Eurostat

EU fresh vegetable production at 62.9 million tons in 2020

In 2020, Italy and Spain produced about two thirds of the EU’s tomatoes. Spain and the Netherlands produced a little less than one half of the EU’s onions. The EU’s harvested production of fresh vegetables was 62.9 million tons in 2020, about 0.3 million tons less than in 2019. Within this group, the…

"Sweetcorn season begins in fast-developing Senegal"

The new Senegalese sweetcorn season has begun at Hermans Suikermais. "The first corn was loaded on the boat last week. The first arrival is planned for today," says Giel Hermans. He adds that the harvest in Senegal. "Last year, we had a moderate Senegalese season with limited availability. But the…

Taiwan holds great potential for Australian vegetable exports

A recent report from an Australian government department has found that the nation's vegetable produce has a competitive advantage in Taiwan, thanks to the reputation for safe, high-quality food and the ability to offer counter-seasonal supply. The value of Australian fresh vegetable exports to Taiwan…

Imports of bell peppers from Mexico grow as marketing window for U.S.-grown produce shrinks

U.S. fresh vegetable imports are higher than ever and help satisfy rising consumer demand for year-round produce, according to reports from USDA’s Economic Research Service. Imports rise during the winter months (January to March) when U.S. production reaches a seasonal lull, but shipments now…

Banana importer partners with Breakfast Club of Canada

Fyffes and Breakfast Club of Canada (BCC) are delighted to announce a new partnership that will increase fresh fruit servings to school children in Montreal communities where the need is greatest. The pilot program started during the second half of November 2021 and Fyffes has committed to a weekly…

New “onion devourer” bacteria found by UGA researchers

University of Georgia researchers have identified a new species of bacteria, which they have named Pseudomonas alliivorans, from “allium vorans,” which translates as onion…

India: PepsiCo loses rights to special Lays variety potato

Two years after PepsiCo India’s court case against nine Gujarati farmers for allegedly infringing patent rights by growing its registered potato variety, the company’s…

Demand for Premium Golden Pineapples soaring

Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, Caimito Fruits has enjoyed remarkable growth in its inaugural year. Now, with the festive season approaching and demand for premium golden pineapples soaring, the group of family-owned farms is ramping up its weekly planting plans and expanding its…

Exports of avocados and blueberries from California to China allowed

As part of "Phase 1" of the US-China trade agreement, exports of Hass avocados and blueberries can now be made from California. This new market access will provide producers…

Kenyan grower swaps coffee farming for avocados

For decades, Robert Mburu was successfully growing coffee in his village in Kihumbu-ini, Murang’a county. He had 600 coffee trees that he had tended to for years, but in 2015…

Luigi Salvi, an innovative entrepreneur who always looked to the future

"Dad would come over to the farm until early August, when his energy allowed him to. He would make the rounds of the offices, the warehouse and walk into the fields to greet everyone. He literally started from scratch and knew what hard work meant." That's how Marco Salvi remembers his father, Luigi, who…

Diverse group of rising stars make up the inaugural BOLD class

This year, in an effort to address both the extraordinary opportunities and the extraordinary challenges the industry faces, the Hass Avocado Board (HAB), with industry participation, launched BOLD: The Hass Avocado Industry Board Leadership Development Program. Helping the industry face an increasingly…

Sakata Seed America sells carrot breeding program

Sakata Seed America has signed an agreement finalizing the sale of its carrot breeding program to long-standing corporate partner, Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc., or IFSI.…

Stout Industrial Technology brings on new CEO

Stout Industrial Technology announced that Brent Shedd has been appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) of the industrial solutions and artificial intelligence company. A…

Dole plc earnings drop 35% in third quarter

Dublin-based Dole plc, the world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable supplier, reported on Friday that operating earnings dropped by more than a third in the third quarter,…

Port of Rotterdam Authority embarks on partnerships with three promising maritime companies

Following their selection into the annual PortXL innovation programme, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is starting a concrete exploration into partnerships with three scale-ups. These highly promising companies work in areas ranging from the monitoring and research of water quality to producing smart…

Growth and expansion result in need for new branding for greenhouse grower

Greenhouse grower Nature Fresh Farms has experienced tremendous growth in the past few years. Just in the past 16 months, the company added greenhouse production in Mexico and a distribution center in Texas. Additionally, through continuous innovation and research, the portfolio of produce offerings has…

Florida farmers are grappling with transportation problems

While global supply chain issues are reportedly easing, Florida farmers have made clear that perishable items with short shelf lives continue to struggle in being moved from…

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future 2021: sparks innovation through collaboration

Smart Ports: Piers of the Future 2021 returned to the Port of Barcelona for the third consecutive year, bringing together ports and stakeholders to answer pressing topics facing ports and cities. Smart Ports: Piers of the Future brought in more than 6,000 unique viewers and over 20,000 video plays to…

‘Capacity restoration is key to crisis recovery’

The Global Shippers Forum, the global trade body that advises shippers and cargo owners in the conduct of international trade, has conducted a study indicating that shippers…

ICA opens highly automated e-commerce warehouse in Stockholm

Starting on 1 December, ICA’s highly automated warehouse in Brunna, outside Stockholm, will be in full operation. ICA is first in Sweden to open a warehouse with a highly automated solution for groceries bought online. E-commerce has grown sharply in recent years – in 2020 alone ICA’s e-commerce share…

USDA

Advertised prices for specialty crops at major retail supermarket outlets

This week's US ad numbers were lower, as many retailers opted to extend their ads after Thanksgiving rather than start a new ad cycle. Hannukah is in full swing and stores focused on offering potatoes, onions, grape juice, and carrots for holiday gatherings. Winter citrus was very well featured this…

