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Friday, March 5, 2021


OVERVIEW GLOBAL MELON AND WATERMELON MARKET
The melon supply is currently shifting from Brazil to Senegal. The Central American melon season has started much too late. Normally, the first volumes arrive in early to mid-February, but this year no significant volumes have arrived on the European market until this week. The first Sicilian melons are…

Sila Louw with Oppy in South Africa
“Our strength is to sell produce from Africa directly to North American retailers”
Oppy recently opened an office in South Africa and discusses the journey of setting foot on the African continent, combined with the immense opportunities the country offers. Having representation in South Africa had been on Oppy’s radar for several years and about five years ago, the company started…


Supplies of iceberg lettuce exceed demand
Iceberg lettuce volume remains high thanks to a few factors. Sam Christopherson of Salinas, CA-based Markon notes that ample supplies of iceberg are currently being harvested and shipped from Arizona and California. “Stocks have been fairly steady for quite awhile now. It’s a supply-exceeds-demand…

Washington-grown organic produce offered year-round for fourth year
Last year, organic produce outpaced conventional produce in terms of volume and sales. “The pandemic changed consumers’ grocery shopping habits,” says Blaine Markley, director of domestic sales with Rainier Fruit Company. “As the pandemic is still affecting the way people shop, and Earth Day right around…


Crop update South American mango growing regions
The National Mango Board (NMB) projects the total volume of mangoes shipped to the United States over the next two months to be 34 percent higher year-over-year. The 2021 Guatemalan season is expected to be about 40 percent higher year-over-year compared to 2020, which was cut short due to COVID-19. The…

Private online trading platform for fresh produce launches
Fresh produce can ‘trade smarter’ through the release of the industry’s online marketplace. ProduceIQ is a business-to-business platform for qualified growers and buyers to negotiate directly. The marketplace provides opportunities to transact with new trading partners in an efficient and safe trading…


Mission Produce enters the mango category
Mission Produce, Inc., well-known for sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, has announced its year-round mango program. The program will incorporate ripening and distribution on a global and national scale through its advanced network. “We’re entering the mango category today as we did the…

USDA imposes sanctions on two companies for PACA violations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on Southern Sun LLC, Woolwich, N.J., for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions…
March 8-12
Tomato Week covers e-commerce trends, COVID-19 and more
The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas has opened registration for Tomato Week 2021 which takes place March 8-12. The event is open to all who have an interest in…

"We're expanding because we want to continue to support food service"
A 10-acre greenhouse facility in Massachusetts is providing the United States’ East Coast with “local lettuce that locals love,” according to the company’s slogan. Paul Sellew started Little Leaf Farms with the vision of supplying the East Coast with fresh, locally grown leafy greens. On February 17, the…


"There are stories being told about you - but who is telling that story?"
Melbourne fruit retailer believes that embracing a digital strategy is the future of fruit and veg marketing
When a local Melbourne grocer was getting tired of the "same old advice" that was constantly being given to him on how to sell fruit and vegetables, he decided to think outside the box and revolutionise the marketing of his business in line with the 21st century. David Zahlan of Alexanders Fruit Market…

Chris Bray - MAF RODA NZ
"Ease of integration and design means customers only need to deal with one company"
More and more companies are investing in robotics and automated packhouse machinery, this may be to tackle labour shortages or cope with growing production volumes. MAF RODA NZ have built up a strong presence in the NZ Market in the last 5 years with annual kiwifruit projects since 2017. "We also have stonefruit…

Monitoring hardware now included with Frost Fans
Australian Frost Fans is the sister business to New Zealand Frost Fans, which manufactures the FrostBoss® range of frost fans at their factory in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The FrostBoss® C49 (4-blade machine) is one of the the best-selling machines in Australasia. "Web-based monitoring of frost fans is becoming…


Thomas Hug (Bananen+Frucht AG) on the global banana market
"Importing bananas yourself is a risk that doesn't pay off"
Bananen + Frucht AG is a modern service provider with its own ripening facility at Zurich's Engrosmarkt. "We sell around 3,500 tons of bananas per year," says Thomas Hug, the company's managing director, in an interview with Tierwelt. Founded in 1939, the company now offers various banana labels in…

Robert Adams, President of One Banana Co.:
“From March 2020 to date, we have donated 1,248,900 bananas”
Banana company One Bananas has their own sustainable farms in Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru. Robert Adams, President of One Banana Co. says: “Late last year, eastern Guatemala and Honduras were severely impacted by two hurricanes: Eta and Iota, causing devastating damage to farms and communities. This was…

Robert Greeve, Anaco & Greeve International, the Netherlands:
"It seems like people are eating more fruit"
"We're growing nicely, so have to expand," says Robert Greeve of Anaco & Greeve International. This Dutch trading company specializes in overseas products. Robert says this growth is partly due to existing clients taking more volume. "I have the impression that people are eating more fruit. The figures…
Vegetables more »

