OVERVIEW GLOBAL GARLIC MARKET

On the global garlic market, prices are currently rising, mainly in Europe. The Spanish harvest has suffered a lot from the weather this year, resulting in a significant reduction in the production. The demand has risen sharply, especially in North America, where it has doubled in Canada and increased by as much as 70% in the…

USHBC to focus on expanding overseas demand for US blueberries in 2021

The US domestic blueberry season will start back up in a few months, in March of 2021 with Florida’s production. With the Vietnamese market being opened to fresh blueberries from the US in 2019 and the Philippine and Chinese markets being opened this year in 2020, the exports from the US are on the rise.…

Low supplies and high prices on cauliflower

Cauliflower supplies continue to be slim, though that’s likely to change as Yuma, AZ gets going in its production. “Supplies of cauliflower have been extremely short the past few weeks,” says Michelle Georgalos, sales and cauliflower commodity manager for D’Arrigo California based in Salinas, CA. She…

New peppers: All the sweet and none of the heat

All the sweet and none of the heat! With 8,000 full-time, hardworking Associates, NatureSweet® has launched Dulce Italiano Sweet Peppers. "Like all peppers, NatureSweet’s offer that satisfying crunch and health perks, but instead of spice ‘n’ heat, the Dulce Italianos are just as sweet as can be. Perfect…

USDA announces National Mango Board appointments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the appointment of seven members to serve on the National Mango Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms, from Jan. 1,…

P.E.I. Potato Board elects new executive

During the board of director’s Nov. 20 meeting, it was decided that Jason Hayden will continue in the role of chairman of the P.E.I. Potato Board. Hayden has been on the board…

USDA restricts PACA violators in California, Florida and Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased…

No storm damage to Honduran sweet potatoes, first arrivals Jan/Feb

Honduras has had to cope with two major storms in recent weeks, Eta at the beginning of November and Lota a couple of weeks later, which caused rising river levels, flooding, and landslides. Despite the damage caused in some parts of the country, Ian Crispin, Commercial Director at Pacific Produce Ltd…

Chilean cherries arrive in Vietnam for the first time

The Chilean Cherry Committee, ProChile, and the Chilean Embassy in Vietnam launched their first marketing campaign in Vietnam. The activity focused on supporting and celebrating these first exports to this important Asian market. Chile achieved access for its cherries last month, marking a new milestone…

"Interestingly our customers have been prepared to pay more to get our product"

One of Australia's leading mango producers is operating on lower margins on export sales in this COVID-19 affected year, to ensure its international customers can continue to get supply, especially where the demand is very high. Managing Director at Manbulloo, Marie Piccone says, like many other…

New sales record for 2020 Ecuadorian bananas

Ecuador has been doing relatively well when it comes to banana exports. Although the second half of 2020 quantities have dropped compared to last year, the first half of the season saw an increase in exports of both conventional and organic bananas. Naturally, the statement made by Aldi regarding lower…

Latin American banana pickers reject the price war declared by ALDI

In the price negotiations for the coming year, ALDI (Europe) has announced it will reduce the contract price per banana crate from 12.41 Euro to 11.33 Euro. Thus Aldi again…

“European demand for organic Fairtrade bananas has been increasing”

The market for Fairtrade and organic bananas has been growing in recent years. Dominican banana producer association BanaSplash works almost exclusively with Fairtrade and organic bananas and are seeing an increase in demand. “BanaSplash was founded in 2018 by twelve banana producers from the banana…

No storm damage to Honduran sweet potatoes, first arrivals Jan/Feb

Honduras has had to cope with two major storms in recent weeks, Eta at the beginning of November and Lota a couple of weeks later, which caused rising river levels, flooding, and landslides. Despite the damage caused in some parts of the country, Ian Crispin, Commercial Director at Pacific Produce Ltd…

"Interestingly our customers have been prepared to pay more to get our product"

One of Australia's leading mango producers is operating on lower margins on export sales in this COVID-19 affected year, to ensure its international customers can continue to get supply, especially where the demand is very high. Managing Director at Manbulloo, Marie Piccone says, like many other…

