Israel faces tomato shortage: prices surge as imported vegetables dominate shelves

Israel is facing a tomato shortage, leading to a surge in prices and a potential dominance of imported vegetables on store shelves by mid-January. The head of an Israeli…

Mongolia achieves record-high vegetable production

Mongolia has achieved a record-high vegetable production of 183,000 tons this year, covering 85 percent of domestic needs, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry. Additionally, the country has harvested a total of 434,000 tons of wheat, marking an 8 percent increase from the…

First Indian bananas received in Rotterdam

Yesterday, the first container of bananas from India was received. Initiators INI Farms, a sister company of Ulink Agritech, and Del Monte, along with representatives from the Embassy of India, shipping company Maersk, and host Rotterdam Fruit Wharf, opened the first container. Representatives from…

VAT on onions and potatoes could prompt shortages

Businesspersons involved in the potato and onion trade in Nepal are on strike in protest against the government's decision to impose value-added tax (VAT) on these vegetables, even those grown domestically. The government's move to apply VAT on both imported and domestically produced potatoes and onions…

Lower volumes of Hayward kiwis in Italy but with a focus on quality

When it comes to the Hayward green kiwi, the scenario this year is quite simple. There is a shortage of produce. "While this is true for us in Italy, it is the same for our biggest competitor, Greece," explains Giuseppe Ribotta, founder of the Ribotta Group agricultural cooperative, with headquarters in…

Taitung resumes export of custard apple to China

The resumption of custard apple exports from Taitung to China marks a significant triumph for the agricultural sector in the region. Following a more than two-year suspension, China lifted the ban in June this year, allowing the first batch of Taitung-grown custard apples to be shipped. The initial…

Brazillian mango exports to end year on a high

Brazilian mango exports are poised to finish the year on a positive note, with significant contributions from Bahia, the largest fruit exporter in the country. Unlike the previous year, international shipments from Bahia are expected to grow, with output already showing a 19% increase compared to 2022.…

Family-owned fresh produce business celebrates 130 years in South Africa

The Dutoit Group is celebrating 130 years as a South African agricultural company. From Gysbertus du Toit settling on Kromfontein Farm in the Western Cape and planting the first fruit trees in 1883, to becoming one of the largest family owned fresh produce businesses, this agricultural investment company…

South Korea and Pakistan to collaborate in agriculture tech

South Korea and Pakistan intend to collaborate in the field of agriculture technology transfer. This joint effort, facilitated by the Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) and Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), covers various aspects such as certified seed potato production and…

Turkmenistan expected to double tomato production

There is currently a true investment boom in the greenhouse business of Turkmenistan, which has one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. Therefore, greenhouse owners in this country enjoy incredibly low prices for the natural gas, which, coupled with a relatively warm winter and inexpensive…

Collaboration expands reefer container data interoperability for vessel operators

Copeland, a global provider of sustainable climate solutions, and Maersk Container Industry (MCI), a reefer container manufacturing company, are collaborating to integrate Copeland's REFCON 6 BLE reefer monitoring system with MCI’s Star Cool reefer containers fitted with Sekstant gateways. This…

Conflict poses risks to all vessels navigating the Red Sea

In the aftermath of the recent rocket attack on the Number 9 boxship, owned by Castle Harbour and operated by OOCL, concerns are rising about the safety of vessels passing through the Red Sea. Linerlytica emphasizes that the threat has expanded beyond ships directly involved in the Israel-Palestine…

Star Cool ITI 2.0 – Enhanced Intelligent Trip Inspection

In the ever-evolving world of shipping and logistics, efficiency and innovation are key. One of the significant breakthroughs in this regard has been the introduction of Intelligent Trip Inspection (ITI) technology, and now, we’re thrilled to announce the arrival of Star Cool ITI 2.0 – an even more…

"Fewer operations saves you so much time"

