Retail promotions help build Michigan asparagus demand

Demand for Michigan asparagus continues to grow. Michigan supplies of asparagus have improved in the last few days due to the heat the state saw last week. “We see increases in our Michigan asparagus sales annually. Retailers have continued to promote it and excite customers into buying up the first spring…

Oishii opens new product segment by introducing $20 berries

"We always want to start with best-in-class products and make them more available to the masses. We aren't here to mass produce a low-quality product," explains Hiroki Koga, co-founder, and CEO of Oishii. In 2018, Oishii took the world by storm when Hiroki and his co-founder Brendan Somerville brought…

"We estimate that about 50,000 tons of fruit may have been lost on the island of La Palma"

On December 13, 2021, the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma came to an end; undoubtedly long-awaited news that was widely celebrated, but an end that also meant…

Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture investigates complaints surrounding banana pricing

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is investigating the complaints received against four exporters who have disregarded the minimum support price for a box of bananas.…

Onion markets see regionalization

"For the first time in my career I’m seeing the markets regionalize in a way I’ve never seen before.” So says Shay Myers of Parma, Idaho-based Owyhee Produce of the current state of the onion market. “In the past at this time of the year, onions from the Northwest would be marketed at lower prices…

"Imperial Valley experienced some heat recently so we are trying to get onions out the door as quickly as possible”

MARKET California/Texas: Jason Pearson with Eagle Eye Produce gave his report from his Nyssa, OR, sales office this week. “Demand is good this week but it hasn’t necessarily…

Mexican avocados: Costa Rica lifts restrictions on the fruit after seven years

In 2015, Costa Rica unilaterally decided to ban the import of Mexican Hass avocados, stating that a pest called Sunblotch Viroid (sunspot) could enter the country via the…

Tropical fruit sales increase by over 30% in China

The Report of Tropical Fruit Circulation 2022 released by Meituan Select on May 18 showed that tropical fruit continued to be popular in 2021 in China, with an overall sales…

Australian mango industry to receive a $2.7million boost through two major projects

The Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA) is confident that two major projects over the next five years will significantly help improve grower productivity and profitability. AMIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brett Kelly says the projects, which were announced today, will integrate extension and…

Dominican Republic pineapples selling well in Europe

Pineapple prices are really good across Europe at the moment as shipping costs remain challenging, comments René Noordam from OptiTrade International, who sources the produce from the Dominican Republic. However, he fears the good pineapple prices will not last long as more strawberries are coming on…

Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh mangoes for US president Biden

The Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. will hand over a box of Indian mangoes to the staff of US president Joe Biden at a mango promotion event in Washington…

First selective asparagus harvest's developer files for suspension of payments

More than a year ago, in a Dutch asparagus field, Cerescon proudly presented its 0 series of the Sparter to the press. This was the first selective asparagus harvest in the world. Yesterday the company, which employs 13 people, filed for suspension of payments. "A confluence of circumstances" is how…

45-year Canadian produce veteran hangs up his hat at Oppy

After three and a half decades, Oppy’s vice-president of Canadian sales Walt Breeden is off on his next adventure: retirement. Joining Oppy from Vancouver-based retailer Woodward’s to sell California-grown produce to Western Canadian customers in 1987, Breeden’s role grew as he added New Zealand apples,…

Greenyard signs a real estate transaction, with a view to long-term refinancing and room for growth

Greenyard announces it has reached an agreement with a real estate investor on the lease-and-lease-back of its facility of the Greenyard Prepared division in Bree, Belgium,…

ASOEX announces retirement of Mr. Ronald Bown Fernández

"The Board of Directors of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association A.G. (ASOEX) announces that Mr. Ronald Bown Fernández has initiated his retirement process. Consequently, he…

AgriFORCE Growing Systems completes acquisition of food production & processing IP from Manna Nutritional Group

AgriFORCE Growing Systems Ltd., an intellectual property-focused AgTech company dedicated to advancing sustainable cultivation and crop processing across multiple verticals,…

