"Mangos have outgrown the tropical and exotic section in the store"

When it comes to vying for shelf space, are mangos making their way to the forefront as a mainstream fruit? “In 2019, they outpaced ¾ of the fruit category in year-over-year growth for both dollar and velocity,” says Tammy Wiard, retail marketing manager with the Orlando, Fl.-based National Mango Board…

California rains only minimally affect crops

Following a weekend of heavy rains, California growers are saying that the effect is likely only moderate, if anything, on their crops. Steve Johnston of GW Palmer in Salinas, Ca. notes that a few key growing regions in California—Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Maria and Oxnard—saw between .5 inches to rain…

US fresh produce sales in retail remain high in week ending March 29th

March 29 marks the end of the third week of tightening social distancing measures caused by the rapid spread of the coronavirus. As of early April, 47 states have issued some type of executive order governing social and business activities, with tremendous impact on grocery and produce sales. While the…

Belle Glade sweet corn season comes in strong

The Belle Glade corn season kicked off right on time on Monday March 30th. Adam Chernow of Schmieding produce says: “The sweet corn has been going for a couple of weeks already, but the winter crop didn’t have the strongest yields due to weather. But thus far the spring and crop is coming in with…

"We see opportunities to extend marketing window for all our organic varieties"

Apeel Sciences announced a new partnership with Wenatchee, Washington-based Starr Ranch Growers, furthering its presence in the organic apple category. “We are thrilled to partner with Starr Ranch Growers knowing that their dedication to sustainable growing practices to provide high quality, premium…

CAC shifts marketing plans and operations to adjust to corona crisis

As the ripples of the coronavirus situation spread, the California Avocado Commission is responding with rapid changes in their marketing plans, grower communications and office operations. “The Commission has been extensively reevaluating each CAC activity in light of societal shifts and sensitivities…

Florida’s watermelon season is off to a good start

In the United States, the East Coast watermelon season has officially started. Rachel Syngo of Melon 1 says: “The East Coast season begins in Immokalee, Florida and we began a few days earlier than usual for us. So far we are off to a smooth start.” The domestic watermelon season on the East Coast…

United Fresh Start Foundation starts COVID-19 donation program

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Fresh Start Foundation is offering a new grant program — COVID-19 Rapid Response FRESH Grants — to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for children and families in need, while also creating opportunities for foodservice distributors who face the…

COVID-19 causes demand for French fries to collapse in Canada

As tens of thousands of restaurants are closed in North America, both Canadians and Americans are eating fewer French fries than usual. The downturn in consumption has had an…

Corona-update: More than 26,000 Brits to pick fruit and veg in the UK

As we speak, thousands of people have applied to pick crops on farms to plug the labour shortage of overseas workers prevented from coming to the UK. Also, migrant workers are keeping Switzerland’s asparagus supplies moving, despite earlier fears they could be kept out by border restrictions. Airline…

Cameroon banana exports dropped by over 6,000 tons year-on-year

According to data from banana producers’ association Assobacam, the two banana producers still operating in Cameroon exported 13,891 tons of the fruit in March 2020. Compared…

Tanzanian research teams are tackling banana wilt disease

Research teams in Tanzania are challenging the banana wilt disease that affects the growth of bananas. The research is conducted by researchers from the International…

Chinese banana price begins to stabilize

The Chinese banana price was weak this week (29 March - 4 April). The average price in production areas still showed a slight decline in the beginning of the week, but then…

Tanzania: Banana production under threat

The humble banana, one of the staple foods in East Africa, is under threat from a fungal disease. Kagera region in Tanzania and Luwero districts in Uganda are the most affected…

India: MSAMB creates onion supply chain

The ongoing lockdown and the ensuing disruption of the supply chain of fresh vegetables has prodded the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) to create an…

Shift in potato demand from distribution channels

"It is precisely in emergency situations such as this one that ethical companies make the difference. I am not only talking about the stability of prices which, in our case, have remained unvaried despite the lively market demand and the problems linked to logistics. More in general, the responsibility…

Russia might supply onions to Ukraine

Analysts from Eastfruit claim that a sharp increase in onion prices in the domestic market of Ukraine have caused a real stir. A week earlier, traders from Kazakhstan and…

Uzbekistan: Plans to grow 2.8 million tons of potatoes

According to the Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture, only 1.8 million tons of product will be needed to meet the domestic needs the nation. “One of the main reasons for the current…

COVID-19 causes demand for French fries to collapse in Canada

As tens of thousands of restaurants are closed in North America, both Canadians and Americans are eating fewer French fries than usual. The downturn in consumption has had an…

