"Huge demand for new Portuguese sweet potato crop"

At East4Fresh-Color2Food in the Netherlands, harvesting the first conventional sweet potatoes has kicked off the new Portuguese sweet potato season. Helien Verhagen expects a surprising season, as there were 25 to 40% less planting in both Spain and Egypt. The current dollar exchange rate also does not…

GROW scholars receive education and chase their professional dreams

As September has come to a close, Organics Unlimited is busy wrapping up GROW Month, a month when retailers celebrate how the GROW program positively impacts underserved communities in banana growing regions of Mexico and Ecuador through the sale of Organics Unlimited GROW label organic bananas.Recent…

Idaho potato acreage and yields down for 2022-2023 crop

Potato acreage is down and yields are relatively low in Idaho. “Growers aren’t feeling very positive about their yields--they’re looking to be lower,” says Ryan Wahlen of Pleasant Valley Potato. He notes there are a few factors behind the reduced yields, starting with a delay in the crop to start the…

"The low supply, the sizes available and high prices make for a very uncertain winter for potatoes"

The Spanish potato harvest is already in its final stages in the north, in the late producing areas of Segovia. There are different varieties, with a predominance of frying ones for the fresh market, mainly the Agria. The harvest is expected to be completed in October and the production will be stored…

"The consumer deserves to eat an exceptional avocado and not a mediocre fruit at an unjustifiable price"

In recent years, the province of Cadiz has seen an expansion in avocado cultivation which, according to Hugo Steeds, is now estimated to extend over some 2,500 hectares in the Campo de Gibraltar area, which used to be used mostly for citrus fruit production. "This is a privileged area when it comes to…

"Hi-technology gives us a competitive position on the global market”

Started in 1986 as an agricultural paradise business at Batu Pahat, Top Fruits owns one of the largest Durian farms in Malaysia, with total durian plantations of almost 500acres, and most of their durian trees have a mature period of at least 20 - 30 years. “The top 5 export markets of our durians in the…

Producers have accomplished growing kiwi outside its growing area for the first time

"We are the southernmost nursery in all of Europe that has grown kiwi in the driest conditions to date," stated Didier Diaz, the director of Diego Díaz Viveros. Facing the challenge of cultivating this species for the first time and in extreme latitudes required a positive attitude. The nursery, located in…

Inflation, high shipping rates squeeze profit margins of Costa Rican pineapples

Despite the high inflation and the increased shipping rates squeezing its profit margins, the Costa Rican pineapple grower and exporter Tropicales del Valle continues to export its ready to eat pineapples to the United States, Europe and the Middle East for 12 months of the year. According to Jose Carlos…

Citrosol acquires Fomesa Fruitech and Brogdex Ibérica

Citrosol, a leader in post-harvest fruit and vegetable treatments and technologies in the Mediterranean basin and Peru and with high penetration in countries, such as South…

Aldi takes fourth place in UK grocery market in 2022 as 3.1 million shoppers switch to the discounter

Discounters are benefitting the most from the cost-of-living crisis, with their low cost and quality credentials appealing to consumers who are shifting their shopping habits…

Mega aeroponic greenhouse multiplies potato seeds in Rwanda

The SDGP Potato Value Chain Project Rwanda was launched to support the entirety of the Rwandan potato supply chain, from seed to table. "Our job is to optimize and maximize the potato value chain," says Aimable Uwihanganye, project manager Rwanda from Delphy. "This project involves many different…

Fully compostable and 100 percent climate-neutral nets and vine climbing aids made of cellulose

What France started with its nationwide ban on plastic is now gradually gaining a foothold in other countries. In view of this, TVU Garnvertrieb Ltd from Leutershausen is now offering a solution with its CompoPac cellulose nets, which are intended to cover the increasing demand for sustainable, but…

Maersk offers environmentally friendly rail solution for Spanish reefer exports

A Maersk Company, a subsidiary of Maersk and specialized in Intra-European logistics, is launching a new rail product from Spain to the UK especially designed for…