"At the end of the day, everyone has to pay a higher price for the gas”

Even in the Northernmost part of the European Union, growers are feeling the effects of the global energy and fertilizers crisis. We have seen how some greenhouses in the neighboring UK did not even plant because of skyrocketing gas prices. For Irish cucumber grower, Welgro Produce too, the season…

Diesel costs deliver heavy blow to North American trucking industry

Experts say that with diesel prices remaining elevated, forcing significant costs onto shippers and trucking companies, the impact of fuel costs on inflation could put a dent…

'13 million TEU of excess containers in 2023'

Over the past two years, congestion in the supply chain has led to a significant extension of the transportation time, not only in relation to the ocean-side delays, but also in relation to inland congestion and delays. When the supply chain gets longer, there will naturally be a need for more…

Robot arms load 75 punnets/min. into crate

"After a tour through FruitMasters's packaging departments, I'm always amazed at how much technology goes into something as seemingly simple as a strawberry punnet," says FruitMasters's brand manager Tim Kievits on LinkedIn. "We added five of these robot arms this month. They load 75 packages into the…

North Carolina farmers worry surging fuel & fertilizer costs could result in empty shelves

Growers in eastern North Carolina say a spike in supply costs is preventing them from planting some crops this year. Some farms have stated that unless fuel and fertilizer…

"Agriculture must be the priority of the next government"

Today, Secretary of the Eastern Highlands Agricultural Society, Solepa Aganisafa, said that the next government formed after the 2022 National General Elections must make…

Leadership coach set the tone for Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference

Last month, attendees at the Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference (WFPC) offered rave reviews for the opening general session from Wendy McManus, leadership coach of Connect 2 Potential. McManus' talk was titled, "Get on the Same Page: How to shape your culture collaboratively from any seat in the…

Interpoma rewards innovations for water management in apple orchards

With the Interpoma Award, the Bolzano fair intends to grant recognition to those companies that present innovations for water management in apple orchards. Interpoma Award 2022 will reward those technologies that, thanks to an innovative component, lead to progress in the management of water in apple…

"Market potential of Chinese fruit is worth paying attention to as product quality continues to improve"

May is the month when various premium domestic fruits enter the Chinese market. The market for premium domestic fruit rapidly expanded in the last few years. This development has attracted attention from far and wide. Xinjiang sugar plums Guangdong Excellent Fruit Agricultural Investment Co., Ltd. manages…

"The Moroccan origin gives the grapes a real freshness advantage!"

The Albafruit company is starting its 16th campaign of Moroccan grapes. A season that this year looks promising both in terms of volume and quality: "The good weather and the last few days of heat have helped increase the sugar content of the grapes. We are hoping for a good harvest", reports Christophe…

Trade Integration Agreement between Chile and Ecuador enters into force

The Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Jose Miguel Ahumada, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, Daniel Legarda, announced that the ACE 75 Trade…

China‘s apple production is expected to drop by about 30% in 2022

On May 11, strong convective weather occurred in many apple-producing areas in Gansu, and some areas experienced heavy rainfall and hail. In addition, apple-producing areas in…

Mexican table grape industry challenged to ship 25 million boxes in 10 weeks

Table grape harvest in Northern Mexico has started, in Hermosillo and Guaymas in the state of Sonora. The first grapes crossed the border with Nogales, AZ ten days ago, on May 9. The start date is similar to last year, but it is a few days later than the average start of May 5. “The great majority of…

Melons Australia announces seamless data flow in the traceability of seedless watermelons

Melons Australia has successfully demonstrated a pilot of how to overcome the hurdle of transferring data from whole fruit to cut pieces in the supermarket. The peak industry body says the project is aimed to maximise consumer engagement with the farmer while boosting confidence in the freshness and food…

USDA

Chilean table grape production projected to increase by 15.2 percent in MY2021/22

In MY2021/22, experts have projected that Chilean table grape production will increase by 15.2 percent, totaling 760,000 MT. Exports will increase by 14.2 percent, totaling 600,000 metric tons. For MY2021/22, the estimated apple production stands at 1,036,000 MT a 4.8 percent decrease from MY2020/21 on…

