Connecticut hopes for disaster relief after severe mid-May frost

According to the state Department of Agriculture, frost and sub-freezing temperatures on May 18 destroyed millions of dollars in crops in Connecticut. The frost primarily…

"Exhibiting at OPS is a natural fit for us"

Sage Fruit Company, a grower, packer and shipper of Washington tree fruit, is gearing up for the highly anticipated Northwest cherry crop. This season, the industry will see a significant increase in volume after a year when the crop was marred by Mother Nature. During the summer months, Sage Fruit will…

Pennsylvania fruit company celebrates 110 years

The fresh produce industry is made of a patchwork of family narratives, stories stitched together by a generation of people making a life for themselves in America. These founding farmers took what they knew from their homeland and created a legacy that continues to this day. Rice Fruit Company is one of…

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…

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…

Italian stone fruit exports will go back to normal in two weeks

The shortage of Italian stone fruit is messing up the plans of Italian suppliers and European buyers. We spoke with Claudio D'Alba, CEO of Plantis Group, a company from the southern Italian region of Apulia specialized in exporting Italian fruits and vegetables. "It has not been a normal start to the season,…

Bhutan’s drop in cash crop production puts export targets at risk

Bhutan’s production of the top three cash crops, apple, areca nuts and mandarin orange, has declined. Apple, mandarin, and areca nut are the leading cash crops among the fruit…

Seasonal worker program essential part of Canada's ag industry

“It’s a very important program for us. It has enabled our industry to grow and if we did not have access to these workers who do great jobs and want to work here, we could not have large orchards in the apple industry.” So says Cathy McKay, chair of the Ontario Apple Growers and a grower with Nature’s…

Envy apples gain brand following

CMI Orchards’ CatStats report shows Envy™ apples are growing as a popular apple. Originally from New Zealand and crafted through natural plant-breeding methods, this cross between Gala and Braeburn is sweet and crunchy, with white flesh that stays white even after being cut.    According to NielsenIQ, the demand for this apple is growing. “Envy’s…

Brazilian apple exports in April did not surpass volumes of 2022

Brazilian fresh apple exports in April showed growth compared to March, which is a typical trend. However, they did not surpass the volume recorded in the same month of the previous year. According to data from Secex, the total exported amount reached 23,000 tons. This can be attributed to the decision…

"We have never had to commit so many organic pears so early for next season"

Whereas Belgian organic apples are still having a tough time toward the end of the season, organic pears are already in particularly high demand. "We have never had to commit so much volume so early for next season," says Gunther De Vadder of the Belgian Fruit Auction (BFV). "Severe climatic problems seem…

"Last year's lack of water caused a large part of Italian pears to be of smaller calibers"

"We have pears on offer all year round. Through a supplier called Sandri, who grows pears himself, we will obtain our goods from Italy. As soon as the Italian season is over, we purchase overseas produce from Argentina and Chile, via the same supplier. The next season for Italian produce will start in…

More Nova Scotian Honeycrisp apples in 2023

Gala apples are in demand. “We see Gala movement going really well and will lead to strong summer pricing for them,” says Michael Van Meekeren of Van Meekeren Farms. “On pricing, some varieties are higher than average and probably influenced by the shorter volumes out of Washington, for example, Galas.”…

"The price of apples in the northern hemisphere has risen, and products with a long shelf life are more popular"

The apple production season in the northern hemisphere has just started, but many production areas are facing big challenges. Producing areas such as Germany and Poland had to increase product prices due to rising labor and agricultural materials costs. Even so, many exporters are still optimistic about…

Sparer Obstvermittlung KG

Fewer apples exported from South Tyrol to Egypt

The South Tyrolean apple industry is now preparing for the final phase of the 2022/23 marketing season. "We had a relatively small yield overall, which is why some varieties will be cleared relatively early," said Michael Sparer, who works as a fruit broker in the global apple market. "In Red Delicious,…

T&G commissions state-of-the-art automated apple packhouse

T&G Global has commissioned one of the largest apple packhouses in the Southern Hemisphere at its Whakatū site in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The highly automated facility, with 1.7 hectares of roof space, will be able to pack more than 125 million kilograms of apples per season once its two…

New Columbia Fruit Packers: Employees concerned about working conditions

More than a dozen workers have shared concerns about the working conditions at New Columbia Fruit Packers facility in Yakima. Laborers at the fruit packing company, formerly…

