Moroccan bell pepper exports to EU and UK rapidly growing

Bell peppers are one of the most exported categories from Morocco and the second in revenues from exports after tomatoes. Morocco, thanks to its favorable climate and…

U.S. officials seize $38 million worth of methamphetamine in kale shipment

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility seized $38 million worth of methamphetamine within a shipment of kale. On Saturday,…

No delay and sufficient volumes for Polish white cabbage

As the cauliflower harvest arrives in Poland, the Polish white cabbage season is also running. According to Kornelia Lewikowska, purchasing manager for Polish vegetable…

"The price of new garlic is not expected to drop in the short term."

The new season of garlic has started, but due to the reduced production, the price in the production area is currently rising, and the overseas customers are not active, while…

Hand-picked green beans from Mexico available year-round

While Peakopia brings many different fruit and vegetable varieties to market, green beans are the company’s main product. “We offer two types, light and dark, and they are grown year-round in three different regions of Mexico. We’ve been working with the same grower for years,” says Cindy Delgado with…

“It’s time to interrupt the North American mushroom industry”

Degrees of innovation in the mushroom industry vary greatly around the world. In North America for instance, selling mushrooms in a blue container is the standard and product containing dirt is completely acceptable. “Mushroom growers in this part of the world have been able to get away with it,” says…

Prominent boosts sales with insights from neuromarketing

To get a complete picture of what drives consumers and also take their unconscious choices into account, Prominent has established a partnership with Unravel Research; a professional party focusing on neuromarketing. On May 16th, co-founder Tim Zuidgeest presented several fascinating insights at the…

Agreement reached for the price of processing tomatoes in northern Italy

An agreement has been reached for the price of processing tomatoes in northern Italy for the 2023 growing season. Representatives of the agricultural sector expressed content…

Untimely rain and winds damage Burhanpur banana plantations

Sudden rains, accompanied by strong winds have damaged standing banana crops in Burhanpur district on Sunday. Banana farmers in Burhanpur district suffered major losses after…

Better returns, but lower yields and higher costs for New Zealand onions

The New Zealand onion harvest was finished on time and the bulk of the seasons exports have been shipped. Planting has started for the new season albeit a bit stop start due to more wet weather.  "The growing season last year was particularly challenging, lack of sunshine and extended wet periods affected…

China, Pakistan and other Belt and Road countries work to collaborate to improve potato industry

In an attempt to turbocharge the potato industry, 11 Belt and Road (BRI) countries including China and Pakistan have joined international universities, companies and…

Bangladesh considers onion imports to stabilise market

The onion market is turning volatile much to the dismay of the general consumers who have their backs already to the wall due to skyrocketing prices of the essential…

Philippines: Former Secretary of Agriculture William Dar denies involvement in onion cartel

Former Filipino Secretary of Agriculture William Dar has denied involvement in an alleged onion cartel that is said to have been behind the spike in onion prices last year.…

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Denmark: Trucker detained after huge potato spill delays traffic on Storebaelt bridge

A truck driver was detained yesterday after a load of potatoes was found spilled on a key bridge linking the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. The driver was held on suspicion of causing reckless endangerment to life. A first spill was reported on the westbound side of the Storebaelt bridge early in…

Egypt might flood the global dates market within the next five years

Egypt is gearing up to boost exports of dates and to take the crown of the largest global exporter away from the current leader Israel. In 2021 Egypt wasn’t even among the top…

Hundreds of durian trucks stuck at border Vietnam-China

Some 700 trucks, most of them carrying durians, are stuck trying to enter China from Vietnam’s Lang Son Province. The congestion has clogged northern border crossings for more…

"The production and sales of lychees in Hainan far exceeded last year."

The lychees produced in Hainan are mainly Feizixiao, Seedless, and Lychee King, which have the advantage of being on the market earlier than other production areas due to climate reasons. "This year, due to the cold and rainy weather during the production season, the production season of the main…

Thailand faces tougher durian exports to Chinese markets

Thailand might face tougher competition in exporting durians to China’s market over the next five years as China imports more durians from other countries, especially from…

Sindh province sees 20% of mango crop destroyed by rains

Several fruit crops (among them mangoes, bananas and dates) have been badly damaged by heavy rains and strong winds that recently lashed Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh for…

Mumbai traders look to export UP mango varieties to other countries

Uttar Pradesh accounts for 23% of total mango production in the country, which is more than 4.8 mln tons of the total production of over 27.9 mln tons in the country. Lucknow,…

Native raspberries, limes and more: how did these curious plants end up in Australia?

