Agrieuropa to increase parsley root and celeriac crops for the next winter season

"For the next winter campaign, we aim at increasing the production, cultivated areas, clients and markets of parsley roots and celeriac," reports Alberto Nocera, president of Agrieuropa in Terracina (Latina). "We currently grow parsley roots on 10 hectares, which we aim to increase by 50% for the next campaign.…

Cucumber prices drop

In Belgium, more local products are gradually being auctioned. That means the recent truly high prices for greenhouse vegetables at the Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives Federation (VBT) are over.…

"Building up a brand is much more than sticking a label on a fruit"

The tomato season is entering its final stretch in Almeria. "It has been a difficult campaign, with product shortages, but with good prices, and with the threat of the Brown Rugose Virus," says Jordi Ballester, manager of the company Let It Out Food Creativity, who has devoted his life to the development…

The second-category long and black aubergines from Andalusia will no longer be on the market

On March 22, the Board of Directors of Hortyfruta, Andalusia's Fruit and Vegetable Inter-branch organization, held a meeting regarding the evolution of the cultivation and…

Asparagus harvest volume and acreage declining in 2022

A not inconsiderable proportion of the asparagus consumed in Germany during the asparagus season does not come from domestic fields, but from abroad. Last year, 19,500 tons of…

German 2022 asparagus harvest was worst in nearly a decade

Germany's Federal Statistical Office (StBA) on Tuesday released data showing a sharp decline in the amount of asparagus harvested in the country for the year 2022.…

Brits may have to get used to fresh vegetables shortages

In recent weeks, after disrupted harvests in north Africa reduced supply and inflation forced industry buyers to spend more on less from key markets such as Spain, British…

Lidl in Germany to pay price premium for Fairtrade bananas

The German discount retailer Lidl commented on paying a price premium and so called "living wage" for bananas: “Lidl is currently implementing another milestone within its banana range: In cooperation with Fairtrade and the global Fairtrade certification company Flocert, the company will be the first…

In week 11, Peruvian banana shipments experienced a 34% year-on-year increase

Last week, Peruvian fresh banana exports finally ended the six-week streak in which shipments were lower than in the previous season. “In week 11, Peru exported 5,467 tons of…

Ecuador sees -99.17 percent drop in banana exports to Ukraine due to Russian war

Ecuador's banana exports to Ukraine fell by -99.17% or 1.55 million boxes less in February 2023 compared to the month just before the  Russian invasion started a year ago in February 2022. Only 13 060 boxes were sent to Ukraine this February compared to last year’s 1,566,944 boxes, which clearly shows the…

“Frozen sweet potato is an interesting line that we have been considering”

After having experienced a very rapid evolution in recent years, we can say that the sweet potato industry is currently in a readjustment process, stated David Ortega, of the…

Dankers Daltex Europe GmbH

"The big changeover in food retail will not happen until around Easter"

This year, the Egyptian early potato harvest started one week later than last year's campaign, but the quality so far has been excellent, reports Christoph Dankers (bottom right) of Dankers Daltex Europe GmbH. The partner company of producer Daltex, based in Raesfeld, is responsible for the import and…

“We anticipate a great avocado season with favourable prices”

The Kenyan avocado season got off to a slower start than expected, says Dipesh Devraj, commercial director of Kenyan avocado exporter Keitt Exporters: “The much-awaited avocado season for Kenya officially commenced on 24th March, just a few days ago. The start of the season has been slower than…

Chile's avocado harvest is estimated to have fallen to 186,000 tons this season

According to Francisco Contardo, executive director of the Chilean Avocado Committee, this season's production was affected by the severe spring frosts, which caused the…

Iranian dates are doing well this Ramadan

The Ramadan 2023 campaign of Iranian dates has seen remarkable growth, according to Hossein Vasei, sales manager of the exporting company Amoot Iranian. Hossein said that Amoot's pre-Ramadan sales have increased by 28% compared to the same period of the last year, despite an unexpected challenge. Hossein…