India container freight rates continue to slide amid weakening demand

Container freight rates on trades out of India continue to taper off amid falling demand, according to a new market analysis by Container News. On the westbound India-Europe…

New DEXIA multi-fruit extractor improves efficiency for exports

The Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) has purchased and installed a state-of-the-art, industrial-grade multi-fruit extractor for processing and pulping of fruits for local juicing companies and for sale on the export markets. Operations Manager Bristol Lawrence said in an interview that the…

Colombia: Land occupations raise tensions and scare off investors

In parts of Colombia, land occupations have increased since the election of president Gustavo Petro, who has promised to spend tens of billions of dollars to ensure…

A tour of the Checkers fresh produce aisles

There is a story behind each of the 800 to 965 lines in the fresh produce aisles of a Checkers FreshX store, where potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, apples and onions are always among the top ten sellers.Riaan Sonnekus from Freshmark, the Shoprite Group’s fruit and vegetable procurement and distribution arm,…

“Commercial expert in fruit and vegetables”: new training launched by Sanlucar and the AHK

The company SanLucar and the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain - AHK have launched the new program called "Commercial Expert in Fruit and Vegetables" this year. A new qualification to train the young talents within the fruit and vegetable trade branch. Over two years, and including 100 learning hours,…

USDA

Peruvian blueberry imports through Southern California ports of entry movement expected to remain the same

This hurricane season has been somewhat quiet until now. Hurricane Ian has changed all that and made landfall around Ft. Myers, Florida, and the surrounding communities. According to local farmers and growers in Southwest and Central Florida, now, it is too early to tell how much crop damage has…

USDA

Melons, summer squash and most stone fruit go by the wayside as retailers filled their bins with fall favorites

This week we saw melons, summer squash, and most stone fruit go by the wayside as retailers filled their bins with fall favorites. Cranberries made their first appearance in ads this week, adding extra fall glory to the growing array of pumpkins, acorn and butternut squashes, cabbage, pomegranates,…

Costa Rica will suspend tariff benefits for Panama

In 2020, a tribunal ruled in favor of Costa Rica, after Panama imposed limitations on the importation of fresh tomatoes from Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign…

TomaTech-Nirit appoints Julia Parry as new VP Business Development & Downstream

There is a buzz of excitement around Tomatech-Nirit. The recent merger of the two tomato-focused breeding companies (TomaTech and Nirit) clearly pointed to the emergence of a new world order in tomato varietal development. And today, the company announced the appointment of Julia Parry as VP of Business…

Freshfel Europe defends fresh produce sector competitiveness in the European agenda

On Friday Freshfel Europe met the Czech Republic Deputy Minister of Agriculture, the EU Member State currently in charge of the rotating Presidency of the Council to the…

“We provide clients a complete innovative solution for farming”

Agritek has various areas of expertise, such as building greenhouses and making profitable farming feasible even in the desert ecosystem, says Mr. Nehayet Rasoul, Chief Operating Officer of Agritek: “We provide complete agriculture solutions to help farms develop more sustainable agricultural practices…

Chinese Begonia apple exported around the globe for the first time

In a small region in China, an apple with the aroma of Begonia flowers is grown, although some say it has the aroma of strawberries. “It’s the world’s sweetest apple with a brix of 19-22 due to its water cores,” says Ricky Chong with World Fresh Exports. Water cores indicate the apple was picked after…

"We have worked with Moldovan companies that get it and are real entrepreneurs"

Moldovan growers are not getting support from only USAID's HVAA project, as covered in an earlier part of our Moldovan special. The Netherlands Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI), too, advises and supports these growers to tap new markets through advice and active…

Vietnamese durian sales are ideal, but product movement of Australian oranges slowed down

The seven day holiday for National Day began on Saturday the 1st of October. However, National Day is not a holiday that involves gift giving, so the impact on fruit sales is limited. Only a few traders said that they have seen sales increase. Xinjiang Dinosaur Egg plums (Left) and Vietnamese durian (right)…