Key to high Flash Gala™ packouts lies in measuring starch breakdown

The South African 2023 Flash Gala™ picking season has come to an end. According to Anthony Rawbone-Viljoen, a veteran grower at Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, and one of the…

South Africa: New Hortgro-funded initiative aid pome and stone fruit growers

South African pome and stone fruit growers have to always chose the best cultivars for their location. This requires an understanding of ecophysiology: the interactions…

US senators call on USDA Secretary for disaster assistance to help NY growers

Late may frost and below freezing temperatures wreaked havoc on orchards & vineyards across New York state last week. With more frost forecast this week, senators are now…

Hail damage costs Victoria’s fruit growers millions of dollars

Since November last year, up to 100,000 tons of fruit was lost to hailstorms in the Goulburn Valley. A survey by Fruit Growers Victoria has estimated the total value of the…

Bhutan’s mandarin orange and apple growers promised to have enough boxes this season

Mandarin orange and apple exporters can expect a better export season this year, as the packaging industry has agreed to supply the required packing boxes. According to the Association of Wood-based Industries (AWBI), 400,000 boxes from different saw millers are expected to meet the requirement of…

Österreichische Hagelversicherung

Stone fruit, pome fruit and more affected in Styria

The first severe thunderstorms of this year caused agricultural damage in several regions of Austria on Tuesday, with hail, heavy rain and partly stormy winds. As Österreichische Hagelversicherung VVaG announced in the evening, storm cells, which moved in particular from the Waldviertel to the eastern…

USDA

Apples and oranges are the top U.S. fruit choices

Apples held the top spot for total fruit available for consumption in 2021 with loss-adjusted apple juice availability at 14.7 pounds (1.7 gallons) per person; fresh apples at roughly 9 pounds per person; and canned, dried, and frozen apples totaling to 3.1 pounds per person. Bananas (13.2 pounds per…

Western Massachusetts fruit growers assessing losses after cold month of May

A late-season frost in the early hours late last week has affected some western Massachusetts fruit farmers hard. The freeze occurred as apple trees were blooming or just past…

Domestic topfruit prices firmed by low supply

The prices of apples are 23% and pears 18% higher than last year on South Africa's domestic market, notes fresh market analyst Dr Johnny van der Merwe. Lower volumes are as a result of successive hail over some 2,500 hectares in the mountains above Ceres as well as in the Langkloof. The average price per…

"New season pears expected to be high-quality, impact of low temperatures remains to be seen"

Fresh pears for the 2023 season have already begun to be bagged. Recently, some areas in Shijiazhuang, Hebei have experienced heavy rainfall and hail, but the impact on the main pear-producing areas is not expected to be significant. Regarding the export of fresh pears in the last season and the forecast…

Dr Vincent Candrawinata rescued Australia's apple industry

For a long time, Dr Vincent Candrawinata has been focusing on the role apple phenolics could have in fighting inflammation. Now his company, Renovatio, has an expanded range…

Apples and blackberries may help lower chances of frailty at later age

Eating foods like apples and blackberries may help lower your chances of developing frailty. Frailty is generally characterised by issues like reduced muscle strength and…

USDA

Production of apples, pears and table grapes estimated to decrease slightly in marketing year 2022/23

The production of apples, pears and table grapes is estimated to decrease slightly in the 2022/23 marketing year (MY), based largely on stagnated production area and a return to normal yields following record production for all three commodities. Apple and pear producing regions experienced hailstorms in…

Apple orchards surveyed as part of Cyclone Gabrielle recovery study

Scientists from Plant & Food Research have been collecting data from apple orchards in Hawke’s Bay to better understand the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on plant and soil…

Climate change might cause apple crisis in Himachal and Kashmir this year

Climate change is causing bees to die in Himachal Pradesh and the Kashmir Valley. This has led to major losses for apple growers in the two areas. While apple production is…

Warm weather speeding up Pacific Northwest cherries

With the recent warm spell on the West Coast, cherries in the Pacific Northwest look to be in a better position than a week ago. “It looks like we’re getting to peak volumes sooner than we thought and there are signs of positivity that retail will have supplies of cherries for the 4th of July holiday.…

Apple shelf-life extension technology spans across companies of all sizes

Apples have been an anchor commodity for Hazel Technologies since the company launched in 2016. “Starting out in the apple category really made sense for us because we knew that growers trusted the basis of our product (1-MCP) and could easily understand how unique variation could benefit their…