Early avo market in Europe the complete opposite to last year

Core Fruit, the avocado exporter of producer ZZ2, has for some weeks been exporting early Hass (Maluma) and greenskin avocados to a European market which is presenting a very different picture to last year: avocado supply from Spain and Israel tapered off earlier this year creating a big gap in the early…

A shaker to reduce blueberry harvesting costs

Campagnola Iberica, with headquarters in Barcelona and production at Campagnola s.r.l. in Italy, is a leader in the manufacture of agricultural equipment, such as electric and pneumatic pruning shears, olive-tree harvesters, chain pruners and more. For blueberries, it has created  Starberry MD2, a shaker that…

Group generated record revenue of $619.2 million

The Scales Corporation gas issued a press statement, saying: Our 2022 results were extremely pleasing. They were driven by record results from Global Proteins and Logistics, with Horticulture dealing admirably with adverse market conditions throughout the year. As ever, exceptional leadership and…

"The point isn't to eliminate human labor, but to make the work easier for my employees”

The current world is being taken over by AI. The internet has been flooded with illustrations, and even videos created by AI. While some people are concerned that may cost them their job, growers are very much looking forward to the infamous autonomous growing. The road to that is getting shorter and…

A nursery producing 100 million plants a year

One of the leading vegetable nurseries in Emilia Romagna, Vivai Garattoni Umberto in San Mauro Pascoli, produces around 100 million plants every year. The main products are leaf vegetables, fennel, celery, and brassicas. There is also the organic division.  Technicians Carlo Valois, Cristian Magnani and Mirco…

Bite-size cucumbers are in peak season now

Healthy snacks that taste good and are convenient continue to be in a strong uptrend. “Within the cucumber category, we have seen the snacking segment grow in all greenhouse cucumbers,” says Matt Quiring, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Nature Fresh Farms. In response to increasing…

"My Dad always said standing still is going backward"

‘Standing still is moving backward', Dutch transportation business owner Dirk Veldhuis, who died in 2021, used to say. His daughter Natascha has taken that to heart. She and co-owner Mario Groot - who, after years in the transport business, joined the company in May 2022  - run Veldhuis Logistics, which now…

Demand for cordless flower thinning machines in Italy soars

"We are experiencing an excellent year on the market because of the high rate of interest from our loyal customers and the favorable weather compared to last season. The demand for ARVIPO AF100 professional wireless flower and fruit thinners has skyrocketed in the last few weeks," says Leonardo Carrasso,…

Saving time and personnel thanks to a new vegetable packaging line

When the numbers meet expectationsOver the past few months, Bulltec delivered a new processing plant to Master Fruit in Licata for the weighing and packaging of zucchini and bell peppers made entirely of 4.0-ready stainless steel. Now that the campaign is over, it is possible to make an assessment. The…

Ukraine: Using a bomb shelter to grow crops underground

A Ukrainian farmer named Viktor Shuleshko rebuilt his vertical farm business after it was destroyed by Russian troops shelling the Dnipro airport. Despite the damage, he did not give up on his dream of growing plants using vertical farming technology. Now, he has set up a new farm in the basement of a…

Israel and UAE sign final part of free trade agreement

This weekend, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja have signed a bilateral customs pact in Jerusalem. It was the…

Tunisian producers in a position to take advantage of the high demand, provided it rains enough

Tunisian fruit producers are preparing for the summer export campaign, in a mood of optimism mitigated by the fear of a reversal of climatic conditions, according to Mohamed Sadok, CEO of CarthagoExpo. "Climatic conditions are currently favorable to kick off the summer season, but we are still haunted by…

New director for Spanish Fedemco

The Spanish Federation of Wooden Light Weight Packaging and their Components (Fedemco) has announced the appointment of Guillermo Arregui Ferrando as its new director. With extensive experience in marketing,…

How fruit genomic research can in Australia lead to better tasting and more resilient crops