Williams Sonoma and pomegranate shipper launch co-branded product line

Home retailer Williams Sonoma announced a partnership with POM Wonderful, a grower-shipper of California-grown pomegranates. The two collaborated to develop a product line showcasing the flavor and versatility of pomegranates. The products will launch as part of POM’s 20th-anniversary celebrations and as…

Basil grown especially for pesto

Afrex Kenya exports agricultural products from South Africa to wholesalers and resellers from as far away as China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the USA, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East; these products include mini vegetables, edible and fresh cut flowers. One specialized product offered by Afrex Kenya is a basil grown…

International and Spanish Tradeshow Magazine - Primeur Fruit Attraction

Fruit Attraction will be held between Tuesday 4th October and Thursday 6th October in Madrid. FreshPlaza and Primeur have joined together to publish a 150 page tradeshow magazine. It is a truly international edition with in-depth articles from the international fresh produce sector. The international…

Florida grapefruit industry seeing minimal fruit loss post Hurricane Ian

Following Hurricane Ian’s arrival, Florida grapefruit looks to have made its way through the event with minimal effects. “We got extremely lucky,” says Dan Richey of Riverfront Packing Company. “The storm was bearing down and then it turned to the Northeast and that got us through.” Florida grapefruit is…

USDA

US organic growers can’t keep up with demand

The demand for organic food is increasing so fast that US growers can’t keep up with the demand. This increase in demand food, coupled with the number of organic farmers in America dropping, prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promise up to $300 million to recruit farmers to make the switch.…

FDA proposes updated definition of ‘healthy’ claim on food packages

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed updated criteria for when foods can be labeled with the nutrient content claim “healthy” on their packaging. This proposed…

Real-time in-transit visibility reduces losses in produce shipments

A multi-sensor tracker containing the technology to measure hyper-accurate location, temperature, humidity, shock, and light exposure of shipments - all packed into a small box, the size of a mobile phone. Or a cloud-enabled temperature logger in the form of a paper-thin, flexible label. Both of which…

Indian company makes bags made out of apple skin and other fruit-based leather

Founded by Anjana Arjun, Sarjaa Designs Private Ltd aims to create functional, stylish, luxury handbags, made out of plant-based and fruit leather. Introducing a line of…

Hurricane Ian worsens outlook for US orange juice industry

Hurricane Ian is likely to have worsened what was already expected to be the smallest US orange crop in 55 years after it blasted through a large fruit-producing area when it passed through Florida this week, flooding farms and causing oranges to drop from trees. The Brazilian orange industry is closely…

Southern California reefer volumes trending down into the fall

Reefer volumes in Fresno, California, are continuing a steady decline that started last week. Since Sept. 21 the Reefer Outbound Tender Volume Index for Fresno is down more…

K-Fresh Fresh Produce brand Enoki Mushroom recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

The K-Fresh Fresh Produce brand Enoki Mushroom is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled product has been sold in British Columbia and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories. If you think you became sick from consuming a…

Chile's plum season has a good start due to various factors

Chile's European plums had a very good flowering period in 2022 thanks to a set of factors, which were not so good in other years. This is evident from the words of Pablo Campino, member of the Chileprunes Technical Committee and head of D'Agen Plum Program at Pacific Nut Company Chile. From the outset, he…

Laser microperforated packaging prevents fresh produce waste

“Due to climate change, there will be even more challenges in our supply chain. While there is abundance now in, for instance, berries, the future will probably be different, and we will have to preserve every berry as much as possible,” explains Elisa Bongiolatti of PerfoTec, the need to prevent food…

Hurricane Ian hits Florida as citrus growers near harvest season

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm and is slowly making its way through the state as a Category 1 hurricane. Yesterday, an article was published about the potential impact on citrus and vegetable crops as well as logistics challenges. More will become clear in the coming days…