"Mangos have outgrown the tropical and exotic section in the store"

When it comes to vying for shelf space, are mangos making their way to the forefront as a mainstream fruit? “In 2019, they outpaced ¾ of the fruit category in year-over-year growth for both dollar and velocity,” says Tammy Wiard, retail marketing manager with the Orlando, Fl.-based National Mango Board…

Spanish experts advise cutting kaki trees that are not treated against pests

Technicians from the Alzira-based cooperative Alzicoop have announced that they will soon start treating their kaki trees against the Mycosphaerella nawae fungus, which causes circular leaf spot, which has already caused damage to some crops and prevents the harvesting of the fruit. For this reason,…

CAC shifts marketing plans and operations to adjust to corona crisis

As the ripples of the coronavirus situation spread, the California Avocado Commission is responding with rapid changes in their marketing plans, grower communications and office operations. “The Commission has been extensively reevaluating each CAC activity in light of societal shifts and sensitivities…

Alterra secures 300ha avocado project in Pemberton with WA producer

Alterra is pleased to announce its first large-scale avocado project “Carpenters Project” based in the premium growing region of Pemberton, Western Australia. A special purpose vehicle, Carpenters Beedelup Pty Ltd (SPV) has been established to develop the Carpenters Project and in due course will seek to…

Brazil: Exports of tropical fruits to EU hampered by Coronavirus

According to spokespersons from lobby group Abrafrutas, Brazilian producers of tropical fruits including mangoes and papayas have been hit by falling European demand and feel…

South Africa exports 469,000 cartons of avocados to EU

In week 14, the Israeli Hass supply to the EU was at 469,000 4-kg cartons. Greenskin shipments from the same at nation were at a mere 38,000 cartons. Click here for the full report. Chile and Peru sent in shipments of 119,000 and 818,000 cartons respectively. Source: avocado.co.za

Optimum weather conditions put greenhouse crops on the map

With the increasingly nice spring weather, the harvest of fresh German fruits has really taken off at the member farms of the Landgard producer cooperative. The first fresh regional cucumbers and tomatoes from unexposed protected cultivation were available in smaller quantities since the end of January…

$100 million for UAE greenhouse company Pure Harvest Smart Farms

The team with greenhouse company Pure Harvest Smart Farms has secured a multi-stage investment commitment of over $100 million. Currently Pure Harvest operates a greenhouse in the UAE desert and grows tomatoes over there. With the investment, the company will expand with new greenhouses in the UAE, Saudi…

"Import trips have fallen by 50% and export trips by 30%"

Spain has been in confinement for more than 3 weeks since the state of alarm was decreed. In this time, the curve of infections and deaths caused by COVID-19 has increased and, as a result, so have the measures taken by the government. “A little over a month ago we barely paid attention to what was…

Wuhan container ports return to regular operations

Container ports in the Chinese city of Wuhan have fully resumed operations, as movement restrictions are gradually lifted in the original Covid-19 epicentre. Occupying 180,000…

Blockchain reaches the Colombian agricultural sector through DiMuto

The Government of Singapore has made a significant investment in the DiMuto company through Latin Leap for the digitization of the food chain in Colombia through blockchain…

Iran & Oman launch new container shipping line

A new container shipping line, which officially started operations on Saturday, is going to be used to transit container cargoes, mainly fruits, and vegetables, between the…

Evergreen orders 1,800 Star Cool reefers

Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine Corp. has ordered 1,800 Star Cool reefers from Maersk Container Industry (MCI) for its growing reefer operations. Scheduled for…

Markets in Ukraine’s Kiev region to remain closed until epidemic improves

All 74 markets in the Kiev region will remain closed until the situation caused by the coronavirus epidemic improves. This was stated by the interim chairman of the Kiev…

Murcia is looking for 36,000 laborers for the harvest and handling

The fruit and vegetable campaign in the Region of Murcia is in full swing in April and May, when around 90,000 people are employed in fields and warehouses. However, this year the region will have problems to cover this demand for employment as a consequence of the current transport restrictions, in…

Russian Ministry of Agriculture asked to temporarily restrict tomato imports

The Fruit and Vegetable Union of Russia asked the Ministry of Agriculture to ban the import of tomatoes for a period of two months in order to prevent the deterioration of the…

Corona-update: More than 26,000 Brits to pick fruit and veg in the UK

As we speak, thousands of people have applied to pick crops on farms to plug the labour shortage of overseas workers prevented from coming to the UK. Also, migrant workers are keeping Switzerland’s asparagus supplies moving, despite earlier fears they could be kept out by border restrictions. Airline…