“Harvest of the early cherry varieties has already started”

The cherry season in Turkey has started and producers estimate an increase in volumes of about 10 to 15% this year. Due to the war in Ukraine, Turkish producers might have to divert to other European markets to export their cherries to. According to Banu Er, the general manager for Turkish agent and…

“Freight costs change weekly, so fresh herb prices from Israel to customers have to change”

The weekly changes in airfreight costs make it challenging for Israel-based exporter Bless S.R. Ltd to offer stable prices of fresh herbs to clients in Eastern Europe and Asia. The unpredictable freight costs due to the Russian war in Ukraine also influence the edible flowers they export to Asia. The…

Gearing up for 2022 US apple season at Apple Quality Summit

Hazel Technologies Inc. announces open registration for its 2nd annual Apple Quality Summit next week. The one-hour event will be held on Thursday May 26th and feature presentations focused on preparing the U.S. apple industry for the 2022 season. Speakers will include Dr. Desmond O’Rourke, founder and…

More than 40 expert speakers to present the latest developments at Citrus Forum

The technical program of the 1st International Citrus Forum CITRUS FORUM is going to feature more than 40 expert speakers. The event will take place on June 21 and 22, 2022 at…

"Gas prices are high, so we’ve halted part of our production"

Organic greenhouse vegetable cultivation represented a tiny part of Dutch greenhouse farming. These greenhouses use no lighting, and the crops have to be planted directly in the soil. Heating is, however, allowed. The high gas prices are, therefore, affecting this segment too. These high prices mean…

Pineapple extract may help treat Alzheimer's disease

An extract derived from pineapple stem may potentially improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease generally characterized by…

Will Artificial Intelligence and robotics usher in an era of sustainable precision agriculture?

Across midwestern farms, if Girish Chowdhary has his way, farmers will someday release beagle-sized robots into their fields like a pack of hounds flushing pheasant. The…

Robotic beehives might be the answer to declining bee populations

Researchers estimate that bees help pollinate more than a third of the food grown on the planet. Bee populations have been in sharp decline in recent years however. One…

Connecting greens to the zodiac for National Salad Month

Dole Food Company Inc. has added another selection criteria to the 12 recipes featured during its “Healthier by Dole” recipe series in May. The alignment of the stars. In honor of National Salad Month in May, and in the spirit of encouraging more Americans to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables on the…

dnata boosts Erbil operations with over US$ 17 million invested in advanced facilities

dnata, a leading a global air and travel services provider, has announced a significant expansion of its operations in Erbil, Iraq. The company opened a new, advanced cool chain facility and a bus maintenance facility for its state-of-the-art bussing fleets at Erbil International Airport (EBL), which…

FSSAI destroys 14.7 tons of artificially ripened fruits in Coimbatore

During spot checks conducted in fruit stalls in Coimbatore on Wednesday, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seized and destroyed 14.7 tons of…

USDA

Initial subjective forecast for 2022 production at 2.80 billion pounds

The initial subjective forecast for the 2022 California almond production is 2.80 billion pounds. Forecasted production is 4% below last year's production of 2.92 billion pounds. Forecasted bearing acreage for 2022 is a record high of 1,370,000. Forecasted yield is 2,040 pounds per acre, 8% lower than…

Smurfit Kappa opens up a new world of possibilities with water-resistant paper

Smurfit Kappa has developed an innovative and sustainable water-resistant paper. AquaStop™ is part of Smurfit Kappa’s new TechniPaper® portfolio, which consists of an array of high-performance papers designed to handle even the most complex supply chains. The AquaStop paper is water-resistant thanks to a…

Pomegranate grower transitions to 100 percent recycled plastic and renewable energy

POM Wonderful, a grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the U.S., is furthering its commitment to a sustainable future with the transition to 100 percent recycled plastic (rPET) bottles and shifting more than 90 percent of its electricity needs to renewable energy. Throughout…