Germany purchased more tomatoes from Morocco and fewer from Spain and the Netherlands

According to data prepared by Horotinfo, in the last five years, Germany has increased its tomato purchases from Morocco by 73.16% and reduced its purchases from Spain by…

A complicated start to the French tomato campaign

Many summer products are weather sensitive, including tomatoes, for which the demand was not particularly strong in May. "The last few weeks have been difficult, with rather average prices, but we have still managed to sell our products," explains Christophe Rousse, president of the Solarenn cooperative.…

Hort Connections delegates get a taste of South Aussie exotic mushrooms

A tour of the Epicurean Food Group’s exotic mushroom facility north of Adelaide has given 50 Hort Connections delegates a taste of the newly established farm’s potential to achieve its goal of reversing Australia’s reliance on imported Oyster, Shiitake, Enoki, Lion’s Mane and other exotic mushrooms. Since…

Ecuador to formalise official living wage compliance certificate for banana sector

The Ecuadorian banana sector is taking one step forward towards formalising compliance with national living wage policy by requesting the Ecuadorian Ministry of Labour to…

Bananas from Ecuador at £0.96: no change from last week

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 current average week prices of bananas from Ecuador came in at…

EU three-week average price of European bananas at €126 per 100 kgs in week 5

In week 21, average wholesale prices of bananas from Latin America were at €106/100 kgs in the Netherlands. Prices in Belgium stood at €96/100 kgs, while the Spanish paid €89/100 kgs and the French paid €129 per 100 kgs. Average wholesale prices of bananas produced within Europe stood at €105/100 kgs in Spain.…

The price of onions will decrease with the new harvest in Ukraine

This year, farmers have significantly increased the area under onion cultivation, which will lead to a significant reduction in prices for this vegetable when the main harvest…

How will the hybrid potato change the international potato sector?

Is the hybrid potato the new weapon in the fight for greater food security? The hybrid version of this popular crop could make a huge difference, especially in the agricultural regions of Africa. But it could also play a major role in the transition to sustainable agriculture in the West. On Friday 2…

Can hybrid potatoes change the international potato industry?

A hybrid potato version might make a huge difference, especially in the agricultural regions of Africa. But it could also play a major role in the transition to sustainable…

The dilemma of golden onions in Egypt

According to EastFruit estimates, Egypt was the main supplier of yellow onions to the markets of Eastern Europe and the European Union in the first 4-5 months of 2023.…

"Major political unrest in Senegal making for a very uncertain start to the mango season"

The mango season has been good recently. "Unlike other years, West Africa had a very limited supply," reflects Henk van der Meij of the Dutch company Hars&Hagebauer However, as the season in Senegal nears, social unrest is causing panic. On Thursday, after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was handed a two-year…

Zespri releases final numbers concerning the kiwifruit sector

Zespri has released the final numbers concerning the kiwifruit sector; these show that total global revenue from fruit sales for 2022/23 was $3.92 billion, down 3% on the…

"For us, the future has already started"

SG Alimentación-Southgreen (SGA) will be renamed to SGA Group, thereby integrating the three main family-owned production companies that supply it under the same commercial structure. The project has been launched with more than 600 hectares devoted to citrus, stone fruit and berry production, around 30,000…

Thousands of tonnes of UK produce being destroyed every day

British cucumber growers have not had it easy in the last few years, and 2023 is not looking any better. “It is the perfect storm,” said Lea Stiles from Lea Valley Growers…

Kuehne+Nagel acquires leading South African freight forwarder Morgan Cargo

Kuehne+Nagel signed an agreement to acquire Morgan Cargo, a leading South African, UK and Kenyan freight forwarder specialised in the transport and handling of perishable…

Protesting laborers shut down Maersk Line, Five Star Logistics and other shipping companies

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has made good it’s threat to shut down operations at the ports starting from Monday, June 5th. The union is protesting against the…

Direct cargo flight launched between Kenya and Israel

Through recently launched direct flights between the two countries, Kenya is focusing on export growth by increasing the volume of horticulture and other agricultural products…

Mission Produce introduces non-destructive testing tech in United Kingdom

Mission Produce announced the advancement of its ripening process in the United Kingdom (UK) with AVOS Mini, a non-destructive ripeness control tool and smart device that measures avocado ripeness and provides quality management insights. The device is being used for the first time in the company’s…

