Fresh Select overcomes challenges to lead innovation in salad and leafy greens industry

The journey of Fresh Select, a prominent player in the Australian salad and leafy green industry, is marked by resilience and innovation. John Said, Founder and CEO of Fresh Select, sheds light on the challenges and advancements shaping the industry this season. "This year's growing season has been…

Prices of iceberg lettuce stabilized

Supply and movement of iceberg lettuce within Ontario right now seem to be steady. However, prices did jump a few weeks back on the vegetables. “They were talking about shortages, but then prices came right back down last week and are even lower than what they predicted at the beginning of the week,”…

"The area devoted to artichoke this season in Lorca decreased by 30%"

According to a representative of the COAG agricultural organization, producers opted for other products because of the artichoke's cold, abundant water, and high labor…

California grower celebrates 100 years

D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California proudly culminates its year-long reflection of legacy with a commemoration of its 100th anniversary. As D'Arrigo Bros. Co., of California honors this anniversary milestone, its roots can be traced back even further to 1907, when Andrea D’Arrigo arrived from Sicily to…

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Airbnb host warns about monkeys breaking into the house for bananas

Travel influencer Brian Luebben, during his stay in Florianópolis, Brazil, received amusing voice notes from his Airbnb host about monkeys potentially breaking into the house. The host warned that if the windows were left open, monkeys, particularly interested in bananas, could enter. The host, familiar with…

In week 46, average wholesale prices of Latin American bananas stood at €104/100 kgs in the Netherlands

In week 46, the average wholesale prices of bananas from Latin America stood at €134/100 kgs in Germany. The same prices stood at €104/100 kgs in the Netherlands. Prices in Belgium stood at €96/100 kgs, while Italians paid €123/100 kgs and the French paid €117 per 100 kgs. Average wholesale prices of bananas produced within…

Delegation represents Belize at international forum on banana diseases in Guatemala

Веlіzе іѕ wеll-rерrеѕеntеd аt thе Іntеrnаtіоnаl Fоrum оn Ваnаnа Вunсhу Тор vіruѕ аnd Fuѕаrіum Тrорісаl Rасе 4 (ТR4). The forum іѕ tаkіng рlасе іn Guаtеmаlа оn Моndау аnd Тuеѕdау, Nоvеmbеr 27-28; it аіmѕ tо аddrеѕѕ thе grоwіng thrеаtѕ tо bаnаnа рrоduсtіоn wоrldwіdе, еѕресіаllу thоѕе саuѕеd bу Ваnаnа…

McCain Foods continues to drive innovation in agriculture with launch of Presia Ag Insights

Continuing its commitment to drive innovation and advance new technologies in agriculture, McCain Foods has announced the launch of Presia Ag Insights. A newly formed business unit wholly owned by McCain, Presia is the result of a decade of collaboration to develop digital technologies, supporting…

PEI potato industry recognizes four members

The 2023 PEI Potato Industry Awards Banquet was held on November 24 in Charlottetown and four members of the industry were recognized at the event. Ray Keenan being honored. Ray Keenan was presented with an award for his commitment to the PEI potato industry. Ray, with his brother Alvin, operates Rollo…

The affordability factor on avocados

While the overall avocado crop remains comparable to last year, there is a noticeable difference in this year’s harvest. “This season has brought a significant increase in smaller fruit from Mexico, making up the majority of the current supply,” says Amanda Horney of London Fruit, which also sources…

“Leave your chair and get on the back of a mule in Colombia”

Buyers and importers of avocados, mangoes, lemons and exotic fruits are challenged by rural growers deep in the highlands of Colombia to “get out of your comfort zones, leave your chair and get on the back of a mule,” says Claudia Bernal, owner of Mountain Range Produce. She says they started their first…

Grant J. Hunt adds to team

The Grant J. Hunt Company proudly welcomes industry veteran Derin Benson to its team, marking a significant milestone as the company gears up to celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2024. With over a decade of dedicated experience in produce sales and marketing, Benson has been a driving force in the industry, particularly with…

