Pricing soars on iceberg lettuce

Prices have spiked on California iceberg lettuce. “The supply of iceberg is low at the moment industry wide. Yields are lower than normal this time of year due to disease issues,” says Pete Georgalos, Sales for D’Arrigo California. “We’ve also been through a couple of long heat waves this summer.” Currently, supplies are coming…

Japanese tariffs put Florida grapefruit at a disadvantage over Mexico

As Florida nears the start of its grapefruit season, the crop looks solid and similar to last year in terms of size. “We had an extremely hot summer and spring and we had a lot of rainfall that contributed to extended bloom,” says Dan Richey of Riverfront Packing Company in Vero Beach, FL. “But that’s…

Onion curing could be a concern for Pacific Northwest growers following fires

“It was like a campfire in your face. That’s what it made you feel like.” These are just some of the conditions growers in the Pacific Northwest have been dealing with following drifting smoke from wildfires that have been taking place throughout not only California but Washington and Oregon. “Last week,…

Difficult first year for America exporter

The corona crisis has wreaked considerable havoc in many markets. This certainly applies to the export of European greenhouse vegetables to North America. Feeling Fresh serves precisely this market and is celebrating its first anniversary in these difficult times. Still, the future is hopeful. "We…

Complete packaging solutions for leafy greens

JASA has been in the automatic packaging market for sliced vegetables for 35 years; consequently, they gained all the knowledge and expertise to pack mixed lettuce varieties in various ways. Bags filled with leafy greens on a vertical packaging machine. Packed in trays with a lid or top seal. Salad bowls…

Stonehill Produce welcomes Aaron Acosta

Capistrano Beach-based Stonehill Produce has hired avocado industry veteran Aaron Acosta to become its new Manager of Corporate Relationships. Acosta will report to CEO and…

Outbreak of Salmonella Stanley infections linked to wood ear mushrooms

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Stanley…

Organic apples and pears both up 30% in August

"Organic apples and pears had the strongest monthly growthSuperfresh Growers have recently seen," says Catherine Gipe-Stewart. Both categories were up nearly 30% in the month of August. Organic apples were up 30% in dollars, while organic pears were up 29% in volume. Since COVID-19, organic dollars have…

USDA restricts PACA violators in multiple states

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

Bonduelle Fresh Americas joins Walmart commitment to halve food loss and waste

Bonduelle Fresh Americas, home of Ready Pac Foods, announced that it has joined Walmart in the "10x20x30" initiative to root out food loss and waste from the supply chain. 10x20x30 is led by Walmart and more than 10 of the world's biggest food retailers and providers, each having committed to engage at…

Fully recyclable potato packaging by Futuragri

Futuragri from Cesena has introduced a new solution for 1.5 kg potato packets. "We produce around 5,000 tons of potatoes a year in crops within a few km from our processing plants. We decided to opt for a deep yellow design that grabs the attention of consumers but, most of all, for a solution that is…

Complete packaging solutions for leafy greens

JASA has been in the automatic packaging market for sliced vegetables for 35 years; consequently, they gained all the knowledge and expertise to pack mixed lettuce varieties in various ways. Bags filled with leafy greens on a vertical packaging machine. Packed in trays with a lid or top seal. Salad bowls…

StePac sees growing interest in its MA packaging film from South African blueberry exporters

StePac Xtend® Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is widely used in South Africa, across subtropical and deciduous fruit, including bananas, pomegranate, stone fruit and passion fruit. “We are now seeing an increased interest in using Xtend MAP solutions for blueberries exported by sea freight,” says Dov…

Norwegian Bama introduces plastic free avocado packaging

Previously, the plastic tray of the avocado packaging had already been replaced by cardboard, but now that the plastic around it is also being replaced, the newest solution is completely plastic-free. Avocados are now in the shops in this new packaging. Åse Øygarden, packaging director at Bama: “We have…

Costa Rican bananas manage to overcome the pandemic

Despite the global situation generated by COVID-19, Costa Rica has not only maintained but also increased the volume of bananas it has sent to the international market.…

"COVID-19 biggest impact on our business was payment issues"

