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…

"Asparagus season was great, price-wise, but with very erratic supply"

The last month of the Dutch asparagus season is here again. "We're not dissatisfied. Price-wise, it was definitely a good season, with no lows," says Will Teeuwen of Teboza. "However, this season's erratic weather made planning particularly difficult." "We have no control over that but have to,…

"The season's last refrigerated leeks mostly suitable for processors"

The Belgian leek season is genuinely reaching its end. Unlike last year, this season was characterized by good prices for both traders and growers, something Calsa's Pol…

Resistant varieties defeat New Delhi virus in Almeria's zucchini campaign

Almeria's zucchini export campaign is coming to an end. The season was characterized by a significant decrease in production compared to last season, stated Jose Luis Escobar, from Berdea, the agricultural society (SAT) behind the King Courgette zucchini brand. “This decrease has been due to a set of…

"I am now the only one offering asparagus in the Munich Gärtnerhalle"

The season for Schrobenhausen asparagus has been going well so far, but is now slowly coming to an end. "We have heard from some farms in the area that they will stop harvesting in the course of the next two weeks. This is due to the fact that here in Bavaria after Whitsun the two-week vacations start…

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…

Current average week prices of bananas from Belize at £0.95

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 were at £0.95 for bananas…

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…

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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…

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…

WARNING: reported corporate identity theft against EUROFRUT S.p.A.

All fruit and vegetable market operators are warned that unidentified individuals are making attempts to establish contacts with producing companies, including those overseas,…

Delphy Group remains independent

Delphy Group has decided to terminate the merging process with Canadian company AgriFORCE Growing Systems. AgriFORCE, a publicly traded company, gained attention in the international horticulture sector over the past year due to a series of intended investments. Delphy Groep will no longer be a part of this journey. The…

Xeneta container contract rates drop 27.5%

Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI) has been falling for the past nine months as shippers renegotiated lower contract rates on the back of sharply falling spot rates. However, the…

Little Leaf Farms inaugurates greenhouse, will add a new one in fall

US lettuce grower, Little Leaf Farms, is announcing it will open a new state-of-the-art greenhouse in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, this fall. This will be the fifth greenhouse for Little Leaf Farms and the brand's second greenhouse in Pennsylvania. With the expanded capacity of 10 additional acres of indoor…

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…

Researchers design a robot to optimize the blueberry harvest

A team of researchers from the Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego (UPAO) managed to field test a mobile robot to optimize the harvesting of blueberries, which has the ability…

"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…

"The EU Agreement doesn't favor Moroccan growers"

Since the entry into force of the Association Agreement between the EU and Morocco in 2013, the country has gone from selling 365,695 tons of tomatoes to 557,225 tons in 2022,…

Canada saw decline in availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in 2022

According to Statistics Canada, fewer fresh fruits and vegetables were available to Canadians in 2022. The most important causes were the ongoing supply chain issues, labor…

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),…

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Ireland: Minister Hackett announces €10 million investment in the Horticulture Sector

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Horticulture, Senator Pippa Hackett, today announced the opening of the 2023 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. Giving details of the competitive…

Border posts are being built at northern ports

Border posts are being built at northern ports to facilitate checks, agreed as part of the EU-UK's latest post-Brexit trade deal. After the signing of the Windsor Framework,…

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…

Polish and Spanish officials take down gang hiding drugs in fruit and vegetable shipments

Law enforcement officials in Spain and Poland have taken down an international drug trafficking organization, suspected of bringing vast amounts of drugs into Poland, hidden…

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…

"Problems with early stone fruits in Italy, but the late season will see Le Meraviglie."

In the case of cherries, the situation is compromised, while problems for apricots are limited to the early segment; for the medium and medium-late crops, however, yields should meet quality requirements. This is a snapshot of the situation provided by Vincenzo Finelli, director of Italy's Orogel Fresco…

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,…

Obsthof Spinner

"Compared to strawberries, a bit of seasonality has been lost with raspberries"

In week 21, the first tunnel raspberries of this year's season could be harvested at Obsthof Spinner in Oberkirch. "We started a few days later than last year, but the stands and budding are all very nice. Overall, we are expecting quite a bountiful yield of both raspberries and strawberries this year,…

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…

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…

EastFruit

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…

"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…

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,…

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…

Brazil: New Tahiti lemon has superior productivity

Brazilian citriculture gains three important new materials, two varieties of orange and one of Tahiti lemon. Limão Tahiti BRS EECB IAC Ponta Firme has a productivity of 80…

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…

Is the organic sector finally recovering?

Last year was particularly complicated for organic strawberries, but it seems that all the parameters are now in place for a successful campaign. “We started the season on March 20th and we still have three weeks left to harvest. The weather has been on our side this year, with no heatwave that would…

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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,…

Montosa presents the new design of its tropical fruit processing brand

Montosa, the Spanish company that specializes in avocado and IV range products, is presenting the new design of its Native brand at PLMA's World of Private Label 2023 fair,…

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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…