"From March, the marketing and thus the stock reduction has accelerated"

With now two locations in the Alte Land and over 30 years of experience in the industry, Rolker Ökofrucht GmbH is currently one of the largest marketers of organically produced pome and stone fruit in Germany. During a tour of the company's headquarters in Osterladekop, we spoke with the company's…

"We are expecting things to be solid from June onwards as the shortage in volume is felt"

The apple harvest is now complete in New Zealand. The Nelson region had a great harvest and was back to full production across the board. The Hawkes Bay region was hit hard by the cyclone back in March right at the start of harvest, but the resilient growers worked hard to pick the best quality fruit for…

EastFruit

Apple prices in Ukraine more than doubled in a year

According to EastFruit analysts, wholesale prices for apples in Ukraine are currently more than twice as high as at the same of 2022. Ukraine’s apple harvest in 2022 was good and many wonder why did prices increase so much? Also, are there good opportunities for apple exporters from Poland and other…

USDA

Forecast for New Zealand harvested area is sharply reduced to 8,900 hectares this year

New Zealand apple production in 2022/23 has been revised down sharply as a result of the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, which hit the nation’s largest apple growing and exporting region – Hawke’s Bay/Gisborne – in February. This cyclone hit just as the harvest was starting, and thousands of hectares…

“Our apple stocks will help us fulfill orders until the end of the season”

As other Polish apple exporters are wrapping up their season, there is still no rest to be had at Appolonia. According to Jakub Krawczyk, export manager of Appolonia, there have been more sales this year, but the stocks are still sufficient: “The current apple stocks at our company are almost the same as…

Strong pomefruit campaign a felicitous touch to a decade in fruit trade

Ten years ago Michiel Herholdt and his business partner Andries Greyling established Paarl-based The Fruit Route “with love,” says Michiel. “We mean to be in this business for a long time.”The Fruit Route works very closely with a large group of producers to be a reliable partner that offers trusted…

"Our Demeter apple expertise and Palm's technical know-how are the foundation of this unique project"

On April 30, the Augustin company celebrated 33 years of organic cultivation on its own fruit farm in the heart of the Alte Land region, as well as the 25th anniversary of the marketing company Bio-Obst Augustin & Co. Parallel to these celebrations, the new premises including sorting and packing station…

"Organic apple market not rebounding like the conventional one"

While it seems the conventional Belgian apple season will end on quite a good note, organic apples are lagging. As in the conventional market, organic apples had a tough year. "The organic apple market, unfortunately, hasn't rebounded in the same way as the conventional one," begins Gerard Kenens of…

Produce company T&G Global warns of $34 mln loss due to Cyclone Gabrielle

Produce company T&G Global expects to report a pre-tax loss of up to $34 million due to the damages to its Hawke’s Bay orchards caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The company has…

Demand for Canada’s apples growing in Asian markets

Scotian Gold, the Canadian cooperative sees an increasing demand for their apples in the South East Asian markets. “We’ve developed the Scotian Gold brand identity in the Asian market through key investments with in-store promotions and targeted digital assets directly with retailers. We have expanded…

Cold weather is bad news for Polish soft fruit

The cold weather in Poland will have an impact on the soft fruit production, says Emilia Lewandowska, office manager for Polish fruit exporter Fruit-Group: “This year we have a cold spring in Poland. Low temperatures don’t favor appropriate bud development or pollination. During the end of April and the…

Iran: Annual apple exports at over $215 million

Iran exported 62,595 tons of apples worth $215.09 million in the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), according to the data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran…

Too many imported pears, a sign that Italian domestic production is dropping

The situation of the Italian pear sector is not one of the best, and it has been like that for the past 3-4 years. While the national production used to be enough for the domestic market up until a few years ago, it has now become necessary to import produce from abroad. This is confirmed by Albano…

Honeybear Brands acquires two Washington facilities

Honeybear Brands®, furthering its growth and expansion initiatives, is pleased to announce its acquisition of two separate facilities in Pateros, Washington. The purchase of the Big River cherry facility will bolster the Honeybear Northern Washington operations by providing additional supply and…

"After a dismal apple season, it's great to end on a positive note"

Much has been written about Belgian apples' issues. It was a tough season, but that negative trend seems to be mostly reversed. Several traders are optimistic about the new season, and growers, too, are experiencing some sunshine after the rain. "Not everyone appreciates the longer wet spring, but the…