East Africa: Locust swarms gathering as pesticides are delayed

Current flight restrictions are hampering efforts to wipe out locust swarms on the verge of devastating crops in eastern Africa, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization…

Philippines Department of Agriculture taps into e-commerce

In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture partnered with an online shopping platform to deliver produce to Metro Manila homes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Consumers…

Online food market grows explosively in Germany

Online food trade in Germany has grown by more than 20% per year in recent years, but the market share has remained small. During the Corona (COVID-19) crisis, the added value of the online segment is widely recognised and online supermarkets can hardly cope with the increased demand. What characterises…

Confinement in Spain: fewer visits to the supermarket, but spending increases

According to the latest data from the consulting firm Kantar, in the first full week since confinement started in Spain, from March 16 to 22, Spanish people reduced their…

Madrid will donate 451,000 seedlings to 500 producers in gratitude for their work

In an act of gratitude to all producers in Madrid, who have been working to ensure the supply of food to the population of this autonomous region during the state of alarm,…

Australia: Wash your groceries in the bag

A reusable bag that allows you to wash your fresh groceries before taking them out and storing them in your fridge or on your benchtop is now available in Australia. Onya’s…

Lemon production drops by 40%

Just like for all other segments, the lemon trend is rather different than usual this year. However, in this case, there are factors that can be traced back to a series of variables that do not apply to other productions. To better understand this, FreshPlaza talked to Francesco Tarallo, a producer from Syracuse.  "Production is 40%…

Citrus growers from Veracruz stop harvesting limes due to the coronavirus

Citrus growers in the Mexican municipality of Martínez de la Torre, in the state of Veracruz, have temporarily halted the lime harvest due to the consequences of the spread of…

"Chinese honey pomelo from Pinghe encountered chaotic market conditions in final stage of export season"

"The honey pomelo export season is already over in Pinghe. The regular export season begins every year in August and continues into February of the subsequent year. This year, however, just as the export season entered its final stage, China suffered from the outbreak of COVID-19, which created a…

US: Ventura County lemon growers see reduced demand

Over the past few weeks, people have flocked to grocery stores to stock up on items like pasta, toilet paper and bottled water. Unfortunately they have not been stocking up on…

Citrus industry to benefit from strengthened research and innovation consulting hub

Following a short period of negotiation, Citrii Agri Services, a subsidiary company of the ANB Group of agricultural companies, and First Fruits Consulting (FFC), recently…

"We serve a large market and have a strong group of buyers"

A few weeks ago, panic buying, especially of those classic stock products like potatoes and onions, were the dominant trend. In the meantime, the market situation has returned…

Horticulture supply chain businesses may need to register as an essential service during NZ lockdown

At 11:59pm Wednesday, New Zealand will move into National Alert Level 4 in response to COVID-19, which will see many businesses and non-essential services close, and residents…

Online platform matches suppliers with consumers in a move to keep the UK supply chain flowing

A new online platform is to be launched this week by the Fresh Produce Consortium as a means of ensuring that the fresh produce supply chain keeps moving across the UK. On Your Doorstep has been set up to provide a free of charge service for suppliers of fresh produce in a move to connect them with…

India: Solar-powered vegetable vending vans help out during lockdown

In this time of solitude and lockdowns, a solar-powered vegetable and fruit vending van designed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) has come in handy for them to buy fresh vegetables near their houses in a few districts where such vans are deployed by the Horticulture Department.…

Ripening needs are all-important when ripening facilities are developed

A Dutch cooling and climate specialist company, Nijssen BV, uses in-house developed monitoring software and works closely with fruit ripening companies to meet these companies' clients’ needs. “Each ripening company has its own way of working, and our extensive software facilitates that to the maximum,”…

Turkey: Brown marmorated stinkbug threatens world hazelnut supply

Scientists are warning that the global hazelnut supply could be threatened by a stinkbug that has recently invaded Turkey. The brown marmorated stinkbug, native to north-east…

US state and local governments reassess plastic bans

US state and local officials have expressed concerns that reusable shopping bags that are brought into establishments could carry and spread the coronavirus, which causes…

The frosts will not stop

The wave of night frosts that are affecting much of Italy goes on. In the north, the situation has reached an unprecedented level, with 8 hours below zero on the night of April 2 and minimum peaks of -6 °C. Even the anti-frost systems are struggling, because protecting an orchard with 5 °C below zero is not easy. After three sleepless…

California rains only minimally affect crops

Following a weekend of heavy rains, California growers are saying that the effect is likely only moderate, if anything, on their crops. Steve Johnston of GW Palmer in Salinas, Ca. notes that a few key growing regions in California—Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Maria and Oxnard—saw between .5 inches to rain…