The Dutch onion season is off to an uncertain start again. “Last season ended very differently than expected. Even the best punters got it wrong. That means there are still onions from the old crop well into the new onion set season,” says Lindert Moerdijk of MSP Onions. “It turns out the dry weather wasn’t…

“Our chances on the global market certainly aren’t bad”

The end of September sees Waterman Onions’, in the Netherlands, main seed onion harvest done and dusted. Owner, Erik Waterman, says yields vary enormously. “They sometimes differ by as much as 20 to 30%. The mostly lighter soil plots got off to a good, and things look good. But the heavy soil areas…

Bombay High Court intervenes in stalled Indian onion exports

Last week, the Bombay high court directed Mumbai Customs authorities to consider allowing pending consignments of onion –some 108 containers which were brought to customs…

Difficult first year for America exporter

The corona crisis has wreaked considerable havoc in many markets. This certainly applies to the export of European greenhouse vegetables to North America. Feeling Fresh serves precisely this market and is celebrating its first anniversary in these difficult times. Still, the future is hopeful. "We…

Video tutorial with instructions in native language

The company Futura, specializing in machines for the processing of fruit and vegetables, is currently inspecting their installations before they are sent across the world, but not without making special video tutorials, in particular for machines that have to be installed in countries that have strict…

Lithium batteries for greener agriculture

"As the patent filed in some countries was accepted, the time has come to talk about high-voltage lithium batteries. Lithium batteries are now commonly used all over the world thanks to their performance, durability, size and weight. It was easy to adapt the electrical system of our machines (equipped…

USDA restricts PACA violators in multiple states

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

CBP officers at Pharr Cargo facility discover $960K in cocaine in commercial shipment

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility discovered $960,500 worth of alleged cocaine concealed within a commercial shipment of produce arriving from Mexico. “Our top priority is to keep our country and the people that live in…

"Sufficient pears this season but scarcity of apples"

“The top fruit season has started again and as of a few days ago, after the high temperatures disappeared, we have been feeling demand rising again. The first two weeks of the season have been very busy. In those weeks we shipped a lot at attractive prices. The past three weeks have been quite a lot…

The Melannurca Campana IGP campaign is about to start

The harvest and the reddening process of the Melannurca Campana IGP began about two weeks ago at the Aop Luce company. Starting next week the first Melannurcas will be available for marketing, despite the recent rains slowing down the colouring phase and thus making the whole process much longer. "We expected…

Two new blueberry varieties

Despite this very peculiar year, Molari Berries & Breeding has decided not to stop and to look at the future with renewed enthusiasm thanks to the excellent work carried out by Gilberto Molari over the past few years. The company, which is currently run by brothers Matteo and Luca together with collaborators Alessandro Gualandi…

"Our aim is to reduce internal fruit damage completely"

After winning the silver award at the Innovation Award of Fruit Logistica 2019, novel fruit ripening system Softripe® is now successfully used in numerous European ripening plants. Compared to traditional ripening equipment, the German-Brazilian technology demonstrably leads to reduced losses, longer…

Naike, the first blueberry variety developed by FAUBA for the area of Tucuman

Naike, the first blueberry variety developed by the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of Buenos Aires (FAUBA), has already been registered at the National Seed Institute…

Organic apples and pears both up 30% in August

"Organic apples and pears had the strongest monthly growthSuperfresh Growers have recently seen," says Catherine Gipe-Stewart. Both categories were up nearly 30% in the month of August. Organic apples were up 30% in dollars, while organic pears were up 29% in volume. Since COVID-19, organic dollars have…

High-density pears presented by Sher-e-Kashmir University

Scientists of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) have introduced new, high-density plant varieties of pear. It is expected these will…

Kanzi® partners look optimistically forward to new European apple season.

