"If we get this situation again in another year, many growers will stop planting raspberries for the fall"

The berry campaign is underway in Huelva, with a difficult situation for raspberries and still limited volumes for strawberries, the most representative fruit in terms of production of this fruit category in Spain. "Last year was already difficult for Spanish raspberries, with pressure from the Moroccan and…

Import cherry arrivals expected later this month

Pacific Trellis Fruit looks forward to the upcoming import cherry season. “With increased volumes of cherries arriving in the U.S. from Chile and Argentina, we look forward to increased opportunities to work with our customers in promoting cherries well into March,” said Marcial Hernandez, director of…

"The weather has gotten warmer, which has put us on track to supply some great fruit for the summer season"

After a cold and wet start to the stonefruit season, a Victorian grower is expecting great fruit with higher yields for consumers this year. Foster Stonefruit is run by a husband and wife team, Brad and Lisa Foster, that grows and packs stonefruit and citrus in Beverford, near Swan Hill in Victoria. "The…

Slow start to Australian cherry season, good volumes to come

The Australian cherry season is well underway, with the fruit picked in October in the cherry growing regions in north-west Victoria and Griffith, Hillston and Mudgee in NSW, South Australian Riverland and Adelaide Hills. “Harvest succession is generally consistent year to year, with picking beginning in…

Peruvian blueberry exports to the United States increased by 30% in 2022

Peruvian fresh blueberry exports between January and September of 2022 surpassed 772.4 million dollars, i.e. 30.2% more than in the same period of last year. According to the…

The area devoted to raspberries in Huelva decreased by 7.5%

Berry producers in the province of Huelva planted berries in 11,802 hectares for the 2022/2023 campaign, i.e. 0.53% more than the 11,740 hectares devoted to berries in the…

Fyllo and Orchardly work together to help apple producers

Orchardly has been working with over 10,000 farmers helping them from high density orchards setup, agronomy, quality inputs to post harvest services. They have decades of…

November exports of Moldovan apples are the lowest in five years

According to the customs service of Moldova, about 7 000 tonnes of apples were exported from the country in November 2022. This is the lowest volume of November exports over…

Uzbekistan exported a record volume of table grapes in 2022

The Uzbekistan season for exporting fresh table grapes started in June this year with early-ripening varieties, about a week earlier than last year. Uzbekistan has exported a…

“Far fewer grapes from Brazil, Peru mean good European market prices"

This year's European grape season flowed seamlessly into the overseas one. "We've had years when there was still plenty of European product in the market when Peru and Brazil began; not this year. We received the last Spanish grapes in week 45, and currently, mainly Brazil and Peru are ringing the bell.…

"Supplying a market ‘hungry’ for cherries while finding new markets is a challenge"

As Chilean cherries, blueberries and soon table grapes will be on the way to world markets, recovering from the Covid-10 pandemic as well as a global recession are still concerns for the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (Asoex). According to Iván Marambio, President of Asoex: “The threat of the…

The blueberry industry prepares to meet at the International Blueberries 2023 Seminars

According to estimates by the International Blueberry Organization, blueberry production will reach 3 million tons in 2025, noting that this projection may differ if changes…

Hi-tech New Zealand strawberries on the horizon

New Zealanders will be able to enjoy spray-free strawberries grown through a hi-tech new system almost all year round through a Government-backed pilot project based in…

UK: Conference pears and tomatoes see wholesale price increase this week

In DEFRA's weekly update of wholesale fruit and vegetable prices Conference pears have seen a big increase with 48% to an average price of GBP 1.42 from 0.96. tomatoes (round)…

Uncertain outlook for Argentina's table grape export sector

San Juan's table grape harvest will start in just two weeks. This year, the sector faces various issues from previous years that have become more acute, stated the vice…

Mundra Port container volumes pick up again

According to the latest figures, the four Adani Group-controlled Mundra terminals together handled 438,453 TEUs last month, versus 431,334 TEUs during October. The private…

Peru exports fruit worth $5.3 million to Saudi Arabia

Peruvian exports to Saudi Arabia increased by 24% reaching $8.3 million between January and September 2022, led by agricultural goods of $5.3 million. Fresh grapes worth $689 000…

Will the Haskap berry be a buzzword in 2023?

