"Seed sector sees progress on the road to enhancing the multilateral system in 2025"

ISF welcomes the decision of the Governing Body setting out the next steps of the process concerning the enhancement of the Treaty’s Multilateral System and believes that at a time when the Treaty faces many challenges, this decision gives a chance to all stakeholders involved to succeed in the…

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US dollar weakens as Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates

The US dollar slid on Monday, due to expectations that the Federal Reserve is done hiking interest rates and might even start cutting them by the first half of next year. The dollar index , which measures the currency against six major peers, slipped 0.2% to 103.20 and was headed for a monthly loss of…

44% farm income drop is a serious concern, says IFA president

IFA President Tim Cullinan said the 44% drop in farm incomes confirmed by Teagasc today was a huge concern particularly given the ongoing cost of living crisis. “Farmers’ cost of living as well as their cost of doing business has increased, yet their incomes have fallen by 44%. Yesterday we saw that…

Launch of the Frutas de Chile brand

The government and the industry agreed on the importance of improving the fruit sector's competitiveness and leadership at both international and national level during the launch of the new Frutas de Chile brand: "The roadmap to boost competitiveness and growth". The president of Frutas de Chile (former…

“The world needs 100% sustainable agriculture”

The strategic plans of the CAP 2023-2027, which are very much focused on the environment and agricultural policies in the EU, were the main topic of conversation during the second day of the International Congress of Producers' Organizations ICOP 2023, held in Almeria. Kristine Bori, from DG Agri; Adrián…

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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European Commission allocates funding of almost €52 millions to Greek and Slovenian farmers

The European Commission has presented a proposal for support measures worth €51.7 million to directly support Greek and Slovenian farmers affected by natural disasters. Some €43.1 million will be allocated to Greece and €8.6 million to Slovenia. Last August, Slovenia recorded extraordinary amounts of…

Brussels adopts 2024 work program for food promotion

The European Commission has adopted the 2024 work program for the promotion of agri-food products, which will have a budget of 185.9 million euro that will mainly be used for…

Gujarat agri marketing board appoints new director

This weekend, Surat Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) director Fakruddin Yusuf Shaikh was elected the director of the Gujarat State Agricultural Marketing Board (GSAMB), a body that governs the 224 APMCs across the state. Shaikh was among the 12 others who got a mandate from the BJP to file…

"Our pool of interim managers can help solve companies' bottlenecks and peaks"

Taco van der Louw and his Dutch company Up & Up Talent Solutions have been placing candidates in the fresh produce sector for five years now. That function has gone far beyond recruitment, selection, and hiring. "We, for example, also provide assessments, coaching, business acquisitions, and succession,"…

Argentina's central bank allows a slight weakening of the peso

Argentina's central bank has allowed a slight weakening of the peso to 353 per dollar, reactivating its 'crawling peg' for the currency. The peso had been frozen at 350 per dollar since a primary election in mid-August following a sharp devaluation. The decision to allow a modest depreciation is seen as…

Assistance available for Lockyer farmers hit by hail

Disaster assistance loans are available to primary producers who suffered damaged from intense local hail during a storm late last week. Friday night’s hailstorm has so far resulted in damage reports from 18 producers, with three reporting catastrophic damage, 12 reporting major damage and three…

Dollar drops after data shows inflation cooling

On Tuesday, the U.S. dollar experienced a decline of more than 1% against major currencies following the release of U.S. consumer price data, indicating a further moderation in the pace of inflation for October. The data raised speculation that the Federal Reserve might halt its interest rate hikes.…

Washington and Oregon fruit packers vote against creating union

In a recent vote, nearly 60% of approximately 330 fruit packers at Washington-based Mount Adams Fruit rejected joining the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. The vote, held over two days, saw 59% against unionizing and 41% in favor. Mount Adams Fruit operates in Odell and Dallesport,…

Camposol appoints Ricardo Naranjo Fernandez as chief financial officer

Camposol Holding PLC announced the appointment of Ricardo Naranjo Fernandez as the new Chief Financial Officer, effective from November 6, 2023. Naranjo brings extensive experience in business management, having led the administrative and financial departments in various multinational companies and…

Tosca welcomes Marco González as Managing Director for Central Europe - Downstream

Tosca, a provider of reusable packaging solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Marco González as the new Managing Director, Central Europe - Downstream. Reporting directly to the EMEA President, Dan Lee, his chief responsibility will be to build upon the customer-centric culture in the EMEA…

Legislation introduced to boost exports of fruit, vegetables, nuts and other specialty crops

U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced legislation this week to help farmers fight through trade barriers and sell more fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops in foreign markets. The Specialty Crops Reporting on Opportunities and Promotion Act…

The Netherlands and Ghana are growing the horti sector together

The Netherlands has been working with Ghanaian horticultural farmers and entrepreneurs for many years and sees the sector as one of the most prominent drivers for economic growth in Ghana. There are three main reasons to further strengthen the partnership in horticulture: economic growth, improved diets,…

Egypt contemplates barter trade due to currency pressures

Egypt is considering a return to the barter system for trade with several countries to alleviate the pressure on hard currency, according to Sherif al-Gabaly, Head of the Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development Office at the Federation of Egyptian Industries. This potential move is currently…

"The funds the government is about to allocate are insufficient"