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan enters strategic partnership with Montague

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and its Australian agriculture subsidiary AustOn Corporation (AustOn) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a strategic partnership with Montague. As part of this partnership, Pomona Valley, a subsidiary of Ontario Teachers’, will acquire a majority equity…

Canada winding down bell pepper production soon

At the moment, the greenhouse supply of bell peppers is normal for this time of year. “The supply is also comparable to last year with a slight few more around,” says Ray Mastronardi, VP of Sales, DelFrescoPure®. Right now, the supply is coming from Canada, though the season from there ends at the end of…

Seaborne reefer trade to contract for the second consecutive year

In the final quarter of the year, the outlook for seaborne reefer trade has weakened with cargo demand now expected to post a second consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, transit restrictions on the drought-stricken Panama Canal are starting to impact vessel capacity serving exports of perishables out…

Next year’s freight rate expectations have sunk well below the waterline

Diving freight rates have inevitably led to plummeting carrier Q3 returns, and the outlook for the full year is bleak while next year's expectations have sunk well below the waterline. Volatility in carrier earnings is a concern, with Alphaliner reporting that Q3 carrier returns had diminished to 1.5%,…

The world's first self-cleaning and self-sanitizing juicer

The only juicer in the world that cleans and sanitizes itself. “Our new Zitrux juicer is the only juicer in the world that cleans itself. This was the missing key feature for retail in this segment and so this integrated juicing solution can now meet all customer needs,” stated Víctor Bertolín, President…

How is fresh produce displayed in US stores?

Have you ever wondered what a fresh produce section looks like in US supermarkets? How do you imagine it: small, big, non-existent or replaced by frozen products? And what is the produce like, high or low-quality? And what about the prices? Can the US be the new market frontier for Italian entrepreneurs?…

Forces combine to shield Australian vegetable industry from exotic pest threats

Australia’s vegetable industry is set to receive an unprecedented level of protection against exotic pests through a unique $10 million levy-funded collaborative biosecurity strategy. The Hort Innovation investment on behalf of growers will build the vegetable industry’s resilience to exotic pest threats…

Brussels greenlights EU-New Zealand trade deal

Brussels has given the final green light for an EU-New Zealand trade deal that, while mutually lowering barriers for both markets, highlights the recent failure of EU-Australia negotiations. The European Council, representing the EU's 27 member countries, said it adopted the New Zealand pact, setting it…

Recycled phosphorus fertilizer reduces nutrient leaching, maintains yield

A promising new form of ammonium phosphate fertilizer has been field-tested by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers. The fertilizer, struvite, offers a triple win for sustainability and crop production, as it recycles nutrients from wastewater streams, reduces leaching of phosphorus and…

Enhancing farming practices with sustainable agrivoltaic solutions

In 2015, Laurent Coulot (CEO), Mathieu Ackermann (CTO) and Florian Gerlich (Product Architect), came together to establish Insolight, a company based in Lausanne, Switzerland. For the past four years, Insolight has been working closely with growers and agronomic centres across Europe, focusing on…

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Dollar slipped last week due to drop in private sector employment

The dollar slipped against a slew of currencies on Friday. The drop was caused by the news of steady US business activity in November, but private sector employment declined in line with expectations for a fourth-quarter economic slowdown. The lack of strong order growth resulted in businesses shedding…

Celebrating the impact of global community giving

Mission Produce, Inc. announced its 2023 global giving results to positively impact its surrounding communities. Contributing to causes supporting children, families, and agriculture education, Mission Produce aims to cultivate a better future for generations to come. “We have a unique opportunity to…

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Africa’s new online foreign exchange system will enable cross-border payments in local currencies

The high cost of making cross border payments on the African continent has driven governments on the continent to seek options of settling trade and other transactions in local currencies. This has given birth to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System which is scheduled to go live in 2024 under…

