Smaller chicory yield expected in Belgium

This year’s Belgian chicory yield is 20% lower than usual. That could prove beneficial, even though cost prices have risen substantially. “It’s trickier than ever to find a good supply/demand balance,” begins Charles Cattoir of Primalof. Primalof cultivates, packs, and markets chicory. This Belgian…

Ecuador will be the third South American country to sign an FTA with China

According to the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries of Ecuador, this year, Ecuador will become the third country in South America (after Chile…

Penny

"Lower CO2 emissions, perfectly ripened bananas and increased efficiency in the banana supply chain"

Penny is accelerating its sustainability activities and the elimination of waste by switching to IFCO's Banana Lift Lock solution. "With the reusable packaging containers (RPCs), the international retailer benefits from lower CO2 emissions, perfectly ripened bananas and a more efficient banana supply…

Banana supplies still low in many regions

Supplies of bananas coming into North America continue to be low and will likely stay that way until next month. “Stem counts are low so supplies are somewhere between 15-20 percent lower than they normally should be,” says Andy Thomas-Stivalet of Kavidac Produce.  Supplies have been low since November and by…

Potato retail sales on the rise: dollar sales increase 17.2% in Q4 2022

Potato retail sales increased in dollar sales by 17.2% but decreased in volume sales by -1.3% from October – December 2022 compared to the same timeframe a year ago. Despite a slight decrease in volume sales, volume sales remain above pre-pandemic levels. All categories of potatoes increased in dollar…

'Demand for onions has been slightly off the norm for the last couple of weeks'

MARKETWashington/Idaho-E. Oregon:John Vlahandreas with Wada Farms reported in from his Salem, OR office this week. “Wada is still shipping out of Idaho-E. Oregon and…

New mango bins available via mango board

The National Mango Board (NMB) is offering a limited number of Honey and Rounds display bins to both U.S. retailers and U.S. mango shippers on a first-come, first-served basis. The 2023 Honey bins are ready to ship, while the Rounds bins will be ready to deliver in March. These bins are colorful and fun…

"Our new target audience is young, active, and health-conscious"

In Israel, people eat, on average, 2.5 kg of Medjool dates each on a  yearly basis. In France, that is 400 g; in the Netherlands, 300 g; and in the U.S., barely 70 g - those numbers don’t refer only to the Medjool variety, since people in those countries eat other dates as well. Medjool, the top Israeli date…

“Procedures applied at the Bulgarian border gate continue to affect our business”

Turkish pomegranate growers are gaining more knowledge with every season that passes. As a result, Berkay Özküçük, marketing director for Turkish fresh produce exporter Mertpa, feels this has been a better pomegranate season than it was last year. “Every year, there are regional differences between the…

Confidence in Zespri has dropped over lack of pay

In an update to growers on 20 January, Zespri said growers would not get progress payments as fruit quality issues had resulted in additional costs. This has led to a letter…

Bayer and Kimitec join forces to bring the next generation of Biologicals to millions of growers worldwide

Bayer and Kimitec have announced a new strategic partnership focused on accelerating the development and commercialization of biological crop protection solutions and…

Mexico: Rising Farms boosts capacity fivefold

Quintupling. That's what Rising Farms will be doing. The Mexico-based high-tech greenhouse company announced it will expand their growing acreage from 12 to 62 acres (25 hectares). The expansion not only increases by 5 times Rising Farms' installed capacity to grow hydroponic specialty crops for the…

Nonprofit launches 10th location in San Antonio, Texas

Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, has launched its 10th location in San Antonio, Texas. This semester, Brighter Bites will serve six schools within Harlandale ISD, which will directly impact around 720 families and provide…

Exp. Group shares plans to expand into Europe

“One thing we have learned from the pandemic is that quality and steady supply don’t come for granted,” says Anthony Serafino with US based Exp. Group, who owns the company together with his father. While Exp. Group used to focus on bringing in tropical produce from South America to the US, recently the…

New sales manager for Family Tree Farms

Family Tree Farms, a stone fruit and blueberry supplier, has named Ryan Howard as its new sales manager effective immediately. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new role. It is a pleasure to work with the Jackson family, our incredible team and the best retail partners in the world.…

G&R Farms promotes from within

G&R Farms, a third generation premier Vidalia Onion grower in southeast Georgia, has announced the promotion of two senior team members, Steven Shuman and Cliff Riner, to executive level management.…