Positive spring weather in New York leaves apple growers optimistic

The northwestern region of New York State is known for rich fertile soil, consistent sources of natural precipitation and overall moderate temperatures. Last winter, the weather in the region proved to be overall mild, which was followed by a cool spring. “Winters in western NY can vary significantly…

First National SugarBee Apple Day this week

The SugarBee® growers of Washington State are excited to announce the inaugural National SugarBee® Apple Day on May 20. This day is a celebration of the crisp, juicy and delicious SugarBee Apple that was created by the curiosity and hard work of honeybees.  The apple is a unique variety discovered by accident…

"For the sake of the entire apple industry, we hope that better years are now ahead for the time being"

As one of the founding members in 1994, the Recht company has actively shaped the development of Elbe Obst Vertriebsgesellschaft from the very beginning. Today, the family-owned company based in Osterladekop, in the heart of the Alte Land, acts predominantly as a reliable partner in the association of…

Indian market looks promising for Moldovan apples

Moldovan produce was presented during MacFrut in Italy. According to Iurie Fala of Moldova Fruct, the exhibition was much better than when he last visited: “The show was very good for us. It was surprising to me that we had such a successful event. I had experience with the fair in 2021, which was during…

Apple import restrictions get mixed response from growers Jammu & Kashmir

Apple growers of Jammu and Kashmir, the highest apple producing territory of India, have given mixed reactions to the imposition of restrictions by the federal government on…

New communications director for USApple

USApple announced Lynsee Gibbons as its new director of communications. Gibbons’ strong background in food advocacy work will help advance the association’s goals. “Lynsee is…

Great EU export opportunities for processing apples due to smaller crop in China

The ongoing crop 2022/23 for was initially estimated by WAPA at a volume very similar to the preceding crop; since the month of August 2022, however, several Member States registered additional drought and heatwave events that will result on smaller fruit sizes and, therefore, lower volumes. As soon as…

British Apples & Pears Ltd

British growers sold most of their goods to Tesco

Every month, British Apples & Pears Ltd data presents data as a percentage of all British apples sold, by supermarkets (green line). The red line is a comparison data point of the grocery market share for that supermarket. We would expect the share of British apples sold to be about the same as the supermarket’s…

U.S. fresh apple holdings totaled 40.2 million bushels on May 1, 2023

U.S. fresh apple holdings on May 1, 2023 totaled 40.2 million bushels, 2.3 percent less than the inventories reported last May and 3.5 percent less than the May five-year average. As far as U.S. Apple Movement goes, in the 2022/23 season, the U.S. as a whole has moved 14,244,818  42-lb bushels. Washington state…

Dariusz Szwangruber | Dreamstime.com

Apple stocks 16% lower than the past season

  The usual monthly meeting of the Assomela Marketing Committee was held on Tuesday, May 9th to analyze the domestic market situation.  Italian stocks on May 1st were 378,311 tons, i.e. 10% lower than the average of the five previous years and 16% lower than the past season. In particular, stocks are extremely low for Golden Delicious, as the…

"Due to lower import volumes, overseas pears are extremely sought after this year"

At Gustav Wegener u. Sohn GmbH u. Co. KG in the heart of the Alte Land, the marketing season for overseas pears is now in full swing. "We have already finished the season of Williams Bon Chretien as well as red early pears, at the moment we are marketing mainly Abate Fetel and Trout from South Africa as…

South African fruit exports making progress in new markets

As a whole, agriculture comprises 11% of SA exports, despite being only 2,5% of GDP. The overall agri sector is export focused, exporting roughly half its produce in value terms. The South African fruit industry is an overwhelmingly export focused industry, with fresh fruit accounting for around 35% of…

Indian ban on apple imports does not include goods from Bhutan

The Indian federal government has prohibited the import of this fruit wherever the CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) is below Rs 50 a kilogram. However, this minimum import…

New '4 pack' cardboard packaging for apples

According to Kees Oskam, the overall apple market has changed somewhat since spring. "In New Zealand, poor flowering and growing conditions have affected apple cultivation. South Africa's making better prices outside Europe, and Chile and Argentina are no longer as interested in Europe either. Plus,…