Australian research is underway into creating an advanced genomics platform, which will help producers overcome industry challenges, improve performance and lead to tastier varieties of popular fruit crops. Murdoch University scientists are studying the genome of five fruits – banana, pineapple, papaya,…

South African Table Grape Industry celebrates 2022/2023 China Campaign launch

On Friday, March 24, the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) celebrated a successful 2022/2023 China Market Development Campaign launch at Guangzhou’s Jiangnonghui wholesale fruit market. Joining hands at the event were representatives of the South African Embassy in China, South Africa’s Western…

Electricity costs up 133% for UK apple growers

A survey of British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) growers has revealed that they are paying more than twice as much for electricity in December 2022 than in the same month in…

Dozens of hectares of Italia grape variety is being uprooted in Apulia

After an unsatisfactory season, it usually happens. However, this time the phenomenon we are dealing with is different and rather dramatic. In recent weeks, in the Italian region of Apulia (and beyond), dozens of hectares of seed-bearing grapes are being uprooted, first of all of the Italia variety, a…

"More people are getting to know exclusive products like Spanish wild strawberries"

This month, Spanish wild strawberries appeared again in herb and edible flower merchant Van Laethem's assortment. "These have been an established part of our range for several years. As soon as the first ones are ready for harvest, we offer them," says Niel Van Laethem of this Belgian company. "Also,…

"When there are large supplies, blueberries are increasingly sold in 700 g-1 kg packs"

There were vast amounts of blueberries available during the overseas season. The volumes coming from Morocco and Spain are considerably lower, says Harm Valckx of Berry Packaging in the Netherlands. "We don't trade but pack for various customers, and most of the berries coming from Morocco have already…

Germany issues an alert after detecting chlorothalonil in melons imported from Costa Rica via the Netherlands

German health authorities notified the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) that they detected the presence of chlorothalonil, a fungicide that is considered…

Florida peaches waiting on rain

The Florida peach season is three weeks away from getting underway. “The crop is a little light compared to last year. Most of our trees are 10-11 years old and they’re kind of slowing down a little bit and aren’t what they used to be,” says Ken Edison of Deer Park Peaches in Saint Cloud, Florida. As for the growing season, while…

Core organic apple varieties go year-round

Rainier Fruit Company has plans in place to take core organic varieties year-round again. For the fifth year in a row, organic gala, organic fuji, organic Honeycrisp and organic granny smith apples will be supplied by Rainier Fruit all summer long. “It's a testament to the hard work that starts in the…

“We put all our energy in the offshore melon season”

The US offshore season for melons kicked off early November. “We started with bringing in melons from the Zacapa Valley in Guatemala,” says Mark Cassius, President of Sol Group Marketing, a division of Fyffes. The Zacapa Valley is one of the main melon production regions in Guatemala. It’s a desert…

Later start of California cherry harvest

No two years are alike in California. The state experienced the driest three-year stretch on record until this last winter season came around. Torrential rain and snow drenched the state in recent weeks, adding to an already wet winter season. Another storm with more rainfall is hitting California this…

"The rain loosened the natural protective layer, making the grapes more vulnerable to progressive defects"

The unseasonal rains seem to have a large impact on the grape industry in India. Darshan Patil, Director and CEO of Fresh Survey Pvt. Ltd. has written a report, which he shared on LinkedIn. According to the report, 40 per cent of the grapes will be rejected due to the damages, where normally no more than…

Strong demand for Tunisian peaches and apricots

Tunisian peach and apricot growers are expecting a good season, thanks to strong demand, good weather conditions, and better productivity this year, according to Mohamed Akermi, CEO of Tunileaf. "We are putting the finishing touches and preparing to send the first shipments of the season. At Tunileaf, we…

Turkish cherry harvest expected to start slightly early

A lack of rain will result in smaller sized cherries this year, says Akin Soyleyen, marketing manager for Turkish exporter Aksun: “The weather has been ever changing since the last couple of years, which has resulted in different supply periods for fruits. This year has been no different in that sense,…