Poland to start exporting apples to Indonesia in 2024

Poland has been attempting to get its apples to Indonesia. It will likely have the maiden export next year. According to Jacek Kolomyjec, the Jakarta bureau chief at the Polish Investment & Trade Agency, Poland had been in talks with the Indonesian Agriculture Ministry on the apple export plans. Polish…

Grapes are straying into commodity area

Prof David Hughes, emeritus professor in food marketing at Imperial College, London, is worried that table grapes are entering the dreaded terrain of commodities. He presented his take on table grapes and the world of today at the Tenth International Table Grape Symposium yesterday. Right: Mecia…

"Significant growth expected for South African nectarines"

FFC Fresh Fruit Company, based in Hamburg, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in fall 2023. Over the years, the company's core business has shifted from importing grapes to sourcing and marketing South African stone fruit. We spoke to company founder and sole shareholder Christian Hencke about the…

“Imported Australian nectarine season started early, with mostly small fruits "

The new season of Australian nectarines arrived in the Chinese market in early November, about 7-10 days earlier than in previous years. It is understood that the Australian production area is hot and dry this year with little rain, which is conducive to nectarine cultivation. "The current arrivals are…

'Australian cherry crop volume a little lower, fruit sizes are larger'

Cherry picking at Koala Cherries located in Yarck Victoria, started on the 7th of November, a week earlier that average. Good soil moisture throughout spring and drier conditions than usual since harvest granted excellent growing conditions this year. With the excellent growing conditions, there are no…

"Weather extremes affect the whole supply chain"

The berry industry has seen rapid growth, but the future can be a fragile thing. With input costs for growers rising, weather extremes affecting the whole chain, and inflation impacting consumers' expenses, the market is challenging. However, with input costs stabilizing and the consumers' appetite not…

Premium apples from Ukraine, designed specifically for consumers from Uzbekistan

The Sady Dnipra company was the first Ukrainian company to develop an offer of apples custom-designed for the market of Uzbekistan. “Although this year we have no problems with sales of apples at good prices, thanks to the high demand for our products in the UAE, Singapore, and Malaysia, we noted growing…

"We are quite a small business, but even we are already having problems finding new employees"

The cold and wet weather led to a much later start of the herb season at Johannes Adams' business in Düsseldorf. "The heat during the summer was also rather suboptimal for the herbs. But we can be glad that we were not affected by further flooding or longer periods of heat," says Adams. "Next year, we…

Apple association hosts harvest wrap-up webinar

USApple is holding a free 45-minute webinar which will be presented by Chris Gerlach, director of industry analytics for USApple. The webinar will be on December 19 at 3:00 pm EST. Gerlach will review the latest storage reports, helping the industry recalibrate for the remainder of the marketing year.…

"Egyptian citrus prices will be more competitive than those of Turkey and Greece"

Egyptian exporters are gearing up for the citrus season, which officially begins on December 15, but it remains unclear how prices will compare to last season. Mahmoud Esawy, export manager at Al Wessam Company for Agri Crops, shares his insights. According to previous statements from professional sources,…

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What is the orange peel theory?

The "Orange Peel Theory" is a trending concept on TikTok, used to evaluate the depth and authenticity of personal relationships, whether romantic or platonic. The theory suggests that small, thoughtful acts of service, such as peeling an orange for someone without being asked, can be indicators of genuine love and care. This…

Egypt’s unprecedented orange export boom to Spain

In the MY 2022/23, Egypt achieved a remarkable milestone by exporting a record volume of oranges to Spain, multiplying its exports manifold, as reported by EastFruit. This feat allowed Egypt to ascend to the premier position among orange suppliers to Spain for the first time. In the first 11 months of the…

Due to orange supply shortage, global juice supply may decrease

The world supply of orange juice has been decreasing in Brazil and in the United States. Although the consumption has also been reducing in major consumers (the US and the European Union), the supply decrease has been more intense compared to the demand, which is concerning regarding the global supply.…

