The 10 hottest chili peppers in the world

COOLthelifestyle has published a ranking of the 10 hottest chili peppers in the world according to the Scoville scale, which determines the pungency level of hot peppers…

Sinaloa's vegetable sector faces another season of plummeting prices

For the second consecutive season, vegetable farmers in Sinaloa face difficult times due to the collapse in the price of tomatoes, tomatillos, and chili peppers, among other…

Coachella artichoke production season kicks off

Ocean Mist Farms, a grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announces the launch of the Coachella artichoke production season. Growing in the region for more than 20 years, 2022 also marks the fourth consecutive year of Ocean Mist Farms’ successful Peace Love & Artichokes messaging campaign.…

Tecbaco exported a total of 17.8 million boxes of bananas in 2021

According to balance figures provided by the International Trader, Técnicas Baltime de Colombia (Tecbaco), in 2021 the company exported 17.8 million boxes of bananas, i.e. 23%…

Paraguay achieved a new banana export record in 2021

Paraguayan banana exports generated a total of 19.3 million dollars in 2021, i.e. 23.7% more than the 15.6 million dollars reached in 2020, according to data from the Single…

Firm invests in Cambodian banana industry with $51 million venture

Longfruiter Anlong Veng Oddar Meanchey Agriculture Park Co Ltd has invested $51 million in the cultivation of bananas and fruits in Cambodia’s Anlong Veng district. According…

'It has been a mixed bag of weather, this Spring and Summer'

It has been a mixed bag of weather this Spring and Summer, with a couple of rain events challenging growers in Horowhenua and Canterbury. NZ agronomists and growers in our…

Australian mango industry hopeful of a strong disruption-free finish to season

The Australian Mango Industry Association is confident of finishing the mango season strongly, as late-season varieties prepare to hit the markets. “We are not aware of any significant delays to the mango supply chain," AMIA CEO Brett Kelly told FreshPlaza. "There is still a range of great quality…

"The Grandisimo pineapple is the perfect ally for winter"

Rich in vitamins, pineapples are the ideal fruit to confront the winter, brighten up your meals and fill you with vitamins. The Del Monte Gold® Fresh Pineapple, are the most…

Tanzania seems ready to expand its avocado exports

The Tanzanian government, in collaboration with the Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha Group), has secured official permits to access the export markets of India and…

Kenyan horticulture regulator extends avocado export ban indefinitely

The horticulture regulator has extended the ban on the export of Kenya’s popular avocado varieties to overseas markets to curb the harvesting of immature crops. Head of…

Dutch cooperative changes its company structure

The Dutch cooperative, Coforta, held its AGM last week. There, members unanimously approved a new business model, the RvC+ model. They also decided to amend their organization's name to Coöperatie The Greenery U.A. The current Coforta board has resigned. The Greenery B.V.'s Executive Board is now also…

FirstFruits Marketing adds pear growing and distribution partner

FirstFruits Marketing is pleased to announce the addition of Stadelman Fruit as its partner for pear growing and distribution. The partnership officially began on January 10,…

"EU taxonomy burdens implementation of energy and climate change"

BayWa CEO Prof. Klaus Josef Lutz warns against the EU taxonomy making the energy and climate turnaround more expensive and delaying it: "The current discussion massively overlooks the fact that companies that have been making a clear contribution to a climate-neutral energy supply for decades will soon…

Bee Vectoring Technologies announces entry into Peru

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. has announced the company is expanding into Peru, extending its presence into a major global blueberry market. The company will…

Yasai/Fenaco

Swiss vertical farming pilot plant in operation

The vertical farming pilot plant of YASAI and fenaco has started operation. The first products are available starting today, in around 80 selected Coop stores. Compared to conventional production, the new cultivation method promises a marked increase in productivity with massively lower water consumption…

Four 2022 forecasts for shipping goods

What do businesses that source goods from overseas have to consider this year? Shypple has listed the four forecasts that will affect shipping goods the most. They also touch on a topic that deserves more attention, states the Dutch logistics company. "Businesses and consumers are anxiously following the…