BelOrta starts using new fully automated top fruit sorting warehouse

BelOrta's new sorting warehouse has been up and running for a few weeks. Its realization was delayed by several months, but the first apples and pears are now passing through the fully automatic optical sorting lines. "It's the world's first facility of its size with such technology. With the new…

Georgian farmers complain about imports from Turkey

Georgian farmers cannot sell their apples and are being forced to throw them away, but imports continue, says Vakhtang Bezhitashvili, head of the Association of Fruit and…

"New Belgian apple crop's delayed start seems to be keeping market in its grip"

The upcoming Belgian apple season's expected delayed start is causing excitement on the market. "We've recently concluded that a shortage is coming. It's still real 'apple weather', so consumption remains good, and southern countries like Spain and Italy also demand lots of apples. However, stocks are…

India is trying to restrict apple imports

India, one of the top five fresh apple importers in the world, on Monday, May 8, 2023, introduced new changes to the import procedures for apples. The move is viewed as an…

The fruit and berry market in Russia has the potential to increase by almost 70%

A recent report by "Interagro" reveals that the fruit and berry market in Russia has the potential to increase by almost 70%, reaching 14.6 million tons annually. The research…

UK apple growers struggle amid rising costs

Many apple growers in the UK are going out of business because they are not getting a fair price during the cost-of-living crisis. Ali Capper, an apple and hops grower and…

USDA

Utilized production of pecans in state of Georgia was up 47 percent in 2022

The USDA has released key findings for the Southern Region crops.  Regarding avocados, Florida's utilized production for 2022 totaled 17,840 tons, up 25 percent from 2021 while its associated value of production was up 7 percent to $14.3 million. BlueberriesGeorgia's utilized production, at 56.2 million pounds,…

USDA

Apple utilized production in Oregon and Washington down 10 percent from 2021

In Oregon, apple utilized production totaled 136 million pounds in 2022, down 11 percent from the previous year. Value of utilized production was $40.8 million, down 16 percent from 2021. In Washington, apple utilized production totaled 5.89 billion pounds in 2022, down 10 percent from the previous year.…

"At the beginning of the new apple harvest, the market will be almost cleared"

The apple sector in the Alte Land, northern Germany, is looking back on a very extreme marketing season so far, as Jürgen Faby, managing director of the eponymous cultivation and marketing company in the heart of the Alte Land, tells us on site. "There are a lot of things coming together now: We are…

Good flowering period for Italian apples point to high availability in coming season

VOG is looking ahead to the 2023/2024 apple season. At MacFrut held in Italy, the Consortium outlined its next strategies based on the four elements of the Home of apples structure: origin, expertise, sustainability, and products and brands.  The flowering period in the apple orchards of the 4,600 VOG members in…

"Belgian pear season exceeds all expectations"

This year's Belgian pear season has exceeded all expectations. "We had high hopes last season because of the small harvest, but things went wrong because of the Ukraine situation. There were significantly more pears in Europe this season, but as summer approaches, prices remain excellent. Even for the…

Apple and Pear growers welcome clean-up support but need urgent information

New Zealand Apples and Pears is welcoming the Government's support to clean up orchards, but is calling on the government to urgently talk to growers as they recover and…

Indian government bans import of Rs 50/kg apples

On Monday, the Indian federal government imposed a ban on the import of apples where the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) import price is less than or equal to Rs 50 per…

New Zealand red pear PiqaBoo® gently combines Chinese, Japanese and European pear characteristics

The new season of PiqaBoo® pear imported from New Zealand has recently arrived in China and is selling well on the market. PiqaBoo® (variety name "PremP009") is a new IP pear variety bred by the New Zealand Plant & Food Research (PFR) for over 20 years. It perfectly inherits the parental advantages of…

"The flowering of the Pink Lady has been extraordinary, with maximum pollination thanks to the use of bee hives"

Pink Lady has recently brought its Bee Pink program to the Spanish city of Seville to highlight the role of bees in the pollination, just at the time when the trees that will produce the next harvest of Pink Lady apples are in bloom in the fields of Lleida and Girona. "Bees play an extremely important role…

Michigan apple and vegetable supplier expands reach with acquisition

Michigan-based BelleHarvest is proud to announce the recent acquisition of Valley View Company, LLC, which represents a significant milestone for the company. The company’s acquisition significantly increases its overall growing and storage capacity by 20 percent, providing the company with a greater…