"Automation is in demand everywhere. There's a labor shortage in the current market, and getting quality people is hard. It's tricky to find the right people for a certain place. Companies are, thus, genuinely looking for innovations that allow them to save 'hands'," begins Roel Borgman of LRE…

From high-tech to lower-quality products that are acceptable to different demographics

"We often think of food security problems, e.g., 70% of the food needed in 2050, but interestingly, nobody double clicks on where. It's not an equally distributed problem. The population is growing in Africa, the Middle East, and South Africa, yet it's shrinking, flat, or soon to shrink everywhere else.…

“Egypt's imports may not be easily reduced, and could even increase”

If we compare the data on imports of Egyptian oranges in Spain between 2022 and 2023, it is undeniable that purchases have skyrocketed dramatically in just one year. According to Datacomex data, while in all of 2022 imports totaled 61.40 tons, in the period from January to September 2023 (the months for…

Lennart Nilsson elected as new President of European agri-cooperatives organisation

The European agri-cooperatives organisation (Cogeca), held an election in Brussels where Lennart Nilsson from the Swedish organisation LRF was appointed to lead the organisation representing over 22,000 farming cooperatives across the EU. He will replace the outgoing Spanish President, Ramon Armengol…

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Pakistani rupee set to end the year as Asia’s worst-performing currency

The Pakistani rupee will probably end the year as Asia’s worst-performing currency. It has fallen about 20% against the dollar this year and financial experts say its troubles are far from over. BMI analysts say the currency will fall to 350 rupees by the end of next year, while Karachi-based brokerage…

“This could be the dream table grape season for us in Ica”

After a very challenging and quick start to the table grape season in Peru, the production area of Ica is entering into the peak of their season. Weather conditions have turned out to be “extraordinarily good” according to Benjamín Cilloniz, General Manager of Exportadora Safco Peru S.A: “We are entering…

Are orange candy melons the future of the melon category?

While many commodities are faced with tight supplies this season, the situation is the opposite for melons. “This fall, there was a lot of honeydew and watermelon in the market at one time,” says Mikee Suarez with MAS Melons & Grapes. It caused supply to become backed up for a large portion of the…

Southern African blueberry industry set to recover

In southern Africa, the blueberry market is poised for recovery, offering potential benefits to South African farmers amid a slowdown in blueberry production in Peru, the global leader in blueberry exports. Over the past two years, South African producers faced challenges with low prices that impacted…

Grape storage volumes down compared to last year

The total cold storage volumes of grapes in California is significantly down compared to this time last year. On November 30th, total storage levels were at 3,360,750 packages. The same week last year, 6,103,227 packages were in storage. These numbers include all varieties and pack types. Most varieties…

Anticipated apple exports from Brazil fall short

Despite challenges faced by some of Brazil's main competitors in apple production, such as Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa, the expected increase in Brazilian fresh apple exports for the 2022/23 season did not materialize as anticipated. Industry experts consulted by Hortifruti Brasil attribute this…

"Our stocks of apples sold out about a month ago"

Some Polish exporters have already sold their entire apple stock for the season. Mohamed Marawan, owner of Polish apple exporter Sarafruit, states he’s not fond of storing apples in cooling chambers: “At the beginning of the Polish apple season there was strong demand, after a while the demand slowed…

Bayer’s 5th winter melon week was driven by portfolio and strategic marketing solutions

Bayer Vegetable Seeds recently concluded its fifth Winter Melon Week at the Melon Experience Center in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.Growers, marketers, and traders from the EMEA/APAC region actively participated in tailormade, individual hybrid face-to-face, and online meetings, fostering valuable…

"Our fresh, organic herbs are 100% Belgian, year-round"

Last year, high energy prices meant there was little supply from those countries' greenhouses, so supermarkets had to switch to imports from Southern Europe. How are things looking this year? We approached ALDI Belgium for more insight into their supplies and strategies for the upcoming winter season. Aldi…

Spain, chosen to host the 11th edition of the International Table Grape Symposium

