Tuesday, December 10, 2019

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Mike de Koster, WDK Onions:

"It would not surprise me if we break an export record"

"It is a madhouse." This is how Mike de Koster, from the packaging and sorting center WDL Onions, in Kwadendamme, summarises the current export of onions. "The demand is widespread, from Africa to Asia and Eastern Europe. Altogether we have a nice broad market. It would not surprise me if we break an…

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James Mash on the launch of MarketBuy

"We're able to finance growers and buyers on our trade platform"

The online trading platform MarketBuy launched mid-November. Now, a couple of weeks after launch, the owner of the platform looks back on what went well and what still needs to be done to make the trading platform as successful as it can be. “Absolutely nerve-wrecking,” was the initial reaction of…

"Palestine has a lot to offer the Dutch market"

Photo report: PalTrade B2B meeting held in Amsterdam

On Monday December 9th, Palestinian producers and suppliers of dates, fresh herbs, and olive oil came together to meet with various Dutch buyers at a B2B and networking event in Amsterdam. The event was put together through a cooperation between the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) and the European…

An innovative product will be available soon

Final hurdle removed for bananas in fresh-cut industry

The newest fresh-cut offerings include bananas. This fruit is very difficult to handle in the ready-to-eat segment, due to its rapid oxidation and degradation, but it was made possible by the Agribologna research and development department for the Fresco Senso brand. Desiree Magagnoli "All the new Fresco…

Christiaens Agro Systems sees customer demand for established process revived

"Renewed interest in our laser sorting system from international asparagus sector"

The laser asparagus sorting system from Christiaens Agro Systems was launched on the market in 1996: although the sorting principle of the process remains roughly the same over 20 years later, the management of the Dutch machine supplier sees renewed interest in the tried and tested process. "The user-friendliness,…

Jos Looije, Looye Kwekers:

“Make sure you sell emotion; that's how you build a good brand”

There are many tomato farmers around. Dutch growers, Looye Kwekers, are also specialized in this. Owner, Jos Looije, is not so concerned about the numbers. He is too busy developing a strong brand. "A tomato is made up of 90% water. So, you must sell an emotion to build a brand," says Jos. Building a brand…

Robert Reck-Heinrich, CargoPlast LLC:

"We offer a reasonable reusable system to a growing number of direct marketers."

Parallel to the constantly growing selection of end product packaging, the last few years have also seen some progress in the area of bulk packaging. In this market segment, too, there is a growing demand for sensible reusable solutions that combine an attractive appearance with efficiency. Above all, the…

Tomra

Sorting machine for post-harvest potatoes introduced

TOMRA Food has just introduced the TOMRA 3A, a vision sorter for the separation of a range of Foreign Material from unwashed potatoes. The Tomra 3A delivers a new level of FM sorting performance but with added features. The Tomra 3A sorter can be positioned going into or coming out of storage, where it…

Citronex to lease 4,000 sq meters for banana ripening facility in Bucharest

Citronex is set to become a tenant at MLP Bucharest West in the first quarter of 2020. MLP Group was once again assisted by Dunwell, the leading industrial real estate agency in Romania. In November this year, a distributor of bananas sold under the Yellow brand signed a contract with MLP Group to lease…

New crop potatoes are coming up soon

Smaller volumes than previous season for Greek potatoes

The 2019 season for Greek potatoes was very fulfilling, but they are already getting ready for the new crops. Whether the new season will be as good as the previous one is yet to be seen, as only certain markets are interested in the new crop potatoes. For Greek fresh produce exporter Zafirakis Fruits…

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Global Focus
Global Focus Exotic/Tropical Fruit

Exciting new ventures for Australian mango producer despite early season heatwave battles

One of Australia's leading mango producers admits they have had to work extremely hard this season to maintain quality, due to the heatwave conditions in the Northern Territory. Manbulloo is nearing the end of the season in Katherine, with its late variety, Rosa, while harvesting has recently begun in…

Remco Tielen starts Growers and More's retail division

"We are well on our way to meeting our clients demands for year-round exotics"

Remco Tielen started as Growers and More's Account Manager this week. This firm is based in Ridderkerk, the Netherlands. Remco began his career in the frozen goods industry.…

Edilson Hernandez, Prime Tropics' manager:

"Unlike other countries, Guatemala can supply finger limes throughout the whole year"

Guatemala could consolidate itself as the origin of the exotic citrus fruit known as finger lime. Prime Tropics, the Guatemalan company that specializes in exotic fruits, such as rambutan, achacha, and mangosteen, has decided to invest in the production of finger lime, an exclusive citrus fruit that is…

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Europe

2019 Total EU avocado supply update 06-12-2019

Chilean Hass exports into the EU dominate Latin American shipments

According to the updated reports, Chilean Hass exports into the EU are at 1,338,000 4-kg cartons in week 50. For Mexico, this number is 242,000 cartons. Peruvian Hass exports should be picking up the slack. Click here for a larger image. Israel sent over 530,000 cartons of Greenskins and 193,000 cartons…

"Palestine has a lot to offer the Dutch market"