After the go-ahead of the Conferenza Stato-Regioni, the Minister for Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Francesco Lollobrigida announced that Masaf is ready to allocate €12 million for the pear and kiwifruit chains to counter the economic consequences caused by weather and natural events such as…

The Greenery appoints David Markowski as new CEO

The Greenery has appointed David Markowski (37) as its new chief executive officer (CEO). He succeeds Steven Martina, who left for Zespri in August. David Markowski Markowski has been with The Greenery in various executive roles since November 2019. During this period, David held the roles of Director of…

Brussels completes horticultural trade rules and their adaptation to the 'Farm to Fork' strategy

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) a delegated regulation and an implementing regulation by which it completes the…

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Breeders welcome the adoption of the new Explanatory Notes on Essentially Derived Varieties by the UPOV Council

After four years of debate, the UPOV Council, in its 57th Session on October 27, 2023, adopted the new Explanatory Notes (EXN) on Essentially Derived Varieties, which replaced the EXN of 2017. During the revision process, the worldwide breeders’ community was represented by the International Seed…

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Labor shortages cost Canadian ag $35 billion in lost sales in 2022, report shows

New labour market data from the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) reveals that on-farm agriculture businesses lost an estimated $3.5 billion in sales in 2022 because they didn’t have the workers they needed. This finding was revealed virtually at CAHRC’s Labour Market Information…

Bernardo Calvo joins Sun World as President/COO

Sun World International has been engaged in adding top talent to their leadership ranks over the past several years. Today, the company announced that Bernardo Calvo has…

On-site business consultancy from harvesting to shipping

There are many service companies working in the fresh produce sector, but how many can boast such know-how to be able to replace a procurement manager? Or a quality assurance manager? How many times do Italian or foreign companies operating in Sicily, or even in the rest of southern Italy, have to send…

Economic mission: Future-proof agri- and horticulture

LAN Pretoria had the opportunity to host 23 Dutch companies in South Africa alongside the state visit of their Majesties, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, from October 16 to 20. This economic mission gave companies an opportunity to explore cooperation, learn from South African organizations, and…

The impact of California’s new climate accountability laws on food and agriculture companies

Two new ground-breaking California laws will require companies doing business in California, including food and agriculture companies, to report their annual greenhouse gas emissions, climate-related financial risk exposures, and climate risk management plans. Notably, the reach of the California laws…

Sun World International expands global marketing and quality teams

Sun World International has appointed two industry professionals aimed at enhancing the depth of its fruit quality program and expanding the global marketing insights it…

"Government's price stabilization measures fail to consider repercussions on Canadian growers"

The rising cost of groceries continues to be a pressing issue for Canadians, affecting consumers and the growers who constitute the backbone of our food supply. The Fruit and…

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CAN: Minister of Agriculture announces federal investment of $9.8M in horticulture

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced a federal investment of $9.8 million to the Canadian AgriScience Cluster for Horticulture 4 in Abbotsford, BC. Cluster 4, led by the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC), will include an additional $7.7 million in…

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US (AL): In labor shortage, more Alabama farms turn to guest worker visas

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate chooses his words carefully when he talks about the need for more legal guest workers on Alabama farms. Talking about any kind of immigration — even the long-standing, federal H2-A visa program that allows temporary immigrant labor in the agricultural industry —…

BluePrint Automation announces Gijsbert Dezaire as new CEO

BluePrint Automation, an innovator in the secondary packaging automation industry, announced Gijsbert Dezaire as its new CEO. After more than three decades of unwavering…

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EFI highlights organizational benefits of family-friendly policies

Equitable Food Initiative, the capacity-building and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers, and consumer groups, is highlighting the benefits of being a family-focused company. With back-to-school underway, employees may be feeling the strain of new schedules and…

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"FPAA cites misleading study to distract from Mexican dumping"

Last week, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA), which represents importers of Mexican tomatoes, used a misleading study to distract from Mexico’s record of dumping tomatoes. The study claims that tomato prices will rise by an average of 52% if anti-dumping duties are imposed on imports…

Preparing Lebanese fruit and vegetable companies for the European market

According to Greek mythology, one day, a Phoenician princess was playing with her friends on the beach of Sidon. Zeus noticed her elegance and immediately fell in love. He descended from Olympus in the guise of a beautiful, gentle, white bull, persuaded the girl to climb on his back, and tricked her by…

Westfalia appoints Wim Destoop as new President Europe

Westfalia Fruit, a multinational supplier of avocados and a range of fresh fruit, has announced the appointment of Wim Destoop as President Europe from 2 October 2023. As…

German importer expands exclusive partner programme

Just a few months after the official launch of its Exclusive Partner Programme, Port International is pleased to announce a strong increase in partners, a development which takes its producer andlogistics network to a new level. BananaGoldCorp Known as a pioneer of the industry, Port International has…

Lebanese horticulture’s future lies in top quality and niche products

A chamber of commerce registers new companies and gives business owners information and advice. In Lebanon, growers can call on the knowledge and experience of people like Dr. Rola Arouni and Elie Massoud. We spoke to both, touching on several topics, including the Lebanese sector’s sticking points and…

Fruit and vegetable growers welcome release of positive temporary foreign worker employer compliance statistics

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) welcomes the release of findings by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) from its recent compliance activities aimed at protecting temporary foreign workers during their employment in Canada. The results from ESDC show that of their…