Around 400 attendees attended the 10th edition of the International Table Grape Symposium in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 26 to December 1, 2023. This event, held once every three years, is where table grape science meets with the industry to showcase advances in knowledge and innovation, to…

Georgia producing only 15 percent of its normal citrus supply this season

Georgia citrus looks to have around 15 percent of the fruit it normally does due to numerous weather events. In December of 2022, the region was hit with an arctic blast which involved four days of sub-freezing temperatures. “It was between 15-17 degrees Fahrenheit and no matter what you do to…

6th Biofruit Congress confirms rebound in growth of organic market

The 6th international congress on organic demand, sustainability and innovation was hosted by Eurofresh Distribution and IFEMA during Fruit Attraction on October 3rd, 2023.…

Research show wasabi could improve cognitive function

Wasabi is derived from the underground stem-rhizome of the wasabi plant, native to Japan. Beyond its culinary uses, wasabi has become the focus of scientific research, particularly in a recent study conducted by researchers from Tohoku University in Japan. The study delves into the cognitive effects of…

UK fresh produce POS data service provides exclusive in-store information

A comprehensive, regular, and reliable data service for sellers of fresh and frozen produce has been relaunched to enable access to images and information that can only be discovered in UK stores. British Growers Insights is the UK’s largest and most up to date fresh and frozen produce point of sale data…

Research on new rootstocks for stone fruit trees

The International Rootstock Symposium (IRS) makes its debut at Macfrut 2024 as part of an area entirely dedicated to genetic innovations in the rootstock sector. An international symposium with four in-depth seminars on the latest results of worldwide public and private research. Together with the…

United States sees opportunities in exporting processed veg to Philippines

The United States envisions becoming the second-largest supplier of processed vegetables to the Philippines, according to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). In 2022, the Philippines exported 512,000 metric tons of processed vegetables valued at…

Evergreen invests out over US$222 million on containers and reefer equipment

Taiwanese mainline operator Evergreen Marine Corporation will spend more than US$222 million on more equipment; it will buy 60,000 dry containers, 7,000 reefer containers, 7,000 reefer generators and 800 special containers. The company has stated it needs to replace older boxes and meet growing demand to…

FSAI recalls frozen vegetable product due to ‘possible foreign body contamination’

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has issued a notice that Tesco is recalling certain batches of Growers Harvest Garden Peas due to contamination fears. These products may contain an unknown type of berry which may make the product unsafe to eat. A notice read: "Tesco, on the advice of the Food Safety…

Strong growth in Azerbaijan's hazelnut exports: up by 17% in 2023

According to "Interfax-Azerbaijan," citing the Center for Economic Reform and Communications Analysis, from January to October 2023, Azerbaijan exported hazelnuts amounting to $94.3 million. This marks a significant 17.4% surge compared to the same period last year. Azerbaijan is one of the world's…

California's fruit and nut sector at risk from increased pest risk

California's vital fruit and nut supply is confronting an amplified threat from crop-destroying insects driven by climate change, as outlined in a study by researchers from UC Merced, the University of California's climate hub, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture California Climate Hub. The state's…

Packaging that results in improved berry shelf-life and more marketable fruit

Berry consumption continues to go up globally and the different varieties are still gaining popularity. On the flipside however, the sensitive fruit category is faced with a relatively high share of spoilage. “The combination of high demand and high spoilage provided us with the opportunity to extend our…

'Thanks for supporting fund to help rebuild Moroccan villages struck by earthquake'

On September 10th, 2023, Morocco experienced an earthquake that caused the collapse of thousands of villages in the High Atlas Mountains. The government and numerous associations have hurried to assist the villagers by procuring and distributing food, water, and basic necessities. Tents and mattresses…

Chefs start potato fight

At the Cantley House Hotel in Wokingham, a playful potato fight between chefs escalated into violence. Chef Rashim Salim, 35, attacked his colleague, Mr. Barbu, strangling and punching him. The confrontation began over potato croquettes and led to both throwing potatoes at each other. Salim admitted to assault causing actual…