"Sales of delicate tomatoes remain unaffected by the pandemic"
Delicate tomatoes can be used in cooking as a vegetable, but also eaten as a snack. These small tomatoes contain 1.7 times the vitamins of regular tomatoes. The outside is delicate and the sugar content is high. The delicate tomatoes are fragrant and taste delicious. Their flavor is unique. They have…

Supplies of iceberg lettuce exceed demand
Iceberg lettuce volume remains high thanks to a few factors. Sam Christopherson of Salinas, CA-based Markon notes that ample supplies of iceberg are currently being harvested and shipped from Arizona and California. “Stocks have been fairly steady for quite awhile now. It’s a supply-exceeds-demand…

HM.CLAUSE
The weather affects fennel crops
Over the past few years, fennel crops have been going through many crises in the various cultivation areas - the planning schemes operators (producers, traders and technicians) have applied for years struggle to guarantee results due to the adverse weather. Michelangelo F1 Abnormal growth leads to increasing plant problems,…

"We're expanding because we want to continue to support food service"
A 10-acre greenhouse facility in Massachusetts is providing the United States’ East Coast with “local lettuce that locals love,” according to the company’s slogan. Paul Sellew started Little Leaf Farms with the vision of supplying the East Coast with fresh, locally grown leafy greens. On February 17, the…
Bananas more »

Ecuadorian bananas need to recover markets
Ecuador has been the largest banana exporter in the world for almost 6 decades, with more than 30% of the global market share for this fruit. The European Union and the United…
Potatoes and Onions more »

© Graham Corney
Lechelle Earl - Onions AustraliaGood domestic demand for Australian onions
While the northern and eastern states of Australia have finished the onion harvest the south is in full production. South Australian and Tasmanian onion harvests are in full swing," said Onions Australia CEO, Lechelle Earl. "Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales have all finished harvesting. Onions from…
Tropical fruit more »

Crop update South American mango growing regions
The National Mango Board (NMB) projects the total volume of mangoes shipped to the United States over the next two months to be 34 percent higher year-over-year. The 2021 Guatemalan season is expected to be about 40 percent higher year-over-year compared to 2020, which was cut short due to COVID-19. The…

Mission Produce enters the mango category
Mission Produce, Inc., well-known for sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, has announced its year-round mango program. The program will incorporate ripening and distribution on a global and national scale through its advanced network. “We’re entering the mango category today as we did the…
Company news more »

Private online trading platform for fresh produce launches
Fresh produce can ‘trade smarter’ through the release of the industry’s online marketplace. ProduceIQ is a business-to-business platform for qualified growers and buyers to negotiate directly. The marketplace provides opportunities to transact with new trading partners in an efficient and safe trading…
Greenhouse more »

Cooling down a hothouse to launch Panama's strawberry cultivation
When you think of Panama and especially when you think of Panama City, strawberries might not be the first thing that come to your mind. Yet, if it’s up to the team of Ag Incotech, they will become so in the near future. The company, a developer and operator of large-scale agricultural projects, recently…
Logistics more »
Lot of food exports are getting stuck:
Pandemic ‘doom shopping’ clogs up US ports
Shipping companies are making it more difficult and costly to ship American food exports. Now, industry groups want federal regulators to clamp down on ‘unreasonable, unjust…
Machinery more »

Bringing automation to nut harvesting
The macadamia market is constantly growing: indeed, the nutritional virtues it provides makes the macadamia nut a fruit very much in demand. "The success is such that today the macadamia nut is the most expensive nut in the world with a price varying around 60$/kg (R900). This infatuation has naturally…
General fresh produce more »
State grant means good health, good economy and good for the environment
Enhancing California’s specialty crops
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program has awarded $450,000 to researchers in the UC Davis Center for Precision Medicine and…
Management more »

USDA imposes sanctions on two companies for PACA violations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on Southern Sun LLC, Woolwich, N.J., for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions…
Miscellaneous more »

"Retail prices are expected to remain high for this financial year and into the next"
Forecasts show that there is no short term end for Australia's horticulture labour shortages
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) says while the horticulture industry will suffer significantly from labour shortages, there are some opportunities from high domestic demand. A senior industry economist at ABARES, Charley Xia, told this week's Outlook 2021…
Fruit more »

Washington-grown organic produce offered year-round for fourth year
Last year, organic produce outpaced conventional produce in terms of volume and sales. “The pandemic changed consumers’ grocery shopping habits,” says Blaine Markley, director of domestic sales with Rainier Fruit Company. “As the pandemic is still affecting the way people shop, and Earth Day right around…

Jan Marc Schulz, SFI Rotterdam, the Netherlands
"The Chilean grape season ended abruptly, but no shortages on the European market"
The Chilean grape season literally ended up in the water. "For the growers, it's tragic. They had a perfect growing season. Everything was going their way until the last weekend in January. Then heavy rainfall destroyed everything," Jan Marc Schulz of SFI Rotterdam says. "Thompson grape supplies are down…

Sila Louw with Oppy in South Africa
“Our strength is to sell produce from Africa directly to North American retailers”
Oppy recently opened an office in South Africa and discusses the journey of setting foot on the African continent, combined with the immense opportunities the country offers. Having representation in South Africa had been on Oppy’s radar for several years and about five years ago, the company started…
Herbs more »

