Proxy F1, a rustic, versatile and reliable tomato variety

The Italian company ISI Sementi is a leader in the midi plum segment, and it is not by chance that one of the most successful and popular slogans is 'Where there's plum tomatoes, there's ISI'. The most successful variety is Proxy F1, a rustic, versatile and reliable crop, which over the years has become…

Late freeze in Michigan takes first flushes of asparagus out

A series of freezing nights in the West Central region of Michigan caused the first flushes of asparagus production to be taken away. This has resulted in supplies being very light and primarily coming from Southern Michigan. “We hope supplies will gradually pick up this week,” says Tyler Hodges of…

Variety resistance stops race change challenges in spinach

Varietal resistance to spinach downy mildew is now one of the most important selection criteria in variety choice for the UK’s specialist growers, according to Syngenta leafy salad specialist, Rosemary Atwood. The announcement of two new official races of the spinach downy mildew pathogen (Peronospora…

"It’s a matter of time before Ecuador's banana crop gets hit by Fusarium"

Fusarium and bananas have a several decade-long history together. The Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense Tropical Race 4 fungus (TR4) has already affected some twenty countries and now poses a threat to the entire banana and plantain industry of Ecuador as well. A cure has not yet been found. “The banana…

Truck shortage in some areas, but market is positive

MARKETWashington/California/North Carolina:Matt Murphy with L&M Cos. in Raleigh, NC, told us on May 12 that things are picking up in the Imperial Valley. “Looks like South…

"Peruvian avocados enter Chinese market later than usual due to quality standards"

There is a temporary shortage in the Chinese avocado market because the supply from Peru is delayed. The price is very high at the moment. According to Peruvian sources, large…

Setting the framework for growth in Australia's tropical fruit industry in the north

Tropical fruit growers and stakeholders will this week take part in the Tropical Exotic Fruit Symposium in Darwin to develop a Research, Development and Extension plan for the industry. Held off the back of the four-day Northern Australian Food Futures Conference, NT Farmers CEO Greg Owens says the event…

Avocado farming promising endeavor for Tanzania

The Arusha Region of Tanzania has a high potential for exports of avocados. Almost 9,000 tons -valued at $30 million - were exported last year, while some seven years before…

Hopeful lessons from Hawaii’s successful battle with Avocado Lace Bug

When the invasive avocado lace bug was first spotted in Hawaii, farmers were quite worried. However, intensive collaboration provided a path forward, and the path followed…

Avocados, pigeon peas, oranges and bananas see large increases in April

Statistics from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic say that among the groups with the highest incidence in the growth of the April 2021 price index were food and…

Greek Kavala COOP announces participation in new "The Charming Taste of Europe" campaign

The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kavala (Kavala COOP) from Greece has announced the participation in a new communication campaign in Canada and the U.S. to promote…

Ag groups call to reopen farms and lift emergency farm worker restrictions

Washington state’s agricultural groups are appealing to Gov. Inslee to repeal recently renewed COVID-19 emergency rules for farm workers using temporary housing following his…

Leadership class tours Philadelphia Market and port facilities

The third Eastern Produce Council (EPC) Leadership Class experienced key aspects of the produce logistics and distribution system with a tour of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM) and Holt Logistics on May 11, 2021. “We were excited to engage this group of professionals with such crucial…

Reaction to governor Newsom’s budget proposal and drought recovery plan

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) reacted to Governor Gavin Newsom’s “$100 Billion California Comeback Plan”, which will allocate a portion of funding to support…

"We avoid plastic waste, we close the material loop"

The BASF Group's agricultural research station requires plant pots in large quantities every year. With the help of Pöppelmann TEKU, a supplier of plastic products for commercial horticulture, special pots made of 100 percent PCR were developed, the material of which is returned to the plastics…

"A greenhouse alone is not enough"

"A greenhouse alone is not enough to set up a large-scale, successful horticultural project. A greenhouse is a link in the chain." so says Frederik Vossenaar of the Ministry of LNV. The Dutch government is keen to help foreign developers and governments find a way around this. "Everyone involved in food…

Egypt's president urges Suez Canal Authority to accomplish expansion plan in less than 1 year

While attending an inauguration ceremony for a number of projects affiliated to the Suez Canal Authority, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi urged finishing an expansion plan in…

New important results in selecting the quality of citrus in South Australia

Mandarin Vision 3, Orange Vision 3 and Lemon Vision 3 are the latest evolution of Unitec vision systems for selecting the quality of mandarins, clementines, oranges and lemons. These systems are equipped with very high-resolution cameras that help selecting the quality of citrus fruits in a reliable way…

USDA

US grower-shippers can expect to see lingering effects of fuel shortage in coming weeks

Fuel prices stole headlines this week, spurred by the shutdown of the Colonial pipeline in response to online hackers. Although the pipeline, which serves much of the East coast, is now back online, full recovery is expected to take up to several weeks in some areas. Currently from 50-70% of gas stations…

Port Laredo looks to boost fruit and vegetable imports

Laredo, Texas, is known as one of the busiest inland ports for goods such as auto parts and cellphones, but now officials say they want more fruits and vegetables. Teclo…

T&G Global Chairman to step down

T&G Global today announced that after nine years as Chairman, Prof. Klaus Josef Lutz will step down from the T&G Global Board at the end of its Annual Meeting on 23 June 2021. Prof. Lutz joined the…