Produce update from West Mexico

As January came to a finish, produce supplies are expected to increase from West Mexico in the first days of February. With warmer weather on the horizon, Nogales-based grower-shipper, Divine Flavor will ramp up all its major vegetable commodities from its grower alliance in the Culiacan, Sinaloa region. Divine Flavor is well…

Pre-mooring waiting times will continue to improve in 2023

Pre-mooring waiting times showed clear signs of improvement towards the end of 2022, despite increasing disruptions due to strikes in the transport sector, and this trend is…

Technologies and sorters: upturn after slowdown due to pandemic and wars

A new direction is being taken in 2023 for the fruit and vegetable sorting technology company Futura Srl of Cesena (Forlì-Cesena). We interviewed owner Omar Papi, who is on his way to Fruit Logistica in Berlin. "This past 2022 was not the best year for us, with a slight drop in turnover of around 6-7% compared…

Interko introduces next generation ripening cooler

Interko, the designer, manufacturer and installer of state-of-the-art fresh fruit ripening rooms, has launched a next generation cooler that further cuts energy and labour costs for ripeners at a time when prices worldwide remain painfully high. The redesigned technology features an upgrade to Interko’s exclusive…

USDA

Cauliflower, kale, packaged salads, cucumbers, and avocados were popular

Ads that broke early in this ad cycle focused on the Lunar New Year, with cherries, tangerines, grapefruit, oranges, pineapples, and grapes showcased for the centuries-old tradition of offering gifts of fruit to friends and family. Cauliflower, kale, packaged salads, cucumbers, and avocados were popular…

Onfleet welcomes Cory Woolf as chief financial officer, announces new partnership ecosystem

Onfleet, the last mile delivery management software company, made two announcements at Manifest: Cory Woolf has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, and Onfleet…

Crisis update: "European price cap could cause sudden market changes"

Friday, January 20, the short-term TTF gas price closed at just under 67 euros per megawatt hour. During last week, the price rose due to more wintry weather. Electricity prices are also on the rise. In this new crisis update, we list the price and market developments again. TTF gas price for February…

New apple season-opener is “extremely interesting”

The first semi-commercial blocks of Sassy™ apples were established in the Western Cape last year, with more to follow next year. “The cultivar is completely unique, especially with regards to its earliness and won’t be replacing any cultivars, but instead start the apple season one to two weeks before…

Report shows Ambrosia tops in apple sales growth

CMI’s CatStats® report, released January 31, 2023, demonstrates Ambrosia Gold®’s performance. With high promotable volume of the apple in both conventional and organic options available year-round, CMI shares strategies on how retailers can capitalize on the success of the apple. “Ambrosia sales…

Watermelon board to present study findings in economic evaluation presentation

National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), along with research partner, Armada Corporate Intelligence, Inc., invite all interested parties to its 2017-2021 Economic…

Prices strengthening on Mexican raspberries

Volume of raspberries and blackberries out of Mexico will increase come early spring. “For both berries, typically, due to the cultural management techniques used in Mexico in January and February, there is lower volume right now,” says Jose Saca of Wish Farms. He notes though that blackberries are more…

European apple stocks in January were 6% lower than 2022

WAPA, the World Apple and Pear Association, released the apple and pear stock figures from 1 January 2023. The figures show that in Europe apple stocks decreased by -6% compared to 2022 to reach 4 051 645 T, while pear stocks also decreased by -19% to reach 648 071 T. In the USA, apple stocks as of 1…

Tasmanian grown cherries marketing campaign runs again in Taiwan

Following a very successful 2021-22 promotional campaign, Fruit Growers Tasmania is running a second marketing campaign in Taiwan for Tasmanian cherries. Last season the digital marketing campaign achieved over 3.2 million views of the video ads on Facebook and You Tube as well as 8,500 engagements and…

EU eases melon rules for Honduras

The European Commission has relaxed checks on melons from Honduras. Changes were made as part of updated legislation on the rate of official controls and emergency measures…

“We offer both a direct B2B marketplace and a free source of knowledge for farmers”

The modern international fruit trade faces many challenges, which requires a shift towards digital solutions, says WikiFarmer co-founder and CEO Ilias Sousis: “Supply chains are volatile and under pressure. Availability of goods has been compromised due to global events, such as the war in Ukraine and…