NSK Life-Lube® bearings improve the reliability of vegetable washing operations

The food industry demands many prerequisites of its bearings, not least long service life, high-speed capability, hygienic operation and robust sealing technology. Without these attributes, food plants will incur higher maintenance costs and unscheduled production downtime, both of which impact upon…

USDA

'US consumers see impact of shipping backlogs and high truck rates when they do their shopping'

Shipping port backlogs continue to be a key factor in supply chain challenges nationwide. West coast ports remain an ongoing problem, with over 90 ships awaiting berthing spots at the Port of Los Angeles. The average waiting time for a vessel within 40 nautical miles of the Port of Los Angeles is 3.5…

USDA

'Significant increases in price for fruit this week included avocados, mangos, red seedless grapes and blueberries'

Total ad numbers this week were 295,124, a 5% increase from last week's 311,864. The total for the same week last year was 3% higher than for this year. The total number of ads broken out by commodity groups: fruit 158,950 (54% of all ads), onions and potatoes 23,278 (8%), vegetables 108,836 (37%), herbs…

DiMuto strengthens executive leadership by partnering with Nexus Agrotec’s founder & president Julie Escobar

DiMuto, a global AgriFood Trade Solutions company that providesend-to-end supply chain visibility for global AgriFood businesses, appointed Julie Escobar, Founder and President of Nexus Agrotec, as its Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer. Effective immediately, the pivotal new role will provide…

Emergency crews rushed to blaze at Alberta mushroom farm

Emergency crews have rushed towards the scene of a large fire at a big commercial building at a mushroom farm outside Crossfield on Sunday afternoon. The fire at the Highline…

Turning to charter vessels to move Chilean blueberries

Chilean blueberry supplies are available. However, getting them here on time is challenging, as it is with many commodities right now. Giddings Berries USA, located in Monterey, CA, imports organic and conventional blueberries from Peru, whose season has wrapped up, and Chile. “In Chile, we’re harvesting…

"The growth of the blueberry industry in Northland was eventually going to be stifled by a lack of post-harvest providers"

Maungatapere Packing (MPL) became operational in mid-2021 and has been packing New Zealand Southern Highbush blueberries since August 2021. The packhouse is now gearing up to pack summer production blueberries destined for the Australian export market. MPL also processed kiwifruit male flower in…

"Spanish raspberry cultivation increasingly moving to Morocco"

The Spanish raspberry season got off to a difficult start. That market has, however, picked up. "There are currently even shortages. Those should last until the end of February," says Jan van Bergeijk. He does the Plusberries Group's raspberry commerce. He has been living and working in Spain for 30…

Cherry breeding in Africa provides opportunities to meet growing demand

Since its inception in 2001, IFG has focused on breeding table grapes and cherries that provide an incredible eating experience. The company is headquartered in Bakersfield, California, but wants their varieties to be enjoyed by consumers around the world. “Right from the start of the company, IFG…

Berry grower introduces hydroponic tabletop strawberry line

Rooting thousands of strawberry plants on elevated tables the first week of October, Oppy, under the Ocean Spray license, will launch its first specialty berry pack in the Happy Berry™ label this month. The hydroponic tabletop strawberry concept was developed by New Wave Berry, LLC, a joint venture…

Could Eastern apple growers see opportunity in 2022?