EastFruit

Ukrainian dam that was essential for agriculture has been destroyed

In Ukraine, it seems that the Russian army has blown up a dam in the night of June 5-6. According to EastFruit analysts, the explosion of the dam of the Kakhovska hydroelectric power station is not only an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe that will lead to flooding of vast territories and many…

WTO appraises EU’s trade policy and practices

WTO Members started the fifteenth Trade Policy Review of the European Union in Geneva today, examining the EU’s trade policy and practices from the end of 2019 until the end…

European Commission approves €346 million Polish scheme to support agricultural producers

The European Commission has approved an approximately €346 million (PLN 1.5 billion) Polish scheme to support agricultural producers in the context of Russia's war against…

Maritime UK appoints new Chief Executive Officer

Maritime UK, the umbrella organisation for the UK’s maritime sector, has appointed Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE as its new Chief Executive Officer. He will move over from Mersey…

South Africa: Rand hits new low amid dollar strength

On Tuesday, May 30, the South African rand hit a record low on the back of a strengthening dollar. Also, this soured local investor sentiment that has seen massive capital…

Increased consumption and steady quotations for melons and watermelons in Italy

The bad weather put a spoke in the wheels of the melon and watermelon campaign, leading to several diseases in the field and reducing the fruit set of the earliest transplants to a minimum. "Rain was recorded for two consecutive weeks and open field melons were either in flowering or fruiting. There was…

"It's a golden time for the stone fruit sector"

Although Alvin Frutta has an extensive catalog of seasonal fruits and vegetables to provide customers with a year-round supply of product, stone fruit is still the flagship product for this southern Italian-based growing and trading company. Giuseppina Zito, a businesswoman who runs this young company…

"Interest in cherries from Aragon has increased after the rains affected production in Extremadura”

The harvest of the latest cherry varieties in the highlands of Aragon will start this week. “We expect to produce around 1,000 tons of cherries this year. We'll begin to harvest the Santina variety between June 5 and 7. This is a well-known mid-season variety that has good caliber and a lot of sugar…

Dittmeyer´s Frucht-Plantagen GmbH & Co. KG

"The listing with Grand Frais was the initial spark for market access to the French food retail market"

On June 1, the first blueberries of this season were picked at the French location of Dittmeyer's Frucht-Plantagen Ltd & Co. Since the late 80's, the Dittmeyer company has been engaged in blueberry cultivation in the pine forests south of Bordeaux. The plantation called 'Domaine des Myrtilles'…

Chilean technical cherry tours to Spain in full swing again

Chilean producers and exporters traveled to Spain again to view the performance of the latest cherry varieties. This shows agricultural technical tours, a crucial activity that was halted due to Covid-induced lockdowns and travel restrictions, has now resumed fully. Lorena Pinto with Luis Lasarte Alonso,…

New Zealand organic apples will help supply short US market

In a typical season, the US brings in offshore apples from Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand. “The breakdown between these three countries of origin varies a little bit every year, but this year, we are seeing a different pattern,” says Maureen Royal with Bridges Organic Produce. “Prior to the harvest…

Uzbekistan: assortment of imported exotics and local fruits and berries continues to expand

EastFruit experts draw attention to the growing assortment of fruits on the shelves of supermarkets in the capital of Uzbekistan, the city of Tashkent. The growing income…

"Many customers travel long distances, just for the assortment and quality at the Munich wholesale market"

For several years, Munich-based company Herbafrucht Ltd, which specializes in herbs, has been working with a wild garlic producer from Hungary and another from Romania. "The season usually starts earlier for both origins than German production," says managing director of Herbafrucht, Phillippe Kahn. Managing…

Automation and sustainability were the buzz words

Tuesday 06 June saw the second day of Hort Connections in Adelaide. The day started off with a breakfast sponsored by Perfection Fresh. Gus Balbontin - Former Executive Director and CTO of Lonely Planet spoke about using information automation to grow your knowledge and grow your business. Today also saw…

German machine manufacturer to host in-person showcase of fresh produce machinery