Belle Glade sweet corn season comes in strong

The Belle Glade corn season kicked off right on time on Monday March 30th. Adam Chernow of Schmieding produce says: “The sweet corn has been going for a couple of weeks already, but the winter crop didn’t have the strongest yields due to weather. But thus far the spring and crop is coming in with…

Taste this new Dutch tomato virtually

The Dutch De Ruiter team usually likes to get the whole chain, including consumers, to visit them every so often. They want people to see and taste their tomatoes. That is not possible now. But the team wants to maintain contact with the chain. That means they have started working digitally - 'Virtual…

75% fall of activity in Granada's asparagus campaign

The asparagus campaign has been one of the most affected by the exceptional situation that Spain is going through. The impact has been significant in the regions that produce…

"Farmers doing the trade of their lifetime in the farm shops"

In recent weeks, asparagus has been quite problematic in the German fruit and vegetable sector. There was concern whether there would be enough harvest workers available to…

Chinese market price of spinach is rising

The wholesale price of Chinese spinach in the Beijing Xinfadi Market was around 0.3-1.2 yuan [0.04-0.17 USD] per 0.5 kg on the 3rd of April. The price was only around 0.5-0.9…

“The new garlic harvest in Europe will depend on labor”

The demand for garlic on the European market is very high. Prices have skyrocketed and stocks are limited. In terms of distribution, the situation is more complicated because there is a shortage of products. “In Spain, there is a real shortage for the end of this season,” reports Bruno Volonteri of…

Pakistan vegetables exports: 71.8% increase in 8 months

Vegetables exports from Pakistan during first eight months of current financial year saw an increase of about 71.8 percent as compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July to February 2019-20, about 649,183 tons of vegetables, valued at $236.76 million, were…

"Growing demand for citrus and ginger, declining sales of standard vegetables"

The consequences of the current corona crisis are now also inevitably being felt at the Dortmund wholesale store. Due to the closure of the catering trade, the number of…

VLAM's new campaign aims to spur young people to eat potatoes

The Flemish Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) is joining forces with their counterparts in Ireland, France, and Europatat. They are launching a mutual campaign. It is aimed at stimulating potato consumption among the younger generation. The campaign is 20% financed by potato promotion funds. The…

"Despite a display ban, Monday saw good sales at Rungis"

Last week it became clear that sales on the Paris wholesale market Rungis would look different on Monday "Nobody was allowed to display their products on Monday," says Nico Schaft of 888 Fruitcompany, who has had his own sales stand on the Paris wholesale market for years. The display ban only applies to…

"Coping with increased order volume in these times was and is a great challenge"

The food industry is currently being shaken up by the corona virus and is also putting producers, packing stations and sales at Lake Constance to the test. The fruit from Bodensee Vertriebsgesellschaft (OvB) is working intensively to maintain the supply of goods in the best possible way. Untouched by the…

China: "Selection equipment is even more important under these chaotic conditions"

Employees in fruit and vegetable companies are working hard to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to consumers across the globe during the difficult conditions of this COVID-19 pandemic. The supply of fresh fruit and vegetables helps consumers strengthen their health. The machines that help to maintain…

Theresa Kiehn assumes role of CEO for AgSafe

AgSafe, a provider of practical health and safety education to the agricultural industry, has named Theresa Kiehn to replace departing President and CEO Amy Wolfe. Kiehn…

United Fresh Start Foundation starts COVID-19 donation program

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Fresh Start Foundation is offering a new grant program — COVID-19 Rapid Response FRESH Grants — to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for children and families in need, while also creating opportunities for foodservice distributors who face the…

JD.com and GREE work on robots to combat COVID-19

JD.com and state-owned major manufacturing enterprise GREE have formed a strategic partnership to develop three unique types of robots for anti-COVID-19 disinfection and…

Potato, carrot, and orange prices increase in Argentina

Argentina's fruit and vegetable market has experienced two turbulent weeks since the government decreed the health emergency due to the coronavirus. According to Mariano Winograd, a specialist in the fruit and vegetable market, two weeks ago, there was a greater collection of food and the consumption of…

"The variety of crops contributes to the resilience of food systems"

"Since the world is so integrated, I hope that the COVID-19 health crisis will also be a wake-up call so that people understand that we depend on each other and we have global…

New deals for Kenyan produce transport will deliver food security

Securing Kenya’s food supply has emerged as an imperative in the current global pandemic, prompting government announcements of measures to prioritise the supply of food. But…

