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Albert Perez with Continental Fresh comments on supply chain challenges

“We’re firefighters rather than mango shippers”

Guatemalan melons hit historic pricing highs

Peak harvest time for California navel oranges

Fires don’t have impact on produce supply chain

Los Angeles County braces for strong winds

Georgia carrot season kicks off

April 8-10, 2025

Registration for 100th CPMA convention and trade show is now open

New brand helps local growers bring Georgia citrus to market

Greenyard USA/ Seald Sweet welcomes new sourcing and grower liaison

Nominations open for TIPA's first annual awards program, celebrating women in produce

CBP intercepts $21.2 million in methamphetamine concealed in tomatillo shipment at Pharr bridge

Sector | Vegetables

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Growing the market for snack cucumbers

Scherpenhuizen expands in pulses, spring onions, Brussels sprouts, and radishes with Primeale acquisition
Kompany kicks off Dutch season

€50 per cucumber to raise money for Kidsbase

Slower movement on leaf lettuce

Post-holiday fruit and vegetable trade rises, with price shifts led by Ukraine and Uzbekistan

Belizean carrot farmers struggle with surplus and competition from imports

What the Mexican peso’s depreciation means for importers

Sector | Bananas

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Banana prices UK

Guatemala's commodity prices drop 14%, Panama down 5%, Colombia up 10%

Dole targets organic shoppers with multi-channel banana and pineapple campaign

José Antonio Hidalgo elected co-president of World Banana Forum, pushes for fair banana pricing

Colombia’s banana industry ending the 2024 season on a positive note

Pricing stronger for organic bananas
Caroline Garcia, of Caribio Export Fresh Fruits:

Dominican bananas struggle for fair prices and expanding markets
Ecuador

Price of plantain box to be $7.50 starting January

Sector | Potatoes and Onions

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Agristo plans $450 million potato processing facility in North Dakota

US potato yield forecast drops amid weather challenges, reliance on Canadian imports grows

Onion portal closes down

Kenya's potato industry struggles with seed quality and funding challenges

FAOSTAT 2024: Global potato production rises despite shrinking harvested area

Canada's potato harvest thrives as U.S. faces production decline and import reliance

Mike Phillips elected chair of Michigan Potato Industry Commission for 2025

Sector | Exotic/Tropical fruit & vegetables

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Giannina Denegri Baiocchi, from Marand Company:

"Mango and avocado growers have to deal with low prices, but the market always finds a balance"
The suggestion made by Ettore Ceccarelli (Julius)

"Retailers should be allowed to sell fruit by piece rather than by kilogramme"
Ulrich Boisnay, Les Halles du Verger

"I am convinced that more work should be done on tropical avocados"
Peruzzo Group offers growers a "turnkey concept" for its SunLife yellow kiwis

"We aim to plant 1,500 hectares over the next 10 years"
Prudencio López - Natural Tropic

"We have a big competitor during our marketing window"

Ri6 Durian gaining popularity in Canada and beyond

Strong availability of Australian lychees on U.S. West Coast

Sector | Company news

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Clarifruit rebrands as Clarifresh and launches self-onboarding platform for SMB market

IFPA launches into 2025 with new strategic plan and new roles

Ocean Mist Farms names new COO

Blueberry breeder announces leadership transitions

New public affairs and policy analyst for Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

New chair and vice chair at Ontario Apple Growers

Applications for Next Generation Leadership Academy open

Sector | Greenhouse

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Membrane packaging extends shelf-life of cucumbers and reduces weight loss

Balancing energy innovation with agricultural production

New 1.5 million square foot greenhouse opens in Lorena, Texas

First Canadian greenhouse grower receives B Corp. certification

Growth continues in greenhouse cucumber category

Product security benefits lit cucumber cultivation

Lower cost retractable roof systems protect crops from heat, rain, wind and insects

Sector | Logistics

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World Container Index - 09 Jan

Drewry’s World Container Index increased 2% to $3,986 per 40ft container this week