Export of Muthalamada mangoes starting early

The export of mangoes from ‘Mango City’ Muthalamada, a month earlier than usual, has given high hopes to thousands of growers who have had it quite hard over the last two…

Air New Zealand awarded more international cargo flights

Air New Zealand has been awarded more international cargo flights under the International Air Freight Capacity (IAFC) Scheme. This comes after the Government announced Phase…

Kenya Airways Cargo starts direct flights to key locations across the globe

Kenya Airways (KQ) has started direct cargo flights from Mombasa to various destinations across the world. KQ Cargo will initially run one weekly flight from Mombasa to…

Innovation for bell pepper grading

Bell peppers can now be graded automatically and precisely thanks to Bulltec. Master Fruit from Licata (Agrigento) chose this technology for a number of reasons. "Master Fruit focuses on innovation and needed a customized line for the electronic grading of bell peppers. The system is made up of different…

USDA restricts PACA violators in California, Florida and Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased…

USDA announces National Mango Board appointments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the appointment of seven members to serve on the National Mango Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms, from Jan. 1,…

Chinese yuan eases on corporate US dollar demand

The yuan has inched lower against the dollar, pressured by seasonal corporate demand for the latter while many investors cautiously awaited more clues on US president-elect…

End of UK–EU transition period and consequences for South African trade

On January 1 this year, the UK left the European Union. That day also inaugurated the start of a transition period, during which the UK remained part of the EU customs union…

P.E.I. Potato Board elects new executive

During the board of director’s Nov. 20 meeting, it was decided that Jason Hayden will continue in the role of chairman of the P.E.I. Potato Board. Hayden has been on the board…

"Closure of hospitality industry affects unusual herb varieties more than anything"

Over the years, freshly cut domestic herbs have gained a high status in the German specialized trade. Parsley, chives, basil, etc. are becoming more and more popular both in the wholesale and the retail trade. However, the current closure of the hospitality industry has a noticeable effect on wholesale…

Second annual Washington Apple Week to span nineteen countries

The Washington Apple Commission announced that Nov. 28 through Dec. 6th will be the second annual celebration of Washington Apple Week. The global event will span nineteen…

"Health Star Rating credibility broken beyond repair"

Citrus Australia is shocked and disappointed with today’s decision by State Ministers to endorse a Health Star Rating system that gives diet coke a higher rating than fresh…

Nepal: Eastern hills growers produce oranges worth Rs 1 billion

Nepal’s eastern hill region is expected to produce oranges worth Rs1 billion (€7.1 mln), despite a sharp drop in production this year, expected to turn out at 25 percent.…

Azerbaijan: Citrus yield up

According to Head of the Fruit Growing Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Surkhay Novruzov, the yield of citrus fruits has gone up in Azerbaijan. Novruzov states that the increase in yields…

"The volumes of French kiwifruit are limited"

The French kiwifruit harvest is in full swing. At SIKIG, sales will start in a week. “We are very happy with the quality. We are harvesting fruits with a high Brix. However, when it comes to quantity, the French are disappointed. All the production areas have fewer fruits than expected,” reports Pascale Begoulle…

“Turkey’s kiwi production is up 300% compared to10 years ago”

One of Turkey’s lesser known export products is the kiwi, as about 90% of the production is destined to the local market. The volumes for export are growing every year though, and according to one exporter it’s growing at almost double the rate of any other kiwi producing country. It’s their hope that…

"We saw a very interesting market niche for Spanish exotic fruits such as citrus caviar, kumquat and pitaya"

The innovation in the supply and the development of new product lines, as well as the objective of offering a unique service, have led The Fresh Co. to launch a new line of exotics. "It is a step we considered taking about 9 months ago," says Leonardo Juárez, manager of this Spanish company devoted to the…

Georgia exported more than 7,800 tons of persimmons since start of season

According to the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, the nation exported 7,824 tons of persimmons (including the kinglet variety) from 1 August 2020 to 23…

Passion fruit to boost heart health and immune system

Passion fruit is found to have a multitude of health benefits. For one thing, the edible flesh and seeds contain powerful antioxidants and other nutrients to boost the immune…