UK: Pound Sterling rises against Euro and USD

The Sterling’s rise of more than 1 pc against the dollar to a two-month high was matched by a similar appreciation against the euro. This means the pound is worth more than…

Better 2021 season anticipated for Northwest cherries

Northwest cherry supplies look to be up this season. The 2021 Northwest crop estimate puts cherries at 23.7 million boxes, up 3 million from last year and looking more like the 2019 crop. “June will be a slow start but overall, the Northwest will ship more than last June,” says Catherine Gipe-Stewart of…

"Despite the rains, we expect 20 million kilos of cherries to be harvested"

The cherry harvest has just started in the Jerte Valley, a region in the Spanish province of Caceres which has become renowned in all of Europe for the production of this fruit. The region has the Protected Designation of Origin Cereza del Jerte, which has certified the quality of the fruit produced in…

Cherry prices in China falling due to increasing availability

In May, open-field cherries from Shaanxi, Shandong, and other producing areas started to trickle onto the market. With the increase in volume, prices have fallen. The poor sales of Chilean cherries this year have led some consumers to turn their attention to locally grown cherries. When cherries from Dalian…

"We are anticipating the commercialization of a new blueberry variety group"

Big Innovation Leap Having a strong hold on the Blueberry market in South East Asia, Fruit-X Asia have been holding their breath in anticipation of commercialization of a new Blueberry variety group, which is expected to create a major boom in the current market. This big leap in innovation was initiated…

"Diversified client base proved vital last year"

Van Vugt Kruiden has many clients in the hospitality industry. This Dutch company was, therefore, greatly affected by the corona crisis last year. "But fortunately we have a good spread of customers. The hospitality sector took considerably less, of course. However, our retail customers in Europe sold considerably more,"…

Registration open for Organic Produce Summit 2021

Retailer and general registration for Organic Produce Summit 2021 is now open for the live and in-person event being held on September 15-16 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in…

Procitrus expects that global demand for citrus will continue to grow this year, although at a slower pace than in 2020

The Association of Citrus Producers of Peru (Procitrus) expects another good year in sales after the demand for fruit with vitamin C due to the pandemic led to a remarkable…

Transition to South American lemon imports as California harvest begins to slow

As part of its “One World of Citrus™” strategy, Limoneira has made significant investments to ensure its customers receive a consistent supply of high-quality citrus year-round. This strategy is paying off as the California coastal lemon harvest begins to show signs of slowing and the South American…

Flattening the South African grapefruit curve

South African grapefruit production has only increased marginally when compared with the other citrus varieties such as lemons and late mandarins, specifically in the northern region of South Africa where +/- 88% of the grapefruit is grown. The later export regions supply volumes estimated for the…

Promising advancements in biocontrol treatment that slows citrus greening

Florida citrus growers may have a new tool to help them slow the presence of citrus greening in already diseased trees. While there is no cure for Huanglongbing (HLB),…

Upward Farms

US (NY): 'First USDA-certified organic vertical farm' in Northeast region

Upward Farms, an aquaponic vertical farmer, announced the opening of its new headquarters. Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, the new facility utilizes Upward Farms' technology in both commercial production and R&D. The operation is USDA-Certified Organic, which according to the company, makes…

Healthify and Tangelo establish partnership to increase access to fresh produce

Healthify, a company that works with healthcare organizations to integrate social determinants of health (SDoH) into the healthcare ecosystem, and Tangelo, a company that…

Fruit importer/exporter launches multi-use app

Salix Fruits, fresh fruit import and export company, celebrates its 10th anniversary by launching an app that has been developed with Lyncros, a software factory for mobile applications, business solutions and microservices with secure APIs in companies of all sizes. With more than 15 years of experience…

New peppers showcased are suited for Mexican market and climate

With two new products, Top Seeds International, the international company specializing in the research and marketing of innovative hybrid varieties of high-quality vegetables, has expanded its range of peppers for the Mexican market. The two new varieties are Top Isabel and Top Nadia, a yellow and a red…

Dole and McDonald's launching fat-free golden pineapple sorbet in China

On April 21, Dole, an international fruit brand, and McDonald's China jointly launched a new product for the early summer market - Golden Pineapple Sorbet, adding a zero-fat and zero-burden option to the summer chilled dessert market. It is reported that this sorbet uses Dole’s golden pineapple juice and…

"Increase energy efficiency and significantly improve protection, safety and productivity"

To maintain the cold chain in temperature-controlled transports - of fruit and vegetables, for example - it is important to create a seamless connection between the building and the docked vehicle at the loading point. With the 'ECLIPSE' dock shelter, Rite-Hite Ltd offers its customers an efficient…

FDA releases investigation report following 2020 salmonella outbreak linked to red onions

“The FDA has been working with the CDC, state partners and Canadian officials to investigate the largest Salmonella Newport outbreak in over a decade, which was linked to red…

2021 crop is estimated to be the largest on record

The initial subjective forecast for the 2021 California almond production is 3.20 billion pounds. Forecasted production is 3% above last year's production of 3.12 billion…

“Plastic rigid and flexible packaging solutions brought significant change in way goods are packed”

The European plastic packaging market is expected to grow again, as demand for flexible plastic packaging is increasing from both food and non-food sectors. Innovation has…

Farmers destroy fields due to drought, no water deliveries

Farmers across the Central Valley are facing a difficult decision over the next couple of weeks and months-- to keep or destroy their crops, as the drought situation appears…