With tighter supplies of apples out of Washington State coupled with high freight rates, where does that leave Eastern apple growers? “I think it’s a benefit for us here in Michigan with freight rates being as exorbitant as they are. This could bode well for Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania apple…

APHIS revises requirements for fresh plum fruit from Chile into the United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is advising the public of a decision to revise the requirements relative to the…

"We have shipped about 9% less fruit compared to last year"

The complexities that the Chilean fruit industry has suffered during the current season have now impacted exports. According to Andrés Armstrong, Executive Director of the…

"If you grow organic spinach you are onto a winner"

While growers always like get some rain, sometimes you can get a bit too much, but rain is mostly seen as a blessing in a country like Australia, which can experience extremely high summer temperatures.  "The weather has been quite good for the last six months but we did have an unusually wet spring," explains…

Aquafarm fair postponed by three months

The next editions of AquaFarm, NovelFarm, and the new AlgaeFarm project have been rescheduled from February to 25-26 and 27 May 2022. A special conference day is being planned for 27 May. During the 2020 edition, the fair registered 35% exhibitors from abroad and an international audience of 15% of the…

The Navel Orange market in China continues to grow

The earliest variety of navel, the Washington navel orange, was grown from a cutting off Brazil's mutated sweet orange in 1870. In the early 20th century, navel oranges were…

“Thanks to our anticipation, we’re still able to offer high quality citrus right now”

The Turkish citrus season for a Turkish fruit exporter has been successful so far, mostly due to their anticipation of bad weather. This meant harvesting was done in time. Thanks to the company’s partner, which is specialized in logistics, clients were able to have options in terms of transport, a luxury…

South African citrus industry warns of another year of constraints at the ports

South African citrus industry insiders have warned that growers and other exporters will have to brace themselves for another year of port constraints, following a series of…

USDA

Covid fuels historic growth in organic sales

Germany is the second largest organic market in the world. It holds good prospects for U.S. organic products, including tree nuts, fruits and vegetables, and processed food products. The market shows tremendous growth rates with organic products more popular than ever. The success story will continue and…

Biofilm made out of citrus peels capable of containing hemorrhages

A researcher at the Universidade Estadual Paulista in São José do Rio Preto has developed an anti-hemorrhagic biofilm with substances found in orange, lemon and apple peels.…

Scientific literature review confirms watermelon's health potential

Watermelon is a unique fruit with compounds that may have health effects throughout the body, supporting normal cardiovascular and metabolic health. According to a new…

"If you can guarantee quality throughout the chain, you significantly reduce food waste"

Fresco could well be the solution for food waste in the fruit sector. "This inspection sensor uses a penetrative detection technique that doesn’t damage the fruit,” explains Luca Galatro of Vertigo Tech, the Dutch company behind Fresco. "Each piece of fruit’s quality can be determined. Too often, we see…

Increase of research on growing crops under solar panels

All over the world, there are more and more examples of agrivoltaics – a new sustainable solution that is gaining ground. Herbs and flowers are being grown at a photovoltaic…

McDonald’s India partners with Dole Sunshine Company

McDonald’s India has started a collaboration with Dole Sunshine Company to offer Dole Pineapple TidBit Fruit Bowl as a side dish in the beloved Happy Meal. The former has been…

Three new ripening rooms in Oxnard for mango/avocado shipper

Freska Produce International has completed the construction of three ripening rooms at its Oxnard, CA facility for mangos and avocados. “These ripening rooms are state of the art and will benefit our end users,” says Jesus “Chuy” Loza of Freska Produce. This new addition means Freska can ripen three…

Pandemic workforce modelling tool to help keep produce flowing to retail shelves

Australian and New Zealand fresh produce companies are being encouraged to utilise a new tool that uses mathematical formulas to model and predict the illness and absence of workers due to COVID-19, and ultimately hopes to reduce supply chain disruptions. Food safety software company…

Nut production and exports grow worldwide

Across the globe, more nuts of almost all kinds are being produced. In 2021, that amounted to more than 17 million tons in total (excluding peanuts). With four million tons each, cashew nuts and almonds are the most important of these nuts. Almond production, in particular, has grown considerably.…

Multi-million dollar reusable packaging theft operation taken down

In 2021, a major plastic container theft sting was executed in Cook County, Illinois. It resulted in the discovery of an illegal plastic regrind operation which was grinding…

Climate change endangers Florida strawberries

Florida’s strawberry harvest is currently underway. Although the growers are facing challenges due to climate change, there are researchers trying to help them adapt. Vance…