Chinese New Year 2025 and new carrier alliances set to disrupt supply chains
Port strike averted

ILA and USMX announce tentative agreement on new contract
Pat Compres comments on pending U.S. port strike

“It’s better to hope for the best and plan for the worst”

Dockworkers and port owners debate automation to avert potential strike

Global container fleet grows as Asia-Europe trade reroutes via Cape of Good Hope

Transporting onions by cable car

Sector | Machinery

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New automated tomato transplanter introduced
Top Control (Italy)

Delivery of the 10,000th automatic combination weigher
PND launches a new tool for the fresh-cut sector

New pineapple slicing machine
Bastiaan Krijger, KV Techniek:

“The robot takes mere minutes to switch and clean onion tipper’s sieves”
BFM Italy

Lawn mower with integrated mulcher and trimmer for better management of orchards

"A constant need to innovate in automation and efficiency for processing industry"
From an Italian company in the Emilia-Romagna region

Pre-owned fresh-cut range equipment for sale

Sector | General fresh produce

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University of Georgia researchers explore essential oils to improve organic produce safety and shelf life
Due to deforestation

Monkeys raid fruit and vegetable vendors
Telethon project supported by OP A.Bio.Med

Bringing fruit, vegetables and scientific research together for a good cause

Türkiye achieves record $36.2 billion in agricultural exports for 2024

USDA adds $650M to support specialty crop growers under MASC program
AI

Viral video shows birds pecking at vegetables in Walmart
Despite uncertainty, product availability boosts BelOrta sales in 2023

"Challenges in organic cultivation make achieving balance difficult"

Sector | Management

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Weak rupee raises import costs, boosts export prospects for India's greenhouse sector

Former BC Tree Fruits property near Kelowna Airport listed for $28 million after price cut
March 2025

Agri and water trade missions will take place in parallel with royal state visit to Kenya
Steven Martina new COO

SanLucar expands top management team

Indian rupee hits record low of 85.77 amid yuan weakness and strong U.S. dollar

H-2A visa growth slows amid rising costs and regulations, highlighting U.S. farm labor challenges

US dockworkers and employers face critical contract talks amid automation dispute

Sector | Miscellaneous

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INRAE

The Samurai wasp: A new ally against the diabolical bedbug?

Nico van Vliet waves goodbye and looks back at his career
Comavit produces 2.5 million poles per year

An effective protection system relies on strong poles and precise design
Linda Van den Bulck, Belgian Saffron:

"Horribly bad spring heralded volatile Belgian saffron harvest"

More economical steaming and better cleaning in-house at grower's premises
Ethan Luth, Bayer:

"Breeders to help growers with challenges as energy, water and disease pressure"

Would you wear a potato-scented perfume?

Sector | Fruit

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South African wine grape grower now also cultivating pear and melons

“Growing fruit is more labor intensive but also more profitable.”

"Strong start for Biomasters: growth in sales and memberships"

"Belgian strawberries still preferred over Spanish supply at this time of year"
The Divino brand is mainly sold in supermarkets

"Italian persimmons will be available until the end of February"

Korea targets $14 billion in food exports by 2025 with focus on emerging markets

China leads global watermelon production with 60.4 million tons in 2022
Western Cape Visit: Annelie Haumann – Stems Fruit

Stonefruit exporter dealt a good hand this season

Sector | Herbs

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Louis and Steven Lauwers (Vegobel):

"The end-of-year rush is easily managed with sustainable organic herbs"

Queensland herb farmers face surplus amid stable demand and rising costs
Euro Gijbels

"Storm impacted parsley, but hit mint and coriander hardest"
Raymond van der Burgh, Europe Retail Packing:

“This winter, imported herbs prices have sky-rocketed”
Filippo Carrara from Parma has gone from 10 to 150 hectares in 7 years

The king of basil: 28 years old and 50 hectares
Anthony De Ieso - Thorndon Park Produce

Grower increases rosmary acreage to fill shortages
Europe Retail Packaging:

“Fresh herb market heading into a roller coaster ride this winter, with challenges beyond expectations”