Photo report: PalTrade B2B meeting held in Amsterdam

On Monday December 9th, Palestinian producers and suppliers of dates, fresh herbs, and olive oil came together to meet with various Dutch buyers at a B2B and networking event in Amsterdam. The event was put together through a cooperation between the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) and the European…

Krzysztof Sak, Agronom Berries:

"Hydroponics help us guarantee constant soft fruit supply"

Only a couple of years ago the team with Agronom Berries, one of Poland’s biggest soft fruit growers, started growing strawberries hydroponically instead of in the open field. “We thought we'd better start learning since we believe that it would become a necessity within the next decade”, says Krzysztof…

Citronex to lease 4,000 sq meters for banana ripening facility in Bucharest

Citronex is set to become a tenant at MLP Bucharest West in the first quarter of 2020. MLP Group was once again assisted by Dunwell, the leading industrial real estate agency in Romania. In November this year, a distributor of bananas sold under the Yellow brand signed a contract with MLP Group to lease…

Mike de Koster, WDK Onions:

"It would not surprise me if we break an export record"

"It is a madhouse." This is how Mike de Koster, from the packaging and sorting center WDL Onions, in Kwadendamme, summarises the current export of onions. "The demand is widespread, from Africa to Asia and Eastern Europe. Altogether we have a nice broad market. It would not surprise me if we break an…

An innovative product will be available soon

Final hurdle removed for bananas in fresh-cut industry

The newest fresh-cut offerings include bananas. This fruit is very difficult to handle in the ready-to-eat segment, due to its rapid oxidation and degradation, but it was made possible by the Agribologna research and development department for the Fresco Senso brand. Desiree Magagnoli "All the new Fresco…

Richard Strijbis, Tovano:

"Far fewer Californian walnuts available, but dates selling like hot cakes"

Dutch wholesaler, Tovano, has had Diamond walnuts in their assortment for a few weeks now. This year, however, their Californian supplier has had to deal with a disappointing harvest. There were various reasons for this. "This year's pricing is, therefore, very different from last year," says Richard…

Morocco becomes the number one supplier

Spanish cucumber imports have quadrupled in ten years

The Spanish import of cucumbers has quadrupled over the last ten seasons, from 1.87 million kilos in the 2009/2010 campaign to 8.33 million kilos in the 2018/2019 season, according to data from the Estacom statistical service (Icex-Tax Agency) corresponding to the period between September 1, 2018 and…

"The map of crops in Europe will change as a result of climate change"

The Center for Studies and Research for the Management of Agricultural and Environmental Risks (Ceigram) has predicted that “the map of crops in Europe will change as a result…

Citrus warehouse worker in Castellon dies because of legionella

A worker from a citrus warehouse in the Castellon municipality of Nules died on Friday, December 6, at the Hospital La Fe in Valencia, where she was admitted because of a…

Pitapalma

Successful conclusion for La Palma's first pitahaya campaign

The Canary pitahaya campaign has just come to a close in La Palma. The Pitapalma association, which brings the island's producers of this tropical fruit together, initially marketed its production in La Palma; then it started shipping to other islands, such as Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Later, the fruit…

Spanish group Royal SAT expects to increase its turnover by 10% thanks to berries

The Sevillian group Royal SAT, based in the town of San José de la Rinconada, is a leading name in the European fresh fruit market. It is devoted to the production and marketing of stone fruit and berries, especially blueberries and raspberries, of which it has its own varieties thanks to genetic…

What's the difference between a kaki and a Persimmon?

Kakis are one of the flagship products of the season, but fans have certainly wondered: what is the difference between a kaki and a Persimmon? The difference is actually…

Avocados are highly coveted by thieves in Spain

Thefts happen regularly in Andalusian avocado farms, mostly due to the high prices that this fruit reaches in the markets. Avocado producers in the Axarquía, in Malaga, have been denouncing this for years. The area's climatic conditions are almost perfect for the production of avocados; consequently, the…

Production is threatened

Spanish Hass avocado flowering advanced by climate change

Researchers at the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture (IHSM) La Mayora have confirmed that in recent years, the flowering of the most marketed avocado variety worldwide, the Hass, has been advanced by climate change. In the study, carried out by researchers Iñaki Hormaza and Librada…

Reduction of cherimoya acreage in southern Spain

Tropical fruits like avocados, mangoes or loquat have been gaining ground on cherimoyas in the province of Malaga, even though there are still some productive areas in the municipalities of Nerja, Frigiliana, Torrox, Algarrobo and Vélez-Málaga. However, this reduction of the acreage is not happening only…

Urban farming concept also well received abroad

Berlin Start-up Infarm conquers USA

Fresh herbs and lettuce, available to the customer without long delivery routes. This is Infarm's idea. With the Urban Farming concept, the German start-up is currently conquering the USA. A far-reaching partnership with supermarket chain Kroger is planned. Click here for a short clip (German spoken). 'In the…

Karlsruhe restaurant supplier Baris Karaman relies on continuous capacity expansion

"We've increased our sales by 60-70 percent over the past two years."