The European Kanzi® harvest period is well underway. The Italian Kanzi® growers were the first to start picking Kanzi® in week 38, followed by their north European Kanzi® partners in the subsequent weeks. Good yields meet increasing demandThis year, Kanzi® experiences a particularly good harvest quality.…

Antioxidant found in apples and grape seeds to increase hair growth

According to numerous studies, a compound found in apples and grape seeds has presented impressive results and could be the answer you have been searching for. One of the…

Norwegian researchers develop new cultivation method, inspired by NASA's Mars colonies

Norwegian researchers are testing a new greenhouse cultivation method which emits very little gas. Norwegian, and global food production, is, after all, a major source of emissions. That's mainly because growers use artificial fertilizers and non-recyclable raw materials. Ketil Stoknes very recently…

China: Prices for frozen vegetable exports to Europe are higher than last year

The frozen vegetable market has benefited enormously from advancements in deep-freeze technology. Firstly, the loss of nutrients is growing smaller. The vegetables are processed near the farm immediately after the harvest, which gives the vegetables less time to breathe and gives micro-organisms less…

Chinese chestnuts enter harvest season

Chinese chestnuts have entered their harvest season. The production volume has continuously declined in the last three years, but this year the farmers have finally enjoyed an abundant harvest. The Chinese chestnuts in the Yan mountain range across north Hebei are particularly bountiful. The production…

"Waste generated by pineapple cultivation is a major problem in Costa Rica"

In December of last year, we spoke with Niklas Tegtmeier, the head of a start-up that was created at the University of Hannover. At that time, paper was made from pineapple crowns under the name "Musa Fibra". In the meantime a lot has happened to the young team and they are now ready for the next step. © Upala…

Vietnam to sort out issues with US and resume fruit exports

Vietnam will continue to work with the US to mitigate challenges related to its export of fresh fruits. These exports have recently been disrupted due by everything…

Avozilla, the giant avocado, is also grown in Spain

The avocado, one of the world's most popular and demanded fruits, has an XXL version whose weight can exceed 1 kilo and which was brilliantly named Avozilla; a play on words…

Chilean scientists investigate the components of the avocado flower's aroma

The project seeks to develop artificial attractants for pollinatorsAn initiative of the INIA-FIA is committed to developing an artificial attractant to manage pollination and improve avocado cultivation. They are developing a synthetic floral bouquet, which simulates the aroma of the avocado flower and…

"Snacking line will be the show focus"

Supplies of greenhouse peppers and tomatoes from Mexico look to be even right now. Kingsville, ON’s Red Sun Farms, which is bringing in these supplies, will highlight its Sweetpops, Sweetpeaks and Sweetpeps products at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit taking place virtually October 13-15. “These have the…

Pricing soars on iceberg lettuce

Prices have spiked on California iceberg lettuce. “The supply of iceberg is low at the moment industry wide. Yields are lower than normal this time of year due to disease issues,” says Pete Georgalos, Sales for D’Arrigo California. “We’ve also been through a couple of long heat waves this summer.” Currently, supplies are coming…

Production of premium garlic on the rise at one Queensland farm

A Queensland garlic grower is set to experience a rise in production, despite the drought resulting in fewer plantings in 2020. All Aussie Farmers, situated at the Melbourne Wholesale Market, is a fresh fruit marketing company that works in partnership with Clearview Valley. Clearview Valley is a farm is…

Belgian fruit and vegetable wholesaler's computers hacked

Vander Zijpen is a Belgian fruit and vegetable wholesaler. They've fallen prey to computer hacking. Online hackers attacked this family business. Their goal? To steal client information and bids. A Dutch supplier informed Vander Zijpen that they'd received an email from a competing wholesaler in Brussels.…

Stonehill Produce welcomes Aaron Acosta

Capistrano Beach-based Stonehill Produce has hired avocado industry veteran Aaron Acosta to become its new Manager of Corporate Relationships. Acosta will report to CEO and…

Bonduelle Fresh Americas joins Walmart commitment to halve food loss and waste

Bonduelle Fresh Americas, home of Ready Pac Foods, announced that it has joined Walmart in the "10x20x30" initiative to root out food loss and waste from the supply chain. 10x20x30 is led by Walmart and more than 10 of the world's biggest food retailers and providers, each having committed to engage at…

"The Spanish transport sector finds return loads increasingly challenging "