"Our growers now cultivate citrus without the use of pesticides"

The Turkish citrus season will be a longer one this year, and exporters won’t be able to sit still to rest. Okan Eryilmaz, owner of Turkish fruit exporter Tekasya, states their packhouses have been going at full speed for months now: “We’ve had a very fruitful start of the citrus season. Demand has been…

‘Consumption of mangoes could help athletes with muscle recovery’

Mangoes could help athletes with muscle recovery. The fruit is not only known for providing good calories, but for offering vitamins A, B2 and C. Nutritionist at Clínica Sculpté Adriana Santamaria: “A good daily portion would be one cup of chopped fruit, around 130 gr of fruit pre or post training. It…

Ceickor and Blue Radix integrate autonomous farming into Mexican education

The greenhouse industry is experiencing significant growth in Mexico. The greenhouses' daily operations need to be continuously improved but greenhouse owners are struggling with a shortage of skilled producers and labor. To face this issue, the Ceickor University Center, the only university specialized…

"Cold chain temperature monitoring maximizes shelf-life and reduces food waste"

Fresh produce travels the globe to find its way to the end-consumer and in some cases, the product spends three weeks or more in transit before it reaches its final destination. During the transit process, different factors determine the quality of produce upon arrival. In the end, visual quality and…

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Fruit vendors gain popularity with impressive cutting skills on livestreams

Alejandro Isabel and Daniela Benítez, a couple from La Puente in the San Gabriel Valley, have gained immense popularity on TikTok for their impressive fruit cutting skills. Known as "El Ninja," their fruit vending business has attracted over 960,000 followers on the platform. Starting their day at 5 a.m.,…

"Growing demand for service concept around RTE products"

A complete service package around exotics, particularly ripening and packaging. That is the new Fruit Service Collective's (FSC) - an independent business unit within the MAGO holding company - primary objective. The company will start operating from a 6600m² warehouse in the Meer transport zone in May…

Pacific Trellis Fruit recalls Malichita Brand cantaloupes due to possible health risk

Pacific Trellis Fruit, LLC dba Dulcinea is initiating a voluntary recall of 4,872 cases of Malichita brand whole cantaloupe. The voluntary recall is due to the FDAs ongoing investigation of an outbreak involving Malichita brand cantaloupe. The cantaloupes are potentially contaminated with Salmonella. The…

"In terms of quality, California is expecting one of the best harvests ever"

"For a long time, German food retailers endeavoured to remove shelled walnuts from their product ranges at the end of the Christmas season, as there was supposedly no demand for them after Christmas. However, this has been a thing of the past for a few years now," says Joachim Alkewitz, Co-Managing…

War in the Middle East shifts demand from Israeli Medjool dates to Egyptian dates

The intensification of violence in the Middle East has shifted a significant part of the demand for Israeli Medjool dates to Egypt, according to Ramadan Elsayyad, export manager of the Egyptian producer Palm Hills Dates. Ramadan told FreshPlaza: "Our business is experiencing a sharp increase as a result…

New cling film technology provides certified recyclable alternative to PVC films

Berry Global has launched a new version of its Omni® Xtra polyethylene cling film for fresh food applications, which provides a high-performance alternative to traditional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cling films. While Omni Xtra is already an established solution for the packaging of fruit and vegetables,…

“Climate change forces us to constantly evolve and find sourcing alternatives”

Climate change is resulting in more extreme weather events that are having a big impact on the fresh produce industry. This year in particular, many growing regions are faced with a delayed start of harvest as well as lower production volumes. Just to mention a few examples, mango production in South…

"Woman keeps smiling potato in freezer for five years"

Lori Bricks from Parker (Colorado, USA) has kept a potato in the freezer for five years because it looks like it is smiling at her. The woman discovered this striking potato while preparing a meal when she opened a bag of potatoes from the supermarket. The face, consisting of eyes, a nostril, and a smiling mouth, made her laugh, so she decided not to peel the potato and even had a ph…