While plants can’t walk, they can certainly travel. Some species have travelled vast distances over millennia, moving by different and varied modes. Some found new habitats…

In Senegal, a new tax to combat fruit flies sparks discontent

Fruit flies were among the main causes of the Senegalese mango industry's poor performance last season, prompting the government to take steps to combat them, and to resort to a new tax to finance the effort. At the launch of the 2023 mango export campaign, the Senegalese Ministry of Agriculture…

Vertical farm Plantx partners with supermarket chain to supply 200 stores

United Super Markets Holdings Co., Ltd. and Plantex Co., Ltd. launched a new vertical farm 'Terrabase' Tsuchiuri in May 2022 and has been operating for over a year now.  To further develop the sustainable urban environment vegetable supply chain development the SEED consortium was established.The SEED Consortium…

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…

Drewry

Drewry’s composite World Container Index decreased by 0.2% this week

Drewry’s composite World Container Index decreased by 0.2% to $1,682.10 per 40ft container this week. Drewry assessment for Thursday, 01 June 2023The composite index has decreased by 0.2% this week, and has dropped by 77.9% when compared with the same week last year.     The latest Drewry WCI composite index of $1,682 per…

Veteran air-cargo manager's 35 years of sending fresh produce across Asia

Hong Kong's airline, Cathay Pacific's veteran air-cargo manager Shuichi Ueba is now in his 35th year for the company and has seen it all. As the Regional Head of Cargo for…

WFS opens air cargo terminal at Kempegowda International Airport

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has opened an air cargo terminal and cold chain facility at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The cargo handler was granted a…

Seven onion packers embrace TrueAI to transform the market

Together with customers, Ellips is looking for opportunities to improve their grading technology. This ongoing collaboration and our drive for innovation has helped to revolutionize the onion market by improving operational performance and enabling our customers to deliver the quality and consistency…

"Fruit and vegetable exports to overseas markets picking up well; we meet that need alongside local production"

Fruit and vegetable exports to overseas markets like the Middle East, Singapore, and Hong Kong are picking up nicely. That is according to Ruud Krul of the Dutch company Freshclusive. "It's more attractive to ship trade again due to the tariff drop. That works in our favor," he begins. "Exports to other…

VIetnam: Industry experts forecast fruit and vegetable exports will continue to soar

Industry experts forecast that the export of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables will continue to soar. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD),…

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…

The limits of a plastic covering in a weak supply chain

Climate change and the related weather phenomena are increasingly bringing focus on agricultural production systems. In May, Italy was plagued by bad weather, and while Emilia Romagna suffered more than any other region, the weather in Sicily also showed little spring-like conditions. Prolonged rainfall…

Chinese scientists provide dietary recommendations for consuming fruit peels

A group of Chinese researchers has looked into the inclination of Chinese consumers toward consuming fruit peels. In the research, published in the journal Food Research…

British Columbia cherry pollination shortened due to hot weather

“This year, it felt like we moved from winter into summer without any spring at all – during and since blossom we experienced unseasonably warm weather,” says Richard Isaacs with Global Fruit in British Columbia. “Things are moving quickly now.” “We are happy to report that we are seeing a good crop…

AVA Magnum® grows perfectly in the Scottish climate

The Scottish strawberry season got off to a later start this year, as did the whole UK crop. This was due to the low light levels and colder weather, but picking is now in full swing at Angus Soft Fruit’s Arbroath farms. “We started picking on 6th of May,” said Allen Innes, Farm Manager at East Seaton…

"Sicilian grapes off to a good start in empty market"

The market was virtually empty when the first Sicilian grapes arrived at Zoutewelle in the Netherlands two weeks ago. "The overseas season, including that of seedless grapes, was a done deal. Egypt had yet to start, so those Italian grapes arrived at just the right time," Bertus Schipper says. "Price-wise,…

Domestic cantaloupes also starting late this spring

Joining the many crops that are late this year coast to coast, the domestic cantaloupe crop is seeing a delayed start as well. “Typically we start around the first or second week of May. This year we didn’t start packing until May 23,” says Justin Bootz with Legend Produce LLC. “We didn’t change planting…

Extreme precipitation is ruining apple cultivation in Kashmir

This year, cold weather and extreme precipitation are persisting longer than usual, which is worrying farmers in the Kashmir region. During the months of April and May, cold…