Romanian organic blueberry farm launches new global brand

Făgăraș-based organic blueberry farm Dealul cu Afine launched a new global brand amid plans to reach several international markets in the next 12 months. UAE, Saudi Arabia,…

Vitacress Real greening La Place food concept in Hema

A sea of basil and mint creates a green oasis in two new La Place restaurants introduced at Hema. "We are very proud that we were able to create a fresh herb experience in collaboration with Leaf: a herb greenhouse and a fresh tea garden," explains Renée Peeters of Vitacress Real. The greening creates an…

"Ten weeks from the fair, there are only 8 stands available"

"The fourth edition of Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia aims to consolidate itself as one of the organic sector's most important fairs at the international level. The event will be held on June 7 and 8 at IFEMA MADRID, and it will have a high number of visitors and exhibitors. Ten weeks from the fair,…

A memorable campaign for the Calabrian Mandarino Tardivo di Ciaculli

"We are the first Italian region to produce clementines with and without Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The areas dedicated to the production of bergamots, oranges, mandarins and kiwis are also increasing. With regard to horticultural production, the fennel of Isola Capo Rizzuto PGI, the Patata…

"The impacts from climate change require financial resources for resilience building, to be borne by the value chain"

Last year, the organic industry was confronted with various challenges. This year, too, the situation seems to remain tense. When asked, communications manager Lisa Kadagies of lehmann natur told us how this has affected organic bananas as well as organic limes for the company. "Basically, retail demand…

'Eating leafy greens might lead to fewer brain proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease'

According to a new study performed by RUSH University in Chicago, people who eat green leafy vegetables, fruit, whole grains, olive oil, beans, nuts and fish may have fewer…

Australian citrus nursery uses data-driven analytics for more sustainable water management

Hitachi Vantara and Golden Grove Nursery in Australia have applied artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and sensor technology to inform data-driven irrigation water management practices for sustainable, environmentally friendly food production.   Hitachi Vantara is the modern infrastructure, data management and…

Anti-waste digitalisation and technology

Bison by REV Packaging Solutions, precisely conceived for the filling of punnets, combined with the specific denester-filler, is a weigher designed in the name of innovation (and not surprisingly subject of international patent). It represents a constantly evolving project come, by now, to its seventh…

Pear sizing mobile app delivers reliable size data earlier than ever before

Hectre, double award winners in the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, have announced that their latest innovation, the Spectre for Pears early fruit sizing app, has now been released to the market. Bartlett pears being sized by Spectre for Pears. The award-winning simple to use tech delivers high value to…

Moldovan producers of concentrate will process almost half as many apples in 2022-2023 season

Representatives of the Association Speranța Con believe that in the current season, apple processing will be completed in late March – early April, about 1.5 months earlier…

DP World opens one-stop refrigerated container facility in Sydney to serve growing demand

DP World has announced the opening of Reefer World, a new one-stop refrigerated container facility in Sydney, which will provide a wide range of reefer cleaning and repair services to customers in Australia and New Zealand. The dedicated reefer facility is the largest of its kind in Sydney and one of the…

China releases National Food Safety Standard for MRL limits of 112 pesticides

In January, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) National Health Commission (NHC), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and State Administration of Market Regulation…

A large walnut plantation being set up in Navoi region of Uzbekistan

In the Nurata district of the Navoi region of Uzbekistan, a project on establishing a walnut plantation with an area of ​​200 hectares is being implemented with a total…

Farewell to plastic in tomato packaging

The supermarket chain Caprabo is now selling in its stores a 100% recyclable and compostable package (made out of paper, paper mesh, and bamboo) for tomatoes, with which it…

LC Packaging signs EU Commission sustainable consumption pledge

LC Packaging CEO Lucas Lammers signed the European Commission Sustainable Consumption Pledge on behalf of the company during the Consumer Summit in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday 28 March 2023. By taking the voluntary pledge, LC Packaging is committing to support sustainable consumption, beyond what is…