"South Africa poised to become big player in saffron market"
Plans are in place that could see South Africa becoming a significant player in the farming and export of saffron. For the South African economy, this offers an invaluable source of foreign income from exports, whilst also assisting in establishing emerging, small-scale farmers. Furthermore, it offers…
Agenda more »
March 8-12
Tomato Week covers e-commerce trends, COVID-19 and more
The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas has opened registration for Tomato Week 2021 which takes place March 8-12. The event is open to all who have an interest in…
Citrus more »

Eurostat, Comext
DG agri dashboard - Citrus fruitCurrent EU weighted average orange price €5 above 2019/2020 average
2019/2020 EU imports of saw a new high regarding oranges, at about 950,000 tonnes. the same was true for small citrus fruits, with imports coming in at about 410,000 tonnes. The current weighted average orange price per 100 kgs over the EU stands at €74. This is €5 above the 2019/2020 average and €14 above…
Exotic fruit and vegetables more »

Tim Struckman, Exotic Roots:
"With our packaging line we want to bring consumers into contact with exotics they never buy"
Starting your own business in the export of exotics during COVID times sounds like a challenge. Nevertheless, according to Tim Struckman of Exotic Roots, it is precisely now that offers opportunities for a start-up. The first shipment arrived on September 23rd 2020 and the young company is developing…

Michael Franks - Seeka
"SunGold 7-10 days advanced, Hayward same as last year"
The New Zealand kiwifruit harvest is about to begin and grower and post harvest company Seeka have been harvesting kiwiberry for a few weeks now and are on the home straight now with one orchard to go. The company's kiwifruit harvest is expected to start this Sunday in Northland at Kerikeri. "Seeka is…
Organic more »

Swedish organic goods sales trend changes: Fell for two years, now on the up again
The Swedish organic farmers' cooperative, Ekologiska Lantbrukarna, has released a new report. It shows that Swedish-produced organic food sales values have risen by SEK 133…
Health more »
University of Alberta's School of Public Health study:
'Eating fruits and vegetables reduces carcinogenic effects of red and processed meats'
Recent research led by Katerina Maximova, an adjunct professor in the University of Alberta's School of Public Health and member of the Cancer Research Institute of Northern…
IT more »

NZ: Moving tomatoes into next-gen tech
Waybeyond has launched a purpose-built mobile Crop Registration app for tomato growers, digitizing a time-consuming manual data process. “Those in the tomato business will be very familiar with Crop Registration and the task of collating that information. When we started talking to tomato growers last…
Innovations more »

Tessara Berrisys: Big difference in arrival quality of blueberries
Tessara’s launch of their Berrisys product for blueberries came at exactly the right time, when many blueberry exporters from South Africa were looking at a sea freight alternative to air freight. “It was fortunate that we had this product ready when Covid-19 impacted the world fruit industry,” says Jaco…
Processed fruit and vegetables more »
Coming up with cauliflower oatmeal
University of Michigan students launch company to promote healthy eating
A couple of student entrepreneurs wanted to promote healthier eating on the University of Michigan campus and across the community. Therefore, Jacqueline Sun and Taylor Hurley…
Cooling more »

UF/IFAS
UF/IFAS researchNew study shows why strawberries must keep (their) cool
Right about now, if you eat a Florida strawberry, odds are it’s going to taste oh-so-good. That’s no accident. Strawberries are in season, and those you see at the grocery store should be shipped and stocked at the right temperature, says a University of Florida scientist. Experts stress the word…
Food safety more »

Ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce instances of food poisoning
A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing…
Nuts and dried fruits more »

The Italian Pieve di Rivoschio Association asked the authorities for help in dealing with the emergency
Chestnuts and marrons are now facing the threat of the chestnut tortrix
A small consortium, the Associazione Marrone dolce di Pieve di Rivoschio (Sarsina) in the province of Forlì-Cesena, has asked the local and regional authorities for help in tackling the problem of the chestnut tortrix (cydia). Last year we lost 30-40 per cent of our production and this not only…
Packaging and Labelling more »

JBT Corporation acquires label inspection/verification systems provider
JBT Corporation, a global technology solutions provider to segments of the food and beverage industry, has acquired AutoCoding Systems Ltd, a provider of software solutions…
Climate more »

Onions and cabbage crops may recover from the Texas freeze
As assessments of Texas crops continue more than a week after the state was plunged into an unusual deep freeze causing significant state-wide damage, it’s becoming clear that some crops have fared better than others following the weather event. “The only thing I know that survived was onions, cabbage…
Retail more »

Dreamstime
Walmart Canada is accelerating its e-commerce expansionKroger: Strong fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020 results
US: Trader Joe’s is No. 1 in customer satisfaction, but metrics down overallFollowing 4 years of fairly steady customer satisfaction, the supermarket industry’s rating in this area has dropped 2.6% to a score of 76 out of 100, with 17 of 20 major grocers earning lower scores year over year, according to…