FEFCO launches testing methodology for printed corrugated board in food contact

The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) has issued the FEFCO Testing methodology for printed corrugated board in food contact. At EU level there is…

Decree 248 export regulations will enter into force on January 1, 2022

The Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food (Degree 248) will enter into force on January 1, 2022. Once implemented, the…

Northern Cape slow to get going on grapes this year

Cool weather in the Northern Cape has slowed down the start of the season, but intake volumes are well ahead of last year this time. “We’re a week later than we would’ve liked to be,” remarks an exporter. The slow start to the season is as a result of temperatures cooler than the longterm average, but it…

USDA

Almost two million fewer grape cartons in cold storage y-o-y

The number of California Autumn Royal grapes in storage on the West Coast, at 254,398 packages, are somewhat similar to that of of last year, when there were 259,382 packages in total. Still, the Western Fruit Report - Grape Cold Storage Summary states that there were almost two million fewer cartons being…

"Peruvian grape season officially opened, and the first grapes already arrived in Guangzhou"

The pandemic still proves challenging for fruit import, but Chinese consumer demand remains strong, especially for off-season fruits. Take Peruvian fruit as an example, the main Peruvian fruit varieties in the Chinese market are blueberries and grapes. Jack from SVS Fruits explained: "The first Peruvian…

Increased demand this fall for raspberries

Volumes on raspberries are strong. Janice Honigberg, president of Sun Belle Inc. in Schiller Park, Il. says that Sun Belle raspberries are now arriving from two regions: Central Mexico, which began in late August-early September, and Baja California, which began last week. “We have very good volumes…

USDA

Mexican blueberry crossings through Arizona, California, and Texas movement expected to increase

Last week, the roads were filled with the long-haul drivers who have been working throughout the pandemic to keep stores and restaurants supplied for the holidays. Low unemployment in almost every sector of the workforce means that many drivers, foodservice workers, and others in the food supply chain…

"We now offer around 85 potted herbs from our own nursery"

The German vegetable season is now largely drawing to a close. The Karlsruhe-based wholesale business of Link Frischgemüse und Topfkräuter Ltd is also gradually running out of domestic spinach, beans, tomatoes and the like. But with potted herbs from its own nursery, the family business has found a…

SwissCofel, VSGP, SOV and Swisspatat cancel Fruit Logistica participation

Following the organizer's postponement of Fruit Logistica to April 5-7, 2022, several parties have been discussing whether it would be appropriate for the industry to maintain…

Uruguay looks for a bilateral investment agreement with India

At the start of this week, Uruguay’s Acting Chancellor Carolina Ache Batlle met with Indian secretary Riva Ganguly Das. In the meeting, they agreed to deepen relations between…

50 tons of Yongchun Mandarin Oranges debut in the US market

The first launch ceremony of Yongchun Mandarin Oranges exports to the United States was held on December 2 in Yongchun County, Fujian Province, the "Hometown of Mandarin Oranges." As the first cold-processed agricultural product exported to the United States in the Fujian Customs District, the first…

Peru will soon export citrus and blueberries to India

The National Agricultural Health Service (SENSA) Asian Government has announced that Peruvian producers will soon be able to export citrus fruits and blueberries to India.…

"Vegan still barely known in fresh fruit and vegetables, but has huge potential"

TOFF is a Dutch company that has expanded its activities with a new concept: Green Vegan. "Under that name, we offer fully vegan, organic fresh fruit and vegetable products," says Jeffrey Moret. Green Vegan is an official distributor for certified Biocyclic Vegan products. They serve the Netherlands,…

Harvard research explores link between walnut consumption and life expectancy

According to a study by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, higher walnut consumption – both in terms of the amount and frequency – may be…

Washington apple grower digitally integrates quality inspection to improve freshness

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: AGFS), a provider of produce freshness solutions devoted to fighting food loss and waste, announced that Starr Ranch Growers, a Washington produce grower, packer and shipper, has chosen to adopt AgroFresh’s FreshCloud™ Quality Inspection to digitally integrate their…

High-tech imaging might save Maine blueberry crop from climate change

Maine’s iconic berry crop is facing a climate crisis. Scientists earlier this year reported that the Down East region — home to the state’s blueberry barrens — is warming…

Murcia's canned artichoke exports to the United States fall below 10,000 tons

Murcia's canned artichokes exports to the United States registered their worst data in 2020 after falling by 16.5% over 2019, totaling 8,615 tons. Gone are the days at the…

“Our freezer is designed to lower freezing cost per kg of product”

The long-term success of an IQF business lies in its ability to garner quicker return on investment with an efficient freezer. But what defines an efficient freezer? According…

FDA proposes changes to Food Safety Modernization Act Rule to enhance safety of agricultural water used on produce

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposed rule that aims to enhance the safety of produce. It proposes to require farms to conduct comprehensive…

Yorizane: A new almond variety

Decades-long experimentation at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Parlier, California, has resulted in the arrival of the new Yorizane almond variety. ARS research geneticist Craig Ledbetter…

What are the trends in food packaging?

Reducing, reusing, and recycling are the pillars of waste management, including in the packaging sector. These are the basis of the upcoming trends in food packaging, mainly…

Climate-resilient food system program continues growing

Jacobs Farm del Cabo is making significant progress in its ClimateLab™ efforts, a program focused on building a more inclusive, climate-resilient food system. “We are focused on helping farmers adapt to existing climate impacts, mitigate our contributions to them and replicate and accelerate the…