In February 2020, Dutchman, Jurgen Sinnaeve, joined Transdonat. This is a Spanish family business. It has been active in that country's fruit and vegetable transport sector for 60 years already. "We transport mainly fruit and vegetables to several European countries. There are a few important ones. They…

The pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on the maritime shipping industry

COVID-19 has caused a new and unprecedented impact on the global supply chain, particularly on the port and shipping industry, as discussed in the document "Ports and Shipping…

“COVID-19 has further strengthened mushrooms’ added value”

Lately, many Europeans have drastically changed their diets. There’s been a switch to healthier food and less meat. But, sustainability, local products, and e-commerce also contribute to this changing market. Mushrooms can benefit from this, say Jurgen and Rob Banken of the Dutch company, Banken…

How are plastic items made?

Plastic. We want to get rid of it, but it's not that easy yet. Everyone uses plastic items at home or in the office. But how are these made? Like this.

More New Zealanders set to have access to premium herbs thanks to new online and delivery service

New Zealand's coronavirus restrictions have led to one of the country's leading herb producers to make their range available to more consumers, through the creation of an online store. Superb Herb Sales and Marketing Manager Brigitte Hannett says they can courier all herbs nationwide overnight, and so…

New educational virtual seminar to focus on plant proteins

Wonderful® Pistachios will host a virtual seminar to further educate the nutrition community about plant protein on Friday, October 9, 2020. The event will feature two…

Citrus degreening conditions

The degreening process consists of changing the external coloration of citrus fruits by controlling the different factors that affect the fruit, such as temperature, ambient humidity, and the concentrations of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene, the latter of which acts as a catalyst for the fruit's metabolic changes. The…

Japanese tariffs put Florida grapefruit at a disadvantage over Mexico

As Florida nears the start of its grapefruit season, the crop looks solid and similar to last year in terms of size. “We had an extremely hot summer and spring and we had a lot of rainfall that contributed to extended bloom,” says Dan Richey of Riverfront Packing Company in Vero Beach, FL. “But that’s…

Sicilian ginger will soon be headed for European markets

"Intrigued by the health benefits of ginger, we have started a research in the nutraceutical and business field on this very interesting product. It was found that the rhizome of ginger has a myriad of beneficial effects of which, in some countries, are adjuvants in traditional medicine. We have…

"The demand for figs is skyrocketing in northern Europe"

The demand for Spanish figs has increased significantly in recent weeks in northern Europe. Although Alicante, the most important production area in Spain, already finished its harvest in August, the production continues in Lleida, where the campaign's mid-point has just been left behind. "We've just had…

Essential oils could keep pests, disease from organic crops

With U.S. organic food sales topping $50 billion in 2018, statistics from the Organic Trade Association indicate that fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops combined make up 36.3 percent of total organic sales, up 5.6 percent from 2017. In order to meet consumer demand, farmers may need to use…

Tired of repetitive, soul-crushing work? "RPA offers a solution"

Following the success of Thysia's last webinar in June, the company decided to do it all again with a new webinar on robotic process automation. What is that exactly? Luc Meijs…

Italian chili peppers increasingly popular abroad

Italian quality and origin make the difference in the chili pepper segment, especially considering that there are a lot of products being imported from abroad. "Chili peppers are without doubt one of the most popular spices in Italy - and in some regions in particular - thanks to their intense color, flavor…

CDC says salad Cyclospora outbreak over; FDA canal water investigation continues

A multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to salad products that were made by Fresh Express bagged salad and is under investigation is over, according to the…

Outbreak of Salmonella Stanley infections linked to wood ear mushrooms

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Stanley…

Onion curing could be a concern for Pacific Northwest growers following fires

“It was like a campfire in your face. That’s what it made you feel like.” These are just some of the conditions growers in the Pacific Northwest have been dealing with following drifting smoke from wildfires that have been taking place throughout not only California but Washington and Oregon. “Last week,…

Vallarta Supermarkets: Northernmost store opened

US: How independent grocers are offering free DeliveryE-commerce solution provider Rosie has partnered with DoorDash to offer free delivery from hundreds of Rosie’s independent grocers who are currently offering delivery powered by DoorDash. Effective immediately, this special offer is available on…

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