In 2003, Baris Karaman from Karlsruhe started the wholesale company carrying his name at the local wholesale market. After working mainly as a middleman for about 12 years, he took over the supply of regional gastronomers in 2015. Since then, he has quickly made a name for himself in the urban environment…

Christiaens Agro Systems sees customer demand for established process revived

"Renewed interest in our laser sorting system from international asparagus sector"

The laser asparagus sorting system from Christiaens Agro Systems was launched on the market in 1996: although the sorting principle of the process remains roughly the same over 20 years later, the management of the Dutch machine supplier sees renewed interest in the tried and tested process. "The user-friendliness,…

Robert Reck-Heinrich, CargoPlast LLC:

"We offer a reasonable reusable system to a growing number of direct marketers."

Parallel to the constantly growing selection of end product packaging, the last few years have also seen some progress in the area of bulk packaging. In this market segment, too, there is a growing demand for sensible reusable solutions that combine an attractive appearance with efficiency. Above all, the…

“A balanced campaign for French potatoes”

The French production of storage potatoes reaches 6,341,400 tons this year, compared to 5,962,000 in 2018, which represents a 6% increase in one year. Last year, the production had been strongly impacted by the lower average yield.  The surface areas, which cover 148,290 ha, had increased again by 2.1% in one…

Jos Looije, Looye Kwekers:

“Make sure you sell emotion; that's how you build a good brand”

There are many tomato farmers around. Dutch growers, Looye Kwekers, are also specialized in this. Owner, Jos Looije, is not so concerned about the numbers. He is too busy developing a strong brand. "A tomato is made up of 90% water. So, you must sell an emotion to build a brand," says Jos. Building a brand…

Stuck to the wall, tomato and bell pepper suddenly became very expensive

“We can do that too,” people must have thought when they saw a banana taped to a wall as an art piece by a creative comedian. That is what Jelte van Kammen of Harvest House, Westland Peppers and Kwekerij Moors wanted to put to the test. Pepers in doos, te koop voor €120000,Chilipeppers in box, for sale €120000, #realart…

Papaya crop an alternative for intensive horticultural production of Almeria

The high-yield agricultural model in Almería is based on eight different crops grown under plastic greenhouses: tomato, sweet pepper, cucumber, courgette, aubergine, green…

New compliance platform for companies in fruit and vegetables launched

Customer and certifier requirements on compliance for agricultural products are increasing constantly. In order to ensure compliance with all requirements, each year…

New crop potatoes are coming up soon

Smaller volumes than previous season for Greek potatoes

The 2019 season for Greek potatoes was very fulfilling, but they are already getting ready for the new crops. Whether the new season will be as good as the previous one is yet to be seen, as only certain markets are interested in the new crop potatoes. For Greek fresh produce exporter Zafirakis Fruits…

James Mash on the launch of MarketBuy

"We're able to finance growers and buyers on our trade platform"

The online trading platform MarketBuy launched mid-November. Now, a couple of weeks after launch, the owner of the platform looks back on what went well and what still needs to be done to make the trading platform as successful as it can be. “Absolutely nerve-wrecking,” was the initial reaction of…

Luzon Strait with 9,000 pallets of Caribbean bananas

First Geest ship docks in Portsmouth since company returned operations

A Geest Line ship has docked in Portsmouth harbour for the first time since the company announced its return to the city. The Luzon Strait arrived last week carrying 9,000 pallets of bananas from the Caribbean, following a nine-day journey. Geest Line announced it was moving its operations back to…

Tomra

Sorting machine for post-harvest potatoes introduced

TOMRA Food has just introduced the TOMRA 3A, a vision sorter for the separation of a range of Foreign Material from unwashed potatoes. The Tomra 3A delivers a new level of FM sorting performance but with added features. The Tomra 3A sorter can be positioned going into or coming out of storage, where it…

Port of Dover opens new cargo terminal

Dover Cargo Terminal West is now completely operational after five years in the making. Nik Scott-Gray, General Manager of Port of Dover Cargo Ltd said: “Today heralds an exciting new chapter for Port of Dover Cargo – it’s amazing to see the new terminal fully functional and processing such a large variety…

Oceania

Apple and Pear Australia CEO Philip Turnbull

"10 years from now, the apple and pear industry will operate completely differently"

2019 has seen the first phase of APAL’s five-year Industry Strategy to rebuild export excellence, build industry intelligence and data, lift industry capability, and bolster…

Clarification on NZ Government's position on plastic fruit stickers

Peak industry body, HortNZ says it has had clarification from the Ministry for the Environment that no decisions on the future of plastic fruit stickers have been made by the…

Australia: Drought and fires

2019 has been another tough year for Australian farmers. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 2018 was the third hottest year on record for the nation, as rainfall deficiencies spanned back to early 2017 for New South Wales, Queensland and South Australian parts of the Murray–Darling Basin. In addition, November 2019…

World

World Markets and Trade - Apples, Grapes and Pears

World pear production 2019/20 forecast up to 23.1 mln tons

World production of fresh pears for 2019/20 is forecast up 13 percent to a record 23.1 million tons as gains in China more than offset weather-induced losses in the European Union. Higher output in China is expected to boost global trade. China’s production is projected to rebound from last years’…

Retail

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