Cutting edge agricultural robots offer a low-cost lifeline to UK farmers

Senior Robotics Technician Jake Shaw-Sutton, and his startup company Robotriks, have developed the Robotriks Traction Unit.The Robotriks RTU platform can be fitted with a range of traditional and high-tech attachments for use on farms.  A low-cost robotic platform which can be fitted with almost any agricultural…

Troy Foods: Ready-to-eat vegetable processing facility completed in the UK

Through the completion of a fourth site in Yorkshire, vegetable, salad and mayonnaise producer Troy Foods has now expanded its operations. Supported by a £500,000 investment…

Non-toxic crop protection spray gains certification for EU, Japanese and Costa Rican organic standards

The interest in the agricultural sector to change the methods of pest control to more environmentally friendly methods has been increasing worldwide. In 2017, the Costa Rican company ClearLeaf launched operations and since then they have designed and developed four distinct products, as well as validated…

Zip Top

Zip Top launches products in Australia

A game-changing range of storage containers that can be zipped up has launched its products in Australia. Zip Top was created after founder Rebecca Finnell discovered a lack of variety in the storage container market. The company’s 'Zip Top' containers have been designed with a flat base to stand up when…

Low supplies and high prices on cauliflower

Cauliflower supplies continue to be slim, though that’s likely to change as Yuma, AZ gets going in its production. “Supplies of cauliflower have been extremely short the past few weeks,” says Michelle Georgalos, sales and cauliflower commodity manager for D’Arrigo California based in Salinas, CA. She…

"The shortage of Spanish garlic has been accentuated by abundant speculation"

The abundant and persistent rains a few days before the start of the garlic harvest in the main producing areas of Spain caused significant losses in the production volumes this summer. The excess moisture during the harvesting period also caused many problems in the garlic's skin, causing the supply of…

Arequipa concentrates 68% of Peru's garlic production

Arequipa, which produces more than 56,000 tons of garlic per year, is Peru's largest garlic producing region, concentrating 68% of the national production. However, only 30%…

New peppers: All the sweet and none of the heat

All the sweet and none of the heat! With 8,000 full-time, hardworking Associates, NatureSweet® has launched Dulce Italiano Sweet Peppers. "Like all peppers, NatureSweet’s offer that satisfying crunch and health perks, but instead of spice ‘n’ heat, the Dulce Italianos are just as sweet as can be. Perfect…

"CTU welcomes living wage for fruit pickers"

The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming today's announcement by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor that the 2000 people from the…

Simply Fresh receives ‘Telangana Best Brand Award’ from CMO Asia

Indian greenhouse growers Simply Fresh, has been awarded the ‘Telangana Best Brand’ award by CMO Asia ‘2020. The award was presented at a virtual ceremony. The awards recognize, identify, and celebrate outstanding brand building & marketing initiatives by organizations, individuals, and teams for their…

"Quality, convenience and variety has meant we have retained a substantial loyal customer base"

Back in January, Will Box and his business partner, Jonny Honeyman, had the idea to start a home & office delivery service delivering fruit and veg boxes - BoxedFresh - which would run alongside the wholesale business InterFresh. “I suppose the idea came from the requests I always had from friends and…

Morocco forecasts successful agricultural export campaign

Despite the current pandemic and persistent droughts, the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture projects a promising 2020-2021 export agricultural campaign. Last Wednesday, the…

Coastal growers in Pakistan put their hopes in tomatoes and chillis

Pakistan’s coastal growers expect to get good revenues from their tomato and chilli crops, still standing in the fields. Both the valuable crops require some more days to…

Myanmar market offers wide selection of farm-fresh and certified-safe fruit and veg

In Nat Mauk Street -near Yangon’s Kandawgyi Lake- there is a weekend market that has more than meets the eye. This weekly agro-bazaar offers a wide selection of farm-fresh and…

Russia bans greenhouse tomatoes & peppers from Uzbekistan’s Fergana region

Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, has issued a statement that is amounting to a ban on the import of greenhouse…