Krasnodar region again proposes limit to apple imports

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Krasnodar Territory intends to limit apple imports. This proposal was made by regional Minister of Agriculture Fedor Dereka. The demand of…

Eastern Cape growers want to bolster deciduous fruit farming levels

The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture is on a mission to level up in deciduous fruit farming. To do this, the province is looking to the Western Cape to explore…

“We are making good advances on speed, we have increased the speed by 30% in the last two months"

Ripe Robotics was founded in 2019 with only 100,000 USD as start-up capital to create a robotic fruit picker. The major developments started in 2021, with a new robot called Eve, and the serious testing began. “We have to make sure that things that we do in the shed actually work out in the field,” said…

European apple stocks in April were 12.6% lower than in 2022

WAPA, the World Apple and Pear Association, released the apple and pear stock figures for 1 April 2023. The figures show that in Europe apple stocks decreased by 12.6% compared to 2022 to reach 1 904 869 T, while pear stocks decreased by 23.8% to reach 157 062 T. In the USA, apple stocks as of 1 April…

EastFruit

Apple imports reach 5-year low in Egypt due to currency devaluation, food inflation and economic downturn

Egypt, one of the key importers of fresh apples in the world, continues to reduce trade in these fruits, according to EastFruit. Under conditions of rapid devaluation of the national currency, growth in food prices and other economic problems, apple imports have fallen to 5-year low in Egypt. In the first…

Photo Report: Toronto, Canada fresh produce retail visit

Vibrant displays of the freshest fruit and vegetables, sourced from around the world, were seen on the shelves of different retailers in Toronto, Canada last week (25-27 April 2023). During last week’s Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) exhibition in Toronto, a few retailers and greengrocers…

Italy's apple and strawberry variety innovation to be presented at Macfrut

The CIV - Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti Scarl of San Giuseppe di Comacchio (FE) in Italy will be present from 03 to 05 May with its own stand within the common space of the participants in the CIVI-Italy Supply Chain Project at the " the International Show of Nursery and Varietal Innovation" - new…

New partnership brings hot climate apple and pear varieties to Latin America

VentureFruit®, the commercialisation manager for the Hot Climate Partnership, has announced a significant milestone in the global expansion of the future-focused hot climate breeding program. VentureFruit® has appointed Andes New Varieties Administration Chile® (ANA Chile) as the ‘master licensee’ to…

"Despite EUR 1.25 daily market price, pear demand continues well”

"A madhouse" is how Emanuel Sluis of the Dutch trading platform Service2Fruit describes the way the pear market is currently developing. "Up to €1.25 is being paid on the daily market; that's certainly unusual. There are pears in long storage and off-the-tree buyers who took positions at the start of the…

Temperature swings did not affect West Michigan apple crop too much

The apple crop in West and Southwest Michigan has survived the recent spring frost and large temperature swings largely unscathed. According to Bill Shane, senior tree fruit…

B.C. Fruit Growers Association optimistic about 2023 apple, pear and cherry crops

The B.C. Fruit Growers Association has issued a statement saying they’re optimistic for 2023 despite the growing season being around two weeks behind schedule. “Blossom and…

The closure of the Urgell Canal will cause Catalonia producers to lose 58% of their apples and 52% of their pears

According to the first estimates made by Afrucat after the closure of the Urgell Canal, this closure will lead to a 58% decrease in the harvest of Catalonia's apple harvest (173,000 t), a 52% drop in pear production (74,000 t), and the disappearance of 30% of the total fruit that Catalonia would harvest…

“Kekhura factor”, or why apple prices are not increasing in Georgia

According to EastFruit analysts, Georgian apple market participants are perplexed by the fact that apple prices remain incredibly stable, although, as a rule, there is a…

Iran’s annual apple exports amount to $215 mln

A total of 62,595 tons of fresh and dried apples worth $215.09 million were exported from Iran in the fiscal 2022-23 (ended March 20). This amounts to a 36% decline in terms…

Port Nelson set to have a busy apple export season

Port Nelson is set to have a busy apple export season, with shipping capacity up by a third. Chief Executive Hugh Morrison said four shipping lines that service Nelson had…

Frosts cause damage locally in Polish apple orchards, but majority is unaffected

The Polish apple season has had its challenges, but overall the season has been pretty good, Adam Malengiewicz, sales manager for Polish apple exporter Ewa-Bis, explains: “I think that the season, which will soon end, can be considered a successful one. We’ve exported an impressive number of containers.…