"Last year, we expanded our Dutch greenhouse acreage by 5 hectares"

In the Netherlands, Van Vugt Kruiden bought two nearby greenhouse companies, adding five hectares to its greenhouse acreage. "Expanding our Dutch cultivation is an important focus for us. Everyone claims they grow their own herbs, but we really do," Piet van Vugt proudly states. "We try to grow more and more…

Fruit Logistica magazine FreshPlaza/Primeur now available online

Fruit Logistica will be held between Wednesday 8th and Friday 10 February in Berlin. FreshPlaza and Primeur have joined together to publish a 160 page tradeshow magazine. It is a truly international edition with in-depth articles from the international fresh produce sector. The German-language magazine…

IBO announces program for 2023 summit in Poland

The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) has announced an exciting program for the upcoming IBO Summit, which will be held in Lublin, Poland from July 3-6, 2023, reflecting the global nature of the industry and its focus on making blueberries the world’s favorite ‘super fruit’. The Summit includes in-person…

Promising open market for Moroccan citrus

“We have some reduction on our volume, so that therefore means that there is a nice open market. The fruits we do have are selling very well,” says Stephanie De Wit; owner of Agri Bianco – which sources fresh produce, including citrus, from Morocco and South-Africa and exports worldwide - on the current…

Expanded availability of Sumo Citrus this season

It’s peak season for California grown Sumo Citrus®. The oversized easy peeler started shipping at the end of December and fruit availability is expected through April. It was a wet start to the season and while the rain is welcome and necessary to continue farming in California, it can lead to hurdles in…

Florida growers to vote on Marketing Order Amendments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum April 3–May 1 on proposed amendments to the federal marketing order regulating the handling of oranges,…

USDA

EU consumers save on food and buy less organic in 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted organic food sales in the EU, enabling it to overtake the U.S. market in 2021. However, spiraling inflation combined with high food and energy prices will likely reduce organic food sales in most EU markets in 2022. Despite this, there continues to be good prospects for U.S.…

Hyper-palatable foods artificially set up to be rewarding to eat and harder to stop consuming

If losing weight was among your 2023 resolutions, findings by researchers from the University of Kansas and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may provide clearer…

"For me Tie Up's biggest feature so far is being able to see all the costs as the season goes by"

Tie Up Farming has management modules for harvesting, agro-technical jobs, and managing all of the chemicals and fertiliser in one platform. The real-time information is one benefit but what is really happening is that the farm is fully digitised and now strategic decisions about the farm and long-term…

"DUE-Z-R" covers to help producers fight climate change

"'DUE-Z-R' is an innovative product we introduced to counter and mitigate the unpredictability of climate change. It is basically a ventilation corridor at the center of rows that helps regulate temperature and humidity below the covers," explains Francesco Ruggia, general manager at Retilplast, a…

California canning tomato price at record high

The 2023 California canning tomato price is set at $138 per ton for the conventional crop. This is a record price, 31% higher than last year’s base price of $105. The…

Ozone used to remove ethylene in cold rooms

Miatech's Bio Turbo systems uses ozone to decompose the ethylene in cold storage rooms while also eliminating harmful airborne pathogens like mold and fungus spores reducing…

Fresh vegetables face contamination risk from floodwaters in New Zealand

United Fresh New Zealand advises consumers to be prepared for fresh vegetable shortages in the coming weeks as floodwaters throughout the upper North Island impact food…

California walnut retail promotions ramp up in 2023

California Walnuts will be increasing support at retail, recently bringing in a new retail consultant to develop and manage promotions.    February is a key month for retailers to educate consumers on the nutritional benefits of walnuts, a food certified with the American Heart Association’s Heart Check mark. California Walnuts…

Proseal marks a 25-year milestone

1998: the Google search engine was launched, Cher’s Believe was the UK’s best-selling single of the year, Arsenal won the Premiership title – and tray sealing specialist Proseal produced its very first machine. Since then, the company has grown to become the world leader in tray sealing technology and an…

Ice continues to be an issue on lettuce in Yuma

Reports from Salinas, CA-based Markon last Friday were that the Arizona and California desert growing region experienced very cool wind gusts, upwards of 30 MPH the day before, bringing Friday’s temperatures down into the low-30°s.   Lettuce quality is reported to be good though there’s epidermal blistering, fringe burn,…