Sector | Agenda

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Organic Produce Summit 2025 opens up retailer registration
We'll be back on January 2nd

Happy Holidays from the FreshPlaza team!
Highlights from Moldova’s 10th Fruit Conference

Moldovan fruit growers investing in new varieties, advanced equipment, and packaging solutions
Today, December 19

Webinar on the state of the U.S. apple industry

Results of Hurricane Milton agricultural impacts assessment to be announced

Organicology 2025 set for March 2025

Photo report: Food Africa 2024 in Cairo, Egypt

Sector | Citrus

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Federica Zani, Ciaponi Frères

"The Moro orange from Sicily really deserves to be known!"

Ringing in the New Year with mandarins
Uniterra Sicilia Group - Arancia Loretta: "We always stand up to the challenges"

"Our citrus fruits have not disappointed any of our customers"

Domestic sliced oranges see growing demand in school programs

USDA forecasts 33% drop in Florida citrus production for 2024-2025 season

Argentina's orange and tangerine production projected to decline in 2024–25 cycle

Brazil’s lime exports down due to ongoing rain and lower EU demand

Sector | Organic

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Jessica Cornely, Biofrais

"There is a very strong demand for 'detox' vegetables"

Merger of organic produce companies strengthens support for family farms

"We're too big for the local market, yet too small to export"

Reflecting on Organic Grower Summit 2024
Gunther De Vadder, BelOrta:

"Export market for organic pears yet to take off"

California drives U.S. organic growth amid challenges in policy, pricing, and research

"We will export organic pumpkins to the Netherlands for the first time"

Sector | Health

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Scientists develop electric lollipop to simulate fruit flavors

Carrots show promise in managing type 2 diabetes, Danish study finds

Pineapple identified as a natural aid for better sleep and overall health by Thai universities
dreamstime

Study links higher fruit and vegetable intake to reduced depression in adults over 45

Capsaicin shows promise in enhancing mesothelioma treatment, study finds

Study shows almonds may enhance post-exercise recovery

Recent research indicates daily consumption of pistachios may benefit vision health

Sector | IT

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Microsoft and AgriPilot.ai collaborate to boost AI-driven farming solutions in India

Simplifying supply chains in the produce industry

Leadership transition for ZAG Technical Services

Researchers from the Basque Country developed a robot to harvest strawberries
OneThird presents avocado scanner at Tech for Retail, in partnership with Ida

"The lifespan of each product is essential in the algorithms we develop"
Lualtek

Sensors 4.0 for saving on fertigation
© Nattstudio | Dreamstime.com

"Nothing scarier than a cyber attack during your busiest season"

Sector | Innovations

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Nitrosfera Project, coordinated by Proexport

Incorporating microorganisms to improve soil fertilization and reduce nitrates
AgriFrequencies – Jan du Plessis

A quantum of solace in the war on pests

CRISPR technology transforms mustard greens, paving the way for innovative crops
Duwan Jackson - DFM Technologies

Soil conditions and irrigation affected by a changing climate

Varieties more resistant to climate change thanks to artificial intelligence?
Dr Vernon M. Steyn - Insect Science

Mind control over insects

Polybee introduces drone-powered pollination to boost horticulture efficiency

Sector | Processed fruit and vegetables

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Roastables Ready-To-Roast Kits earn Joe Nucci Innovation Award
Mattia Giudice, export manager of Arc en Ciel

Scientific research in support of healthy organic productions

Nonprofit partners with brand that upcycles produce
Bavaria:

"Sauerkraut prices up 8 per cent on last year's level"
Agro Debeuckelaere:

“This potato wholesaler has ventured into artisanal chip production”

Pure Harvest announces launch of its own tomato sauces

"We airfreight over 25 tons of cut-fruit per day from South Africa to the UK”

Sector | Cooling

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Seacube and Greensee partner to change refrigerated transport solutions