Serbian blueberry exporter looking to expand in Europe during 2023 season

Late spring rain and cooler weather in Serbia, is making the mainly blueberry producers anxious as they hope to have a good season, which is due to start in two weeks’ time. According to Sladjana Vuković, CEO of the Serbian exporting company Srbovoće: “Some blueberry producers might start a bit earlier…

European apple stocks in May were 17.4% lower than in 2022

European apple stocks in May were 17.4% lower than in 2022 according to WAPA, the World Apple and Pear Association, who released the apple and pear stock figures for 1 May 2023. The figures show that in Europe apple stocks decreased by 17.4% compared to 2022 to reach 1 270 523 T, while pear stocks…

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Georgia wants to become a global blueberry market player

A massive harvesting of blueberries will begin in Georgia in a week. In the last two seasons due to relatively cold weather and rains in producing regions, the beginning of the harvesting season moved to June. However, the early harvest is already sold on the local market. Growers avoid making a…

"Demand for the Gourmet herb range continues to grow"

Butler Market Gardens have been attending Hort Connections for many years and will be there again this year. The team will not have a stand this year but still intend to attend. "This is the main event for our industry, we enjoy attending the seminars to listen, learn and keep abreast of trends and new…

United Producers of Mexico focused on avocado quality

Mexico is preparing to ship an exceptionally good volume to Europe when the next avocado season starts in a couple of months. The solution for good quality avocados from…

Researchers from China and Pakistan innovative endophyte-mediated approach to citrus greening

Huanglongbing or citrus greening disease, seems to be spreading to citrus trees across the globe, with more than 10 million diseased trees destroyed all over China each year…

Last year, more than 6,000 hectares of citrus fruit were abandoned in the Valencian production areas

As the 2022-2023 citrus campaign comes to an end, La Unió Llauradora expressed "its concern about the continued loss of harvest production in the Valencian Community over the last three campaigns and most likely also for the 2023-2024 campaign." "Production this year has been just over 2.9 million tons,…

Vietnam: Ninh Thuan grapefruits receive code to export to US

Grapefruits grown in Phuoc Binh commune, Bac Ai district in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan have received a farming area code, which means they are now eligible for…

Peruvian citrus exporter looking to increase market share in Canada, Europe and UK

Peru’s citrus is moving swiftly with some producers seeing a two week delay in starting the harvesting of Tango, satsumas and novas. According to Roberto Vargas, from Asesorias e Inversiones Muva S.A.C, they are looking to increase their market share in Canada, Europe and the UK. “We started in week 13…

Chile and South Korea restart trade negotiations to lower citrus tariffs

The South American exporter of citrus and other fruits have restarted negotiations with South Korea to amend the existing FTA between them following a two year break. Chile…

The market is no longer rewarding organic products as it used to

“We are currently focused on the tomato campaign in Puglia which - temperatures and weather permitting - is looking positive for a series of reasons: transplant operations started in early April, we paid producers 20 eurocents/kg already two months ago for the traditional Birba F1 and Angos F1…

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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…

How to control the microbiome in soilless cultivation?

Although using microbes in traditional soil agriculture is very well established, the same can’t be said for soilless cultivation. “In this space, there’s an understanding that microbes in the system are crucial, but there’s simply a lack of tools to understand everything that goes on in there. So,…

Nine constituencies in Andhra Pradesh to receive food processing centres

The Andhra Pradesh Food Processing Society (APFPS) is setting up nine Common Facility Integrated Production Centres in as many Parliamentary constituencies, with the support…

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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,…

China issues catalogue on 'three new foods'

On May 10, 2023, the People’s Republic of China National Health Commission (NHC) released a catalogue of new food ingredients, new varieties for food additives and new food…

Precooling used to increase efficiency and reduce postharvest losses in bell peppers

In grocery stores brimming with brightly colored fruits and vegetables, it may not occur to many shoppers the complexity farmers navigate to consistently deliver high-quality produce each week. Consumers hold high standards for fresh food, which farmers aim to meet, but hot summer temperatures and…

Turkish hazelnut market is in a hard situation

There are major issues with the world’s leading hazelnut producer Turkey. Many EU buyers are now preferring other alternatives, which include Georgia. Competition is getting…

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The sustainable food packaging choices that don’t come ready-wrapped

Food and drink producers are facing a sustainability dilemma. The need for eco-friendly packaging is growing, but it costs more and often isn’t as versatile. Faced with anti-plastic regulation and carbon reduction targets, commitment and major investments are needed to increase renewable choices. It…

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…