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Vertically cultivated mushrooms are blossoming in Brussels’ cellars

“Once the summer break is over, our 10 growing rooms, consisting of 1000m2 in total, will be fully occupied and deliver 1000kg of mushrooms a month in total for 4000kg coffee grounds recycled,” says Julie Jacqmain, Production and communication manager at Permafungi. “About four rooms are in use now, as…

A scientific approach to managing Panama TR4 in bananas

An independently commissioned review into Panama disease tropical race 4 (Panama TR4) in Far North Queensland has provided a list of research priorities to help guide industry to manage the disease in the long term. Panama TR4 destruction zoneDepartment of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Chief Biosecurity…

AI tool for diagnosing potato diseases

Potato growers need to identify and manage diseases in their fields, so the AI-powered mobile app PlantVillage Nuru has been expanded to include them also. More than two…

Fair Trade avocado program returns for second year

Supplies of Fair Trade avocados will see a slightly later start next month following the rains Mexico has been seeing. Los Angeles, CA-based Giumarra Companies began its Fair Trade avocado program last year and is going to bring in similar volumes this season. The avocados will be available until May.…

Ginger Covid hype subsides, leaving an oversupplied market

The ginger market, last year buoyed by people’s search for immunity-boosting foods against Covid, has dropped back to pre-Covid demand levels and below, as the KwaZulu-Natal looting bit into ginger demand in that province.Hans Schroeder, head of production (macadamias, avocados and ginger) at Macview in…

A busy month ahead for Darwin's mango growers as production heads towards its peak of the season

The Darwin mango season is significantly ramping up, with volumes passing 200,000 trays dispatched to market for the first time this year. The Australian Mango Industry Association's (AMIA) crop flow data forecast that production in the region will reach its peak of 715,000 trays from the region in late…

Focus on growth of the category of fruit and vegetables and integrated relationships with customers

Greenyard’s extraordinary and annual general shareholders’ meeting were held on Friday 17 September 2021 under the chairmanship of Mr. Koen Hoffman, Chairman of the Board of…

Controlled Environment Agriculture expected to rapidly grow in the next 10 years

Last week, one of the educational sessions at the Organic Produce Summit included a panel discussion on the Growth of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA): What’s Real and What’s Hype? One thing all participants agreed on, is that CEA is here to stay. Moderated by Walter Robb, former co-CEO of Whole Foods…

Singamas back in profit in the first half as container demand soars

Pacific International Lines’ subsidiary Singamas Container Holdings, the world’s fourth largest container manufacturer, recorded a US$66.51 million profit for 1H 2021,…

Another cyber attack challenges CMA CGM

CMA CGM has suffered another cyber attack in less than one year from the previous security breach, which hit the company's peripheral servers and caused severe challenges in…

49 cargo vessels outside LB/LA port complex

Current port delays on the US West Coast are contributing to the extraordinary lack of available vessel capacity that we are currently seeing globally, which is putting…

"The industry has understood that automation is a necessity to ensure survival"

This year, Maf Roda Agrobotic will again attend Fruit Attraction, where it will showcase its innovations in sizers, quality systems and solutions for fruit and vegetable facilities. The multinational is facing the new season with great enthusiasm, given the growing demand for process automation in the…

Kubota and Yamaha Motor invest in US startup developing robots to automate strawberry harvesting

Kubota Corporation and the Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. have additionally invested in U.S. startup Advanced Farm Technologies. AFT is a U.S.-based startup seeking to raise efficiency in the agriculture field by developing and manufacturing robots for strawberry harvesting. Their TX robotic strawberry harvester…

The challenge to change: the future of Asia’s fresh produce business

The fresh produce business is changing rapidly – not only in Asia, but also worldwide – and the coronavirus outbreak has further accelerated the changes. On 28 September, Jan Doldersum, Chain and Retail Manager at Rijk Zwaan, will participate in a panel discussion with two other experts. They will talk…

The impacts of drought are already here

This summer, onion farmers in eastern Oregon and western Idaho faced a double threat to their livelihood. Even though most farmers had access to plenty of irrigation water, a lack of spring rain and hotter-than-normal summer temperatures hampered production.A dry spring resulted in fewer onions…

Russia extends embargo on fruit and vegetables from the EU, US, Australia, Canada and Ukraine

Moscow extended an embargo on foods from the United States and the European Union until December 2022, in response to several countries' sanctions on Russia, according to a…

Has COVID-19 changed our shopping habits forever?

