Prices strengthening on Brussels sprouts

Supplies of Brussels sprouts out of Mexico are strong. “We have promotional volume on both organic and conventional Brussels sprouts. We have triple the amount of surface planted for this season on organic and doubled the conventional plantings,” says Jorge Bastidas, commodity manager at Alpine Fresh…

World Banana Day: celebrating the second most consumed fruit in the world

Hundreds of millions of people and their communities across the world rely on banana production for their livelihoods, and the enormous volume of bananas produced globally should provide these people with a fair income and a dignified lifestyle. The banana is a true world food, consumed universally as a…

USDA

US: Northwest Region potato stocks on April 1, 2021 at 87.7 million cwt

Potato stocks in Idaho on April 1, 2021 totaled 51.0 million cwt. Disappearance of the Idaho crop to date was 83.8 million cwt. April 1 potato stocks in Oregon totaled 5.70 million cwt. Disappearance to date was 21.3 million cwt. In Washington, April 1 potato stocks totaled 31.0 million cwt.…

Mango consumption in the US is expected to double in the next ten years

Mango has become a fashionable fruit and it is highly valued by North American consumers. In fact, due to the pandemic, consumers have become more demanding and are opting for…

Fall and winter holidays drive higher avocado sales

Holiday avocado sales continued growing as shoppers purchased a record number of fresh Hass avocados during the 2020 fall and winter holidays. The Hass Avocado Board’s…

No Indian mangoes for the US - second year in a row

For the second consecutive year, Indian mangoes will be absent from US retail markets. First, the Covid-19 pandemic hampered exports last year. This year, the failure of the…

Sandía Fashion reinforces its commitment to comply with the United Nations SDG 2030

"A society is defined by what it creates and by what it refuses to destroy (John C. Sawhill)." This quote of the former CEO of The Nature Conservancy and president of the University of New York illustrates the commitment of Sandia Fashion®, a watermelon brand of the AGF Group, to sustainability. The…

Biotalys appoints new chairman of the board

Biotalys, an AgTech company addressing food protection challenges to enable a more sustainable and safer food supply, has appointed Simon Moroney as chairman of the board…

Oppy adds to its North American team

Oppy has added to its extensive team in North America with the hiring of Sergio Ruiz who will focus on building the supply of key items for the grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world. Based in Guadalajara, Ruiz offers a decade of experience in the produce industry in…

Certification organization to help suppliers meet Walmart’s new commitments

Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer groups, announced it has…

Verdant™ Technologies brings on agtech expert

Verdant Technologies has brought on postharvest life extension scientist Todd Edgington as its newest executive team member. Edgington’s responsibilities as vice-president of…

Fruit grower/exporter joins in the celebration of the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables to raise awareness of the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables, which are essential for human nutrition, food security and health, and for the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable…

"Our clipping system and bio twines are the perfect marriage to not use plastics at all"

Ka-chunk. Ka-chunk. Ka-chunk. A soft and rhythmic sound arises from the pipe rail trolley in a cucumber greenhouse in Germany. The same sound can be heard in a Mexican tomato greenhouse, where a worker on stilts stands between the tomato plants. And also in Spain the rhythm is found, in pepper…

"Work and stress levels have gone up and added extra costs to a supply chain"

It is now almost four months since the Brexit regulations came into force and one UK haulier said it has been a very difficult few months. “Yes, there have been improvements but it is still tough,” according to Graham Eardley from Eardley International. Graham’s haulage company transports British meat…

Automation ensures freshness for Edeka

Part of Germany’s largest supermarket chain, the regional company Edeka Minden-Hannover, is automating its fresh produce logistics in the fruit and vegetable sector with an intralogistics solution from Cimcorp, which has specialized in this automation for over 40 years. Together with other EDEKA regions…

“Why can’t we have better price transparency and digitalise trade between African countries?”

Many things have changed in the last year, most people now buy a lot more online due to the lockdowns and we are becoming more accustomed to this way of life. One company was just getting established in February 2020 just before the global pandemic hit the world. Nile is an online trading platform for…

BC Tree Fruits extends tenure CEO Warren Sarafinchan

BC Tree Fruits Cooperative has extended chief executive officer Warren Sarafinchan’s contract for another five years. Sarafinchan has been heading the organization for 18…

Florida lychee trees endangered by lychee erinose mite

There is a new pest in Florida, that poses a serious threat to lychee trees. This insect is the lychee erinose mite (LEM), which goes by the scientific name Aceria litchii.…

Despite the challenges of the campaign, Chile exported a record volume of cherries

Chile has the biggest cherry industry in the southern hemisphere. In 2020 it had the hemisphere's biggest planted area (more than 56,000 hectares in production) and the…

Washington apples see shifts in demand

Supplies of apples are tight right now as import programs are starting up. At Ag Grower Sales LLC in Wenatchee, WA, Jeff Aguigui notes that demand is largely shifting back to foodservice as restaurants and schools begin reopening again and retail demand lets up slightly. “A few months ago we were doing…

British Columbia cherry growers optimistic about prospects for this season

As cherry blossom is underway in the early southern areas of Canada’s province British Columbia, a careful estimate can be given about the prospects of this year’s crop. The past two years were difficult for cherry growers and all connected with this dynamic industry. “However, we are really excited…

“In a 15-day period we spent 14 nights out protecting the crops from frost”

The last couple weeks has seen extensive frost damage across crops in Europe, this cold weather was also felt further north in Scotland. Matthew McIntyre grows soft fruit and cherries in Perthshire, the farm boasts some of the latest cherry production in the Northern Hemisphere. “In a 15-day period we spent…