1,186 tons of blueberries exported from Argentina in week 47

Argentina has started its blueberry export season 2020. This year Argentina will continue being focused on preserving quality and ensuring the sweetness that makes its fruit stand out in the productions of the region. It will also focus on the production of organic blueberries and on increasing the sea…

"Pear varieties vary in sensitivity towards fresh-keeping products"

Pear is a climacteric fruit with a post-harvest ripening period, and is very sensitive to temperature and ethylene. If not dealt with in time after harvest, the ethylene in the fruit will increase rapidly at room temperature, and respiration will grow significantly. After reaching the peak of…

USHBC to focus on expanding overseas demand for US blueberries in 2021

The US domestic blueberry season will start back up in a few months, in March of 2021 with Florida’s production. With the Vietnamese market being opened to fresh blueberries from the US in 2019 and the Philippine and Chinese markets being opened this year in 2020, the exports from the US are on the rise.…

Chilean cherries arrive in Vietnam for the first time

The Chilean Cherry Committee, ProChile, and the Chilean Embassy in Vietnam launched their first marketing campaign in Vietnam. The activity focused on supporting and celebrating these first exports to this important Asian market. Chile achieved access for its cherries last month, marking a new milestone…

Michoacan leads Mexico's pear production

The state of Michoacan leads Mexico's pear production. According to data from the Secretariat for Rural and Agricultural Food Development (Sedrua), this entity produces…

Mexican grape imports decrease by 23.9%

According to data from the Mexican Ministry of Economy, Mexican grape imports between January and July 2020 registered a year-on-year fall of 23.9%, totaling 50.3 million…

Dreemfruit picks the first flat peaches in a delayed season

The stonefruit season started around ten days late at Dreemfruit – a frustrating wait, notes Breede River Valley stonefruit farmer Leonard Droomer, but the results have been worthwhile with good volumes and good quality expected on this year’s peaches and nectarines. Their main focus is local retail…

Moldova 2020 apple harvest notably lower than forecasts

Recent calculations from several organisations of agricultural producers -working with the Ministry of Agriculture of Moldova and local authorities- showed that this year’s…

Agri-food sector trusts that government will defend Mexican berries from US threats

President of the National Agricultural Council (CNA), Bosco de la Vega, has stated that at a time when trade blocs are emerging in Asia, North America needs to think about…

The Chilean Organic Producers Cooperative is born

The Chilean Organic Producers Cooperative, Organicoop, whose mission is to be recognized as Chile's most reputable producer and supplier cooperative of organic products, was…

Launch of the Fruitobox digital marketplace

The numerous players and operators in the fruit and vegetable sector and the dynamism of this industry make having a reliable platform the concentrates the supply and provides quick and effective solutions an essential tool. According to Sebastián Cuesta, CEO of the project, this is the idea behind…

Straight to the Source launches online directory

Looking for locally sourced green garlic powder, pastured pork, small-batch craft spirits or Aussie-grown cocoa? Industry leaders are making the fine food forage even easier…

Isolcell equips existing cooling cells with ethylene absorption machine

For Isolcell, innovation is more than just the introduction of new products. It is also about improving and further developing already existing solutions. The company, which is based in the South Tyrol region, is specialized in modified and controlled atmosphere for the storage of fruit and vegetables.…

Ukrainian walnut exporters affected by pandemic

Analysts say the revenue from the export of Ukrainian walnuts in 2020 decreased by 19% in the first 9 months of this year. During this period, the export of nuts in shell and…

Hurricane Iota causes shipping delays for produce out of Guatemala and Honduras

This week, Central America faced another hurricane only two weeks after Hurricane Eta raged through the region. Making landfall on Monday evening in Nicaragua, Hurricane Iota moved through Honduras and eventually dissipated in El Salvador. While Iota was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly after…

Shipt: First-of-its-kind partnership with Midtown Global Market

US: Meijer surprises more than 200 customers with free grocery pickup orderBusy customers picking up groceries at their local Meijer stores were welcomed with a pleasant holiday surprise. While parked at their designated Pickup spot, Meijer team members rolled out their orders and - from a socially-safe…

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