Grocery shopping trends over the past few years have focused on the latest ‘superfood’ or diet and lifestyle craze, but this year research commissioned by United Fresh shows…

Taiwan’s FM condemns ‘hostile’ fruit import ban from China

Taiwan’s foreign minister said Sunday that a new tropical fruit import ban by China was a “hostile move”, amid souring relations between the two governments. Chinese customs…

Can Tomatoes Grow on the Moon?

Mankind has always been fascinated by the universe. Scientists are always trying to learn more and more about the universe. However, with a size of more than 46,000 million light-years (equivalent to…

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Why do we remember the location of potato chips better than apples?

An increasing number of people in the western world are overweight. Why? Scientists have been seeking an answer to this question for some time now. Researcher Rachelle de Vries sheds (quite) some light: we may be pre-programmed. That is: we remember better where to find food that is rich in calories than…

"This year, the yields and the quality of the Italia variety grapes are extraordinary"

"This year, the yields and the quality of the Italia variety grapes are extraordinary, as well as the crispness and size of the berries. Compared to last year, we have 20% more product on the plants, while the sugar level is easily reaching 18°Brix (for some lots even 20°Brix), with berries that do not…

Zero residue blueberries are leading to a major leap forward

The Italian soft fruit sector is recovering after the 2020 pandemic. One company that has not been affected by the situation and has not been inactive is the Sant'Orsola cooperative, which has introduced several new crops to the market. Director Matteo Bortolini talked about it. FreshPlaza (FP): When did…

Quality is made in the field but a new base variety is needed

2021 is not a standard year, as nectarine prices are very high in this period too due to the lack of produce in northern Italy caused by the frost. Romagna Mia is currently being harvested, a late nectarine variety that combines large grades with a good organoleptic flavor. "It is a white nectarine that…

Apple auctions - prices slightly higher than 2020

"We can say we are very pleased with how apple auctions have gone so far. The Gala auction has ended and the market responded very well, with prices slightly over those of 2020. Quantities were 10% higher than expected and 5% more than in 2020," reports Markus Tscholl, coordinator of Asta Frutta Alto…

Eastern apples now available

As Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, knows, apples and autumn go hand in hand. Crisp, juicy apples have long been part of Keystone's history. Established in 1977, Keystone got its start marketing local Pennsylvania apples and since then has earned a reputation as a reliable produce industry partner…

Iran intends to export two million tons of fruit

Head of Tehran Fruit and Vegetable Traders Union has said his union is planning to export over two million tons of fruits in the current Iranian calendar year (ends in March…

High stocks, low prices, pessimistic expectations in Chinese apple market

Apple market in China: by EastFruit20 Sep 2021 According to EastFruit analysts, participants in the Chinese fresh apple market expect a difficult season. Despite the USDA’s…

Dayton apple yields are 20% lower after summer heat wave

While most newly picked apples from local orchards have a healthy sheen ready for market, crop yields are 20% lower because of the June heat wave. The damage reveals itself on…

Florida blueberry growers remain cautiously optimistic

Increased blueberry imports may have snatched away some of Florida growers’ market share, but they haven’t taken away the producers’ optimistic outlook. That’s evident with…

Buurma Farms Inc. recalls plain (Flat) parsley due to possible health risks

Buurma Farms Inc. of Willard, OH, is voluntarily recalling 320 boxes of its Plain Parsley after testing showed possible contamination with Shiga-toxin producing E.coli. The product being recalled is Buurma Plain (flat leaf) Parsley with a harvest date of August 30, 2021 from their Gregory, Michigan…