Full steam ahead for New Zealand Envy™ export programme

It’s full steam ahead for exports of T&G Global’s internationally  popular, premium Envy™ apple this week, with five vessels carrying 28,000 cartons (518 tonnes) of Envy™ departing the Napier Port for China and South East Asian markets. T&G’s Director of Operations, Craig Betty, says the company expects to…

‘Gen Y and Z will prefer organic table grapes in eco-friendly packaging’

Andriy Yarmak is an economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). During a virtual training on the effective…

“Indian grape season narrowly escaped grip of coronavirus”

The grape season in India is slowing down, while at the same time the coronavirus is causing massive issues with infrastructure. Overall the grape season has satisfied one Indian exporter, despite the delays due to the Suez Canal blockage, occasional rains and logistical problems caused by the virus.…

Northwest pear industry takes another step forward in their commitment to flavor

The pear industry in the Pacific Northwest has added a regulation for Anjou pears in a move to increase consumer satisfaction when they purchase pears in the early season.…

Low temperatures put Midwest fruit growers on alert

Fruit growers all over Michigan are on alert as cold weather has returned, after a few weeks of mild temperatures. Nick Schweitzer, of Schweitzer Orchards, says he has 200…

Basil continues to increase in popularity

Supplies of basil could become slimmer as the Easter holiday approaches. Camilo Penalosa of Infinite Herbs in Miami, FL says basil volume at this time of the year typically comes from Baja California, the interior of Mexico and Colombia. Domestically, Florida and select greenhouses in the U.S. also have…

Strategic organic partnership carries over to upcoming show

The Organic Produce Network (OPN) and Western Growers (WG) have formed a strategic partnership reflecting the importance of organic production and announced that WG will be the presenting sponsor of the Organic Grower Summit 2021. Organic Grower Summit 2021 presented by Western Growers and OPN will be…

“We are well-positioned to meet growing demand for grapefruit”

The harvest of Southern California grown Star Ruby grapefruit is off to an earlier start this year due to relatively warm weather in the growing region. “It's available from April through early July with peak availability right now,” says Christina Ward with Sunkist Growers. Following Star Ruby’s season,…

Durian express delivery service delivers fresh Musang King durian to Hong Kong customers within 24 hours after harvest

The Malaysian durian production volume significantly declined this year. In addition, transport costs were extremely high during the pandemic. That is why the pressure on durian export has been high in the last few months. Manager He, a spokesperson for Newleaf Plantation Berhad, recently shared their…

The World Food Innovation Awards names the Monterosa tomato as the best natural and organic product

The Monterosa tomato specialty from Semillas Fito has been awarded as the best natural and organic product at the World Food Innovation Awards. These awards, organized by FoodBev Media in collaboration with IFE, have celebrated innovation and excellence in the global food industry for more than ten years…

‘Garlic is a cheap and efficient treatment for alopecia’

Finding a general treatment for hair loss is really unrealistic, as hair loss has numerous causes. Instead, finding a solution requires a finer-grained approach. Take alopecia…

Hectre brings fruit software to California’s citrus warehouses

Hectre, a fruit software and AI company from New Zealand, has extended it’s US coverage with California becoming its latest on the ground location. “We’ve had such an outstanding response from the US market, so it made good sense to invest further and put more people on the ground. California was chosen…

New multi-million dollar fund established to help NZ's growing agtech industry reach its commercialisation potential

Leading global agrifood technology capital investor, Finistere Ventures is helping to bridge the gap between New Zealand's "world-leading" agriculture research through to the commercialisation of start-up companies and innovative technology. The company has launched the NZ$40M Finistere Aotearoa Fund in…

Dr. Praeger’s launch new Cauliflower Veggie Burger

Today, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods, the family owned and operated leader in the all-natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and kosher frozen food categories for over 25 years, announces the latest addition to their famous line of veggie burgers – the Cauliflower Veggie Burger. The Cauliflower Veggie…

Crop protection from spring frosts

Frost-sensitive crops, especially bulbs and tubers, are now safe. Optimal leaf and product growth are unimpaired even in case of frost, because Arrigoni, an international leader in the production of technical textiles for agriculture, has developed Arricover, the bioclimatic screen that provides…

Guan’s Mushroom Co recalls Enoki Mushrooms due to possible health risks

Guan’s Mushroom Co of Commerce, CA is recalling all cases of its 200g/7.05-ounce packages of Enoki Mushroom (Product of China) because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or…

U.S. tree nut exports reach record levels, easing oversupply burden

California tree nut growers harvested record crops of almonds, walnuts and pistachios in 2020, following a year of ideal growing conditions on expanded bearing acreage. The abundance of supply led to lower tree nut prices which, combined with a weaker U.S. dollar, have pushed exports to record high…

Who is the winner of this year's CPMA Packaging Innovation Award?

Mucci Farms announces it has been awarded the Packaging Innovation Award for the new Naked Leaf Living Basil Sleeve at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 2021 Annual Convention and Trade Show. The 95th CPMA show is held in a virtual format featuring exhibitors from across the North American…

“French producers have lost almost their entire harvest”

With the frost episodes from last week, French producers have suffered heavy losses. Theo Kampschoer of Kampexport looks back on this complicated week. Heavy lossesIn the upper Rhône valley near Tain-l’Hermitage, in Ardèche and in the region of Mercurol, temperatures went down to -4°C, causing…