US fresh produce sales in retail remain high in week ending March 29th

March 29 marks the end of the third week of tightening social distancing measures caused by the rapid spread of the coronavirus. As of early April, 47 states have issued some type of executive order governing social and business activities, with tremendous impact on grocery and produce sales. While the…

Average most usual price for Colombian bananas in week 14 at  £0.87

This series gives the average wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin. The prices are national averages of the most usual prices charged for bananas at wholesale markets in Birmingham and London. This publication is updated weekly. The average most usual price (£/kg) for bananas from Colombia in…

“Air freight spaces are very limited and extremely expensive; shipping lines also cancelling vessels"

With most people working from home, the way people are buying and selling fresh produce has had to change: this also true within the Sydney wholesale market where according to Oliver Wang from Antico International, the public buyers are no longer allowed to access to the market - only commercial buyers…

“As things stand, we have to do something with our herbs, and fast”

“You do not want to throw anything away if you do not really have to," says Luc Monden of the Dutch herb nursery, De Kruidenaer. Yet, that may well happen if a sales alternative is not quickly found. This is needed for the herbs standing in this company's greenhouse in Etten-Leur, the Netherlands. “With…

Fresh produce industry events cancelled due to coronavirus

As the coronavirus spreads around the world and movement is restricted and gatherings of large numbers of people are banned, a number of industry trade fairs have been postponed or cancelled. FreshPlaza will update this article when we have news of new cancellations. Friday 3 April International…

When it comes to kiwi fruit and frosts, it is essential to assess the quality of the pollen

To obtain kiwis of a good size and homogeneous production, quality pollen is needed. The recent frosts may have compromised the extent of the next flowering, as well as the vitality and germinability of the pollen. Sicural can provide an accurate analysis of the characteristics of the pollen that will be…

Import relaxations not enough to secure Indonesian garlic supply

The Indonesian government recently restructured its import policies, but this move has failed to ensure a steady supply of garlic as importers have been late to complete…

"We look forward to serving all the kumquat and limequat orders we are receiving"

The coronavirus health crisis has sparked the consumers' interest in taking care of and supporting the immune system. As a result, certain fruits, such as citrus, are having a high demand in Europe. This, according to Juan Soler, the manager of Inter Terra, the southernmost producer of kumquats and…

"The price of Malaysian durian export to China is likely to rise even further"

"The Chinese import volume of Malaysian durian was relatively small in the last few weeks. Malaysia has closed its borders for general traffic, but still allows the export of some products. Global distribution suffers from the isolation measures in place to restrict the spread of COVID-19. Although many…

"Price of Chinese loquat from Sichuan is high because the production volume declined"

The loquat is a popular fruit in the Chinese market. The loquat currently available in the Chinese market mainly come from Panzhihua in Sichuan, Mengzi in Yunnan, and Yunxiao in Zhangzhou, Fujian. April of Lurra (Sichuan) Trade Co., Ltd. recently shared insight in the Chinese loquat market: "We established…

Iran kiwifruit exports are at $80 million plus

Iran has become one of the five leading producers of kiwifruit in the world as exports hit a record high of over $80 million a year. A senior official at the Iranian…

"Cut fruit has huge potential in the Chinese market"

The small plastic cups with cut fruit have been popular in overseas markets for years. Consumers can find them in nearly every large supermarket. However, the Chinese market is only just opening up for this new concept. Mr. Wang, spokesperson for Jie Xiang Fast Cut Fruit Mix recently shared his insight…

Pesticide residues in food: track trends with EFSA's browsable charts

EFSA has published its annual report on pesticide residues found in food in the European Union. The report is based on data from the official national control activities carried out by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and includes both targeted and random sampling. A total of 91,015 samples were…

Microwave technology to assist the fruit and vegetable supply chain

In time of Coronavirus, for FIT Srl it is worth mentioning the effectiveness of its process solution that uses microwaves for the microbial stabilization of fruit and vegetables, in order to extend the shelf life, as well as to improve hygiene and food safety. Example of packed peaches in a basket As the…

Metro withdrew its guidance for the financial year 2019/20

Egypt: Carrefour expands e-shopping teams on higher demandCarrefour Egypt has expanded the teams of online shopping to meet the higher demand witnessed since coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a press release. This step came after demand volume through online channels enlarged six times above…

Walmart: Sales rose rapidly in stores and online in recent weeks

US: As panic buying & foot traffic decline, basket sizes continue to growFor the week ending March 28 - and for the second consecutive week - shoppers continued making fewer trips to grocery and drug stores across the United States, while spending more per visit, compared with the week ending March 14…

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