioner to require anyone who has 25 pounds of agricultural commodity in his or her possession to prove ownership.The proposed amendment.....

Armenian dried fruit producers to improve agricultural practices
The USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Market Competitiveness Project and the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center held a presentation for over 70 Armenian dried fruit producers on April 18, 2013. Organized within the framework of the ‘Support to Dried Fruit Production’.....

EU, US cashew import decline harms India
In the 11 months to end of February, India's cashew kernel exports stood at 93,029 tonnes, a fall of 23.5 per cent compared to same time last year.Overall exports in 2012-13 could be 18-20 per cent lower than in 2011-12, when India exported 1,31,760 tonnes of cashew kernels, valued at Rs 4,391 crore (this.....

Afghanistan almonds get NATO support
The almond growers of Uruzgan struggle to compete with nearby markets and poor road access to the region delays delivery of their product to market. But the creation of a new industry in the province may see them take their world class almonds to international buyers.

Zambian government aims to revive cashew industry
Zambia's Western Province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba says the Government has taken steps to revive the cashew nut industry in the area.Speaking when touring the Western Cashew Industry Company in Mongu, Mr Mwamba disclosed that the provincial administration had imported seedlings from Mozambique and.....

Steady international cashew market
The international cashew market has been steady for several weeks – the undertone was reasonably firm in weeks 13 & 14 but was quiet on the softer side in week 15. Indian domestic market which was very quiet for several weeks saw some activity in week 15 with a slight increase in prices.During the last.....

India losing cashew ground to Vietnam
Cashew nut production in India has more than doubled over the last twenty years. Despite this, however, poor yield in comparison with competitors, such as Vietnam, is still a concern for the industry. According to official estimates, raw cashew output in 2012-13 is about 7.3 lakh tonnes (lt) from an area of.....

AU: Growers remain optimistic as prune prices plunge
Australia's prune industry is optimistic growers can survive yet another year of disastrous prices. Angas Park, one of the biggest processors of dried fruit in the country, has offered growers $200 a tonne less for their fruit than last season. Grant Delves, president of the Australian Prune Industry.....

Prune industry struggles as prices shrivel
Australia's prune industry is optimistic growers can survive yet another year of disastrous prices.Angas Park, one of the biggest processors of dried fruit in the country, has offered growers $200 a tonne less for their fruit than last season.Grant Delves, president of the Australian Prune Industry.....

Spain: Almeria increases almond exports by 40% in a year
Last January, the Spanish province of Almeria exported almost 328,000 kilos of almonds, which is 39% more than in January 2012. Regarding the value of these sales, it reached 1.6 million Euro; 67.2% more, because prices were better than last year, as highlighted by the delegate of the Andalusian Council of.....

Mozambique: Government plans revitalisation of cashew industry
The Mozambican government on Tuesday approved a new master plan to revitalize the cashew industry.The Council of Ministers (Cabinet) adopted the plan which details ways to increase the production and processing of cashew nuts.According to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Antonio Limbau, the government.....

US: Organic nuts grow but are still dwarfed by conventional nuts
Though, by many metrics, organic tree nuts have boomed during the last few years, they are still dwarfed, as a category, by their contemporary counterparts. Strong demand for nuts throughout the world has fueled the growth of nuts overall, but it's expected that there's plenty of room for growth for organic.....

US (CA): 2012 pistachio harvest largest on record
The 2012 California pistachio harvest was the largest ever the state has recorded. Though production during 2012 was more than in any other year, the value of the crop was not as high as it was two years prior.According to the latest Fruit and Tree Nut Outlook Report by the US Department of Agriculture's.....

US (CA): Almond industry ready for Food Safety Act
The Almond Board of California (ABC) has worked with USDA and leading food-safety experts to develop a food quality and safety plan designed to provide consumers with the safest possible almonds from California.This program addresses the entire supply chain, recommending practices that encompass good.....

Spain: 50,000 hectares of Catalan nuts in danger
The head of the nuts section from the Federation of Catalan Agricultural Cooperatives (FCAC), Roger Palau, reported that, "the Administration is endangering the continuity of the more than 50,000 productive hectares devoted to nuts and carob trees in Catalonia." Palau warned that, "without the sector's.....

2013 crop stats for prunes:
Chile: Lower volumes than first feared
Initially, the Chilean industry had estimated a prune crop of 62,000 tons and a carryover of 1,500 tons, which, at the time, was a significant drop compared to the previous year's production of 75,000 tons. However, the decline was worse than initially estimated.The report on the situation of the Chilean.....

AU: Olam invests in almonds
Business is booming for Australian almonds and Olam International is setting up shop.The Singapore-based food giant has recently invested $60 million building a giant almond shelling and processing factory at Carwarp, near Mildura.The plant will be officially opened tomorrow by Olam chief executive Sunny.....