NZ: Availability of fruit and veg still troubling, as are some prices

The high avocado prices seen in some NZ supermarkets are unusual for this time of year, although it is coming towards the end of the avocado season. The bad weather caused by…

Cold front across northern China leads to concern about fruit crops

A cold front has caused temperatures to plunge across northern China, sparking concern about damage to fruit and vegetable crops and driving investors to bet on production…

Early summer finish for domestic pears

Pear supplies out of the Pacific Northwest are slowing down as growers and shippers head into the summer fruit season. At Sage Fruit, Kaci Komstadius says it still has steady supplies of Red and Green D’Anjous to get through the spring and summer months. While the pear harvest finished in October 2022,…

Envy and Candine boost Blue Whale sales in Spain

In an atypical campaign marked by the aftermath of the heat wave, Envy and Candine have boosted Blue Whale's sales in Spain. Following these results, the leading French cooperative expects higher volumes marketed for both varieties during the 2023-2024 season. The campaign is still underway and sales of…

Stats NZ: Napier apple export volumes down, but value remains stable

According to data released by Stats NZ, total exports of apples from the port of Napier in March 2023 were valued at $61 million, slightly up from March last year. The quantity of apples exported from the port of Napier fell 17 percent, to 20,000 tons, in March 2023. The average quantity of apples…

"Own apple variety creates added value along the entire value chain"

A new apple variety of German origin will be available exclusively in all more than 2,000 ALDI SÜD stores from October 2023. The new variety was developed by the…

'Premium pear stands its ground in volatile market environment'

Xenia®, the new pear club variety of the German Fruit Variety Consortium (DOSK), is saying goodbye to the German market after a successful season. Just in time for the pear…

Bigbucks trees appear to be a hit in India

Flash Gala ™, the full-red apple of the Bigbucks tree, is a popular choice with South Africans who, like their counterparts globally, are seduced by the perfect, cherry-red colour which makes it stand out on supermarket grocery shelves.In recent months, a lot of attention and many requests for trees and…

Australian growers are on a quest to find the perfect apple

Valued at more than half a billion dollars annually, Australia's apple industry is big business. Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) chief executive Phil Turnbull said…

Good pricing for early season apples from Chile

Chilean apple exporters are seeing a decrease in shipping costs that will help with much needed returns to growers, but more is needed to cover rising input costs. According Cristobal Rodriguez, a deputy manager from the Chilean producer and exporter Prize: “Despite the drop in ocean freight rates, we…

Cherry acreage continues to increase as apples decline in the Okanagan

Later crops mean the Okanagan industry isn’t competing directly with the huge Washington State cherry crop, which matures earlier. G.P. Sandher Holdings Ltd. Company has…

"Historically high prices for Conference pears, but not everyone's profiting this season"

Dutch pear market prices have been rising sharply since January. "At present, Conference pears are selling for historically high prices. The question is whether consumers will keep paying these prices or switch to alternatives like stone or soft fruit," says Mark Vernooij of Urfruit. "Unfortunately, not everyone's…

EU orange tree orchard area has dropped from 314,400 to 261,900 ha

According to Eurostat crop production annual data, between 2000 and 2022, the EU orange tree orchard area has dropped from 314,400 to 261,900 ha. Italy in particular, saw a drop from 108,700 to 70,400 ha. EU production of oranges, meanwhile, remained fairly steady, coming in at 5.771 thousand tonnes in 2000, and…

Superfresh Growers names new president

Superfresh Growers is proud to announce the promotion of Conner O'Malley to president. In his new role, O'Malley leads sales, operations, marketing, production management and…

Dutch apple acreage has shrunk 85% since 1950

The Netherlands has 85% less apple acreage than in 1950. For pears, acreage fell by one-third from 1950 to 2022. Apple acreage exceeded that of pears for a long time, but that changed in 2012. In 2022, apple yields were six percent lower than in 1950, while pear yields more than tripled over the same…

Super-early apples are now available in Uzbekistan 7 times cheaper than last year

Another novelty of the season has become available in the supermarkets of the capital of Uzbekistan – super-early apples – apples of a very small caliber which are commonly…

"The pear segment is doing well abroad, but it could recover in Italy as well."