After the last Customer Day in 2021 had to take place solely online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Kronen GmbH is inviting customers and interested parties to experience the event in person again this autumn at its headquarters in Kehl am Rhein, Germany. Participants from all over the globe are expected to…

International blueberry summit in Poland has 20 countries on board

The 2023 International Blueberry Organization (IBO) Summit, starting on July 3 in Poland, promises to be a truly global meeting of the blueberry industry. It is the first IBO Summit in Europe, and also the first opportunity for the global blueberry community to meet in person since 2019. “This meeting can…

"Optimistic about the current citrus season"

"The grape packing season is slowly coming to an end, and is expected to continue until week 26. Meanwhile, the apple season is in full swing," says Rene Tunker, of Looije Packing. "Foodtainers, flowpacking and repacking are currently the main services requested, but packaging solutions such as Carton…

'Citrus fruit cultivation in Sardinia is profitable if conducted with innovative techniques'

Everyone knows that the soil and weather conditions of Sardinia make it ideal for the cultivation of many tree species, especially citrus fruit. However, the three leading production areas of Sarrabus, Villacidro e and the Oristano province still feature citrus groves managed with outdated techniques…

"Iranian citrus can compete in Europe"

This year has seen a surge of interest in Iran's fresh produce, amid worldwide production shortages. However, this interest only concerns a few products, and Iranian exporters can offer more, according to Iranian exporter Amirhossein Azizi. Azizi says: "This year, we've seen strong demand for certain fruits…

"Due to the high water and floods in Italy, some organic crops were lost"

Organic eggplants can be found year-round at the Karl Eschenbach GmbH company, managing director Mariano Thanner tells us. He sources the product from Germany and Spain, although at present he offers mainly goods from Italy. "Prices are much higher than last year. This is mainly due to the drought and…

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Increasing fruit and veg consumption ‘equivalent to walking 4,000 extra steps a day’

New research suggests that eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains could be as good for your heart as walking 4,000 extra steps a day. The study was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. It aimed to explore the impact that consuming these foods had on physical…

"The platform is an essential tool for field workers and remote managers alike"

TieUp Farming, a provider of advanced farm management software, will be participating in the upcoming Hort Connections trade show in Adelaide. The company will showcase their innovative modules for machinery and fertigation management, and offer an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming features. "TieUp Farming's…

A solution for nurseries to combat plant pathogens and reduce mortality

Plant diseases caused by pathogens like Phytophthora, Fusarium, and Pythium pose significant challenges for growers, leading to crop losses and reduced productivity. However, an innovative solution involving the on-site generation of hydrogen peroxide has emerged as a powerful tool for mitigating these…

Tiger Brands corroborates plan to sell loss-making fruit canning plant

Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company Tiger Brands has reopened the process to sell the troubled Langeberg and Ashton Foods (L&AF) deciduous fruit factory in the Western…

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Rwanda govt. secures funding to reduce post-harvest losses

The government, through Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), has secured $1.3 million (approximately Rwf1.5 billion) from partners to support the development of a cold chain system. The primary goal of this initiative is to reduce post-harvest losses and improve cold-chain infrastructure,…

Cooperatives demand radical change of EU's packaging and plant protection proposals

A radical change in the approach of the legislative proposals on the reduction of the use of plant protection products and new packaging standards. This is what the fruit and…

The Walnut and Almond Growers Association of Georgia expects a 50% increase in production

The Walnut and Almond Growers Association of Georgia interviewed 180 farmers who harvested about 1,300 tons of almonds and 2,000 tons of walnuts (Chandler) from commercial…

Australian shoppers upset over individually-wrapped cucumbers at Woolworths

Editor James Massola from Nine Newspapers National Affairs drew attention to the sale of individually-wrapped cucumbers at Woolworths in a tweet on Saturday, commending the…

Foldable bins cause 75% reduction in return trips, cost savings and lower emissions for broccoli exports

Agromark, a Spanish export company specialising in fruits and vegetables, has enhanced its return on investment (ROI) and minimised its carbon footprint through the implementation of Tosca's innovative foldable bin solution. Tosca, who provide reusable packaging and performance pooling solutions for food…

Meteorologists predict soaring risk of flash droughts

Meteorologists from Oklahoma State University published a study which found that the risk of flash droughts, which can develop in the span of a few weeks, is set to rise in…