Greenbushes cold storage facility boosts Eastern Cape agriculture and exports

North Carolina pilot reduces cabbage shipping costs with electric refrigeration

Refrigeration giant Americold closes 's-Gravenzande branch

Expansion of temperature-controlled logistics in Chile

Emergent Cold LatAm boosts colombia's cold storage capabilities with expansion
FOOD freshly -

Nature-based shelf-life solutions to be showcased in Madrid

Sector | Food safety

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Oriental fruit fly discovery in Auckland prompts biosecurity measures to protect horticulture

Biosecurity New Zealand intensifies response to Oriental fruit fly detection in Auckland

Braga Fresh issues advisory for expired Marketside broccoli florets over Listeria risk

Egypt intensifies food safety inspections, issuing over 2,000 export permits in one week

Texas A&M researchers tackle zebra chip disease with new approach to reduce pesticide use

Dominican Republic eradicates Mediterranean fruit fly with sterile insect technique

E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s onions ends with 104 cases and 1 death

Sector | Nuts and dried fruits

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End-of-year festivities boosted Medjool sales

California almond growers face export setbacks from tariffs in key markets

California pistachios thrive as drought-resistant crop and global export leader

"We will prioritize the Moroccan market this Ramadan"

US and Iran report 760,000-ton pistachio supply for 2024, with 30% consumed in first quarter

Import of dried vegetables from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan increases by 61%

California almond growers adopt stacked regenerative practices with new research initiative

Sector | Packaging and Labelling

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“The packaging market for fresh products is currently undergoing a significant transformation"
"Successful implementation of electronic shelf labels (ESL) at De Mooij Amsterdam"

"Digital price cards enhance efficiency and save time"

Latin America's pulp and paper market driven by packaging demand and economic shifts
Remarks by Rocco De Lucia from Siropack

"Let's talk about packaging and the fruit and vegetable sector"

Cartonpack acquires majority stake in Fimat to expand fiber-based food packaging in europe

Advancing sustainable fruit exports from Brazil to China with new protocol and packaging solutions

Graphic Packaging and Elaborados Naturales launch sustainable PaperSeal shape tray in Spain

Sector | Retail

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Dreamstime
Official debut of groundbreaking autonomous supermarket at NRF 2025: Retail's Big Show

Instacart: New partnerships with 2 leading point-of-sale (POS) providers
Dreamstime

Kroger pledges $1M to support families impacted by Southern California wildfires
Dreamstime

Target has organic produce in its sights
Dreamstime
UNFI will realign its commercial wholesale organization into 2 product-centered divisions

Albertsons Companies posted strong earnings in its Q3 financial report
Dreamstime
Kroger’s Simple Truth Rescue bundles: Get Your Veggies Bundle

Trader Joe's: 12 new stores are opening soon
Dreamstime
H Mart: New stores in Massachusetts and Illinois

Just Eat Takeaway.com has completed the sale of Grubhub
Dreamstime
Ahold Delhaize banner store reintroduced the Healthy Living Center

Walmart is remodeling the produce sections of its stores

Sector | Global Market

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GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW ORANGES

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW PEARS

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW GRAPES

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW GARLIC

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW PAPAYAS

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW TOMATOES

GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW MANGOES

Sector | Climate

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Produce shipments continue to move amidst fires affecting Los Angeles County

Catastrophic wildfires in Southern California burn out of control

Logistics contending with major U.S. storm

Climate change threatens apple production in key U.S. growing regions, study finds

Florida agricultural production losses top an estimated $190M post Hurricane Milton

Jamaica invests $182M to rehabilitate 2,819 hectares of farmland after hurricanes Beryl and Rafael
Source: USGS

Earthquake strikes in northern California

Sector | Cartoons

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Why Christmas trees were once decorated with apples

Durian-themed hotel in Malaysia opened
AI

Suffolk tomato factory lights mistaken for northern lights
AI

What is vomit fruit, and is it really that bad?
AI

Osaka zookeeper accused of stealing animal food
AI

Pizza Hut introduces tomato wine
AI

Man identified by orange juice sentenced for burglary