“The pear sector still has prospects for the future although, at the moment, demand is higher abroad than in Italy. Of course we need to change mentality in our approach to new orchards," reports Giovanni Zanzi, co-owner of Vivai F.lli Zanzi in Ferrara, one among the leading businesses in the production…

"Many Polish apple growers are choosing cheaper cultivation options"

The end of the apple season in Poland comes with challenging circumstances, says Jakub Krawczyk, export manager for Polish apple exporter Appolonia: “The end of the Polish apple season could be very interesting this year. At the moment, there are a couple of things that are crucial when it comes to…

Shimla district apple growers turn to government for compensation after hail and rain

Heavy hailstorms and rain in the Shimla district have caused significant damage to crops in many areas. Apple orchards in Jadun county of Narkanda, a region that falls under…

Since August 2022, several EU states registered additional drought and heatwave events that will result in smaller apple sizes

The ongoing crop 2022/23 for was initially estimated by WAPA at a volume very similar to the preceding crop; since the month of August 2022, however, several Member States registered additional drought and heatwave events that will result on smaller fruit sizes and, therefore, lower volumes. As soon as…

Banner 2023 crop in Washington state could spell trouble for Northeast apple growers

Washington state is America's leading apple producer. It is ready for a banner crop after two down years, which could see the national total approach a record 300 million…

"Persistent cold weather benefits apple and pear consumption"

The Belgian top fruit sector's mood seems to have changed entirely as the end of the season approaches. The pear situation was already quite positive, but recently, pessimism about apples has generally given way to optimism. "The new crop seems to be two to three weeks later than last year due to the…

"Those who only focus on price battles are not acting in an economically sustainable manner"

"Due to the shift of the break-even point, it will not be possible this year to sell larger quantities at low prices, for example to wholesalers. The rising production costs, above all the personnel costs, energy and material costs, which are so important for special crop cultivation, make it necessary to…

Washington apple crop availability greater than expected

There’s a lot of work ahead for the Washington apple industry as storage levels are quite a bit higher than initially anticipated. “While last year’s crop is significantly down in volume, packout rates were higher than expected, and inflation slowed velocity,” says Dan Davis with Starr Ranch Growers. Due…

Turkmenistan keeps rapidly increasing apple imports

EastFruit analysts draw the attention of horticultural business participants to an attractive potential apple market, about which very little is known due to the incredible…

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Ukraine became the largest supplier of apples to Uzbekistan in January 2023

According to EastFruit analysts, Ukraine was the largest supplier of apples to the Uzbek market in January 2023, despite the ongoing Russian military aggression, complex and expensive logistics, and the multiple difficulties that Ukrainian growers face now. In January 2023, apple exports from Ukraine to…

Argentina: Rice, citrus fruits, pears and apples add to the farm dollar

The Argentine government has confirmed that the agricultural dollar will be joined by another 4 productions of the regional economies to the 21 already foreseen in the…

More than one million cartons of pears exported to China in first season

The top fruit harvest is well underway in South Africa, with 12 million cartons of apples already packed and exported. The apple export season is a good third of the way through. Nine million cartons of pears have been packed, half of the estimated volume. The estimates of both apples and pears have been…

New apples from University of Maryland might counter changing climate and labor shortages

University of Maryland researchers have developed what may just be the perfect apples for American growers trying to adapt to a changing world. The two new apples, a yellow and a red one are heat-tolerant, blight-tolerant, low-maintenance, easy to harvest and not least, delicious-tasting. Both have been…

McDonald’s France: 100% French pears enter the range of chewy fruits

For the first time, McDonald's France is offering 100% French Angélys pears in its range of chewy fruits, selected by Florette Food Service. © McDonald’s  Available in all McDonald's restaurants in France until the 25th of April, French pears are making their debut in the range of chewy fruits. Florette Food Service,…

Rockit Global announces new China country manager

As Rockit gears up to deliver its latest season, the New Zealand snack sized apple brand is excited to welcome a new China Country Manager – Sales and Marketing, Leon Ai,…

Oxford’s Eden research gains Polish authorisation for Mevalone

According to Oxford-based sustainable biopesticide firm Eden Research, its flagship biofungicide, Mevalone, has obtained regulatory authorization in Poland. This will mean…

Apple shipper’s Midwest footprint expands

Elite Apple Company will join forces with Honeybear Brands® to market its apple varieties. The Elite Apple Company is a privately-held, grower-owned production facility located in Sparta, Michigan, the heart of Michigan’s apple country. For more than 40 years, the family of growers which make up The…