A look at the 2021 Asia Horticulture, Vegetables and Fruit Technology Expo

The 2021 Asian Horticulture, Vegetables and Fruit Expo took place in the World Expo Center in Qingdao on September 15-17. At this expo were gathered, the foremost specialists in the installation horticulture industry. The expo was centered around specialized B2B displays of fruit and vegetable plantation…

United Fresh conference to feature senior White House adviser as keynote today

Senior Adviser to President Biden and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Cedric Richmond, will keynote today’s luncheon general session at 11:30 am ET…

Soil health practices workshop added onto Organic Grower Summit

An in-depth workshop on soil health practices and strategies employed in organic production systems that can build resilience to climate shock has been announced as part of the 2021 Organic Grower Summit (OGS) presented by Western Growers and the Organic Produce Network educational program, slated for…

Fruit importer launches Breast Cancer Awareness Month-related sweepstakes

LGS Specialty Sales, an importer of citrus, avocados, grapes and persimmons, is launching its “One Step at a Time” consumer sweepstakes to elevate the limited-time pink…

Lemon harvest in California desert starts this week

California lemons start harvesting out of the desert this week. “The desert supply in our minds is the start of the 2021-2022 season and we started harvesting a bit last week out of Coachella Valley. Then this week we’ll be size picking strongly for the first six to eight weeks to go through the crop,”…

Organic apple and pear distribution increases

Honeybear Brands kicked off its organic apple and pear harvest last month and expects to complete domestic harvest in October. As more of its organic trees come into production this season, Honeybear will have a significantly larger domestic organic crop. Organic Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fujis,…

SEPC sends water to aid in Hurricane Ida disaster relief

As part of its SEPC Cares initiative, the Southeast Produce Council is partnering with the Society of St. Andrew and Publix Super Markets to deliver a straight load of…

Hectre sets new record with fruit sizing app

In one single day, Hectre’s early fruit sizing tool, Spectre, has captured more images than were captured in the entire 2020 New Zealand apple harvest. “We’re absolutely blown away! When that result came through from our Spectre development team, the entire Hectre team was simply ecstatic,” says Hectre…

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AI technology gaining popularity in China

Intelligent agricultural machinery is now seen in farmlands across China. With the in-depth integration of AI into agriculture, farm work is becoming increasingly intelligent and more efficient, while agricultural production modes grow more effective. In Zhaoxian county, north China’s Hebei province, two…

McDonalds starts offering plant-based burger in the UK and Ireland

McDonald’s UK&I has announced a trial for its first ever plant-based burger – the McPlant – which delivers the same taste and experience one would expect from a McDonald’s…

Cool Logistics Global 2021: full agenda announced

The Cool Logistics Global Conference and Exhibition have released the Agenda for the 13th edition - the only international event this year for the perishables trade, cold…

Jongilpoom brand Enoki Mushroom recalled due to Listeria

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled the Jongilpoom brand Enoki Mushrooms due to Listeria monocytogenes. The product was recalled on September 16, 2021 Covic…

2.7% increase in walnut production, exports 150,000 MT

Post estimates 152,000 MT of walnut production for MY2021/22, a 2.7 percent increase over MY2020/21 following an increase in planted area. Walnut exports are estimated at 150,000 MT in-shell basis, which represents a 3.4 percent increase over MY2020/21. Export estimates assume resolution of the logistical…

Fruit shipper implements Material Recyclability Index

Copefrut, a Chilean company, has developed a Material Recyclability Index, a measure that seeks to understand the capacity of packaging to be integrated into recycling flows. “This quantifies the recyclability of packaging, considering not only what type of materials are being used, but also how they…

Storm destroys agricultural infrastructure and citrus and vegetable crops in the north of Castellon

Ava-Asaja warned that the storm that hit the Region of Valencia, which brought torrential rains, lightning and strong wind gusts, has caused localized damage to the agricultural sector, especially in the Castellon region of Baix Maestrat and in the northern part of the term of Vinaròs, bordering Alcanar,…