In 2023, Haskap Quebec will be focusing its efforts on marketing this more delicate Canadian berry. “This year, the association in Quebec focused more on developing the association, and we put aside marketing the fruit. But that will start next season when our marketing will target the fresh season,”…

The Marimbella strawberry has seen an exponential growth after 2020

"We are experiencing a period of great change in the strawberry industry. For this fruit, demand is no longer seasonal, but has become steady throughout most of the year. In recent years, the varietal offer required segmentation in order to be able to offer the producers new solutions, useful to better…

This Dutch company has exclusive sales rights for Lola apples

On Tuesday, November 15, the Dutch company Roel Wellner Fruit signed for exclusive sales rights for the Lola apple brand. Lola is a sustainably grown, tasty, Dutch-grown apple. This lets Roel Wellner Fruit provide a locally-grown concept apple of good quality and sufficient quantity. "With Lola, we can offer…

Now new imported soft fruit packaging line

The Greenery Softfruit introduced a new soft fruit packaging line at the beginning of the year. It proved very successful during the Dutch season. Thus, based on market demand, during the import season, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are also available in open 125g trays from now on. "In the Dutch…

Seminar of the PDO Peaches and Apricots of France: “We will have to adapt to the distributors’ demands”

The PDO Peaches and Apricots of France has reviewed the 2022 campaign and is “preparing” for the next one. This was the focus of the two-day internal seminar that took place a week ago in Avignon, with more than 80 participants. “The seminar was organized at the right time because the current economic…

“We are expecting 40% of our normal volumes of Rocha pears”

Apifood is about to finish its grape campaign, and the company is now starting the Rocha pear and citrus fruit season. “This year, we will finish the campaign in March because we have approximately 40% of a normal harvest. Due to the lack of volumes, the Rocha pear is sold at relatively high prices in…

Farmgate profitability will require adjustments all along value chain to ensure sustainability

Capespan’s commercial executive Charl du Bois notes that early grapes from Namibia are looking good, while the Orange River has just started, not yet in full swing. Limpopo has been packing for a few weeks, and the Olifants River region will start in the next two weeks. The first Namibian grapes will…

"In Belgium, no one in the chain can live off current Jonagold consumer prices, those must improve"

In Europe, costs make it hard for many fruit growers to currently make ends meet. Especially for Belgian Jonagold growers, who find it almost impossible to earn a decent living in the current market. "This season's fruit looks great, but prices are terrible," begins Xavier Laduron of Fairebel, whose…

The Ambrosia apple is now available on the Italian and European markets

Due to the early start of the harvest, Ambrosia™ apples have been available again on the Italian and European market since the end of September 2022. First, sales of Ambrosia apples from the Rivoira Group in Piedmont, followed by apples from VIP (Association of Val Venosta Producers of Fruit and…

Peru’s Ica table grape region aims for $8 billion worth of exports in 2022-2023 campaign

The Peruvian table grape production area in the province of Ica, which provides close to 50% of this country’s volumes, is aiming to earn $8 billion as it plans to exceed last year’s exports with 265,000 tons of table grapes during the current 2020-2023 campaign. Peru’s National Agrarian Health Service…

Greenhouse melons and watermelons treated with antagonistic insects

"Thanks to the launch of beneficial insects against aphids and red spider mites, we were able to drastically cut down the number of greenhouse treatments on watermelons and melons," says Tommaso Concari, agronomic technical manager of Op Bristol, summing up the work begun in recent months with Bioplanet…

Chile Launches 2022-23 fresh fruit export season despite delays

On Nov. 22, Chile’s 2022/23 fresh fruit export season was launched at the Port of Valparaíso, one of the most important export ports in Chile and Pacific South America. Attendees including Esteban Valenzuela, Minister of Agriculture, Iván Marambio, chairman of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association…

"There is a powerful space for the early production of cherries in Chile"

During the 2021/2022 campaign, Chile managed to export 95,7% of the fruit produced to the south of Ecuador, sending 356.305 tons.  Samuel Escalante, director of Viveros El Tambo…

Kashmir fruit growers want more stringent controls on imports of Iranian apples

Kashmiri apple growers are demanding that the Indian government take strong action to stop the illicit movement of Iranian apples through Afghanistan to markets in India. They…

Strawberries influx increases at APMC

Mahesh Mundhe, Joint Secretary of the Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Association stated that the supply of strawberries was poor during October. Now the temperature in the…

Horticulture students build up genome of the Cosmic Crisp apple

Stephen Ficklin, a computational biologist and assistant professor in the Washington State University Department of Horticulture, has spoken out about a project that he,…

APHIS removes Mexican Fruit Fly quarantine in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

On November 14, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine…

Later volume on Florida strawberries meets “outrageous” demand

Strawberry supplies are starting to come out of Florida. Bova Fresh is just beginning its program with bare root plants, though Bova’s Robert Wilhelm notes that some plug plant programs are going in Florida. “We’re a few weeks away from any real volume. We have another farm coming online on the 15th so…

Argentina signed an agreement with the US to continue exporting fruits to that market

Argentinian and US health authorities have signed the update of the bilateral agreement of the pre-shipment at origin program for the export of Argentine fruits from areas…

"Quality increasingly taking precedence in this overfull blueberry market"

When it comes to South American blueberries, it seems the emphasis is increasingly on finding new, productive varieties. "We have to adapt to a new world, and variety innovations can help you maintain your position in a changing global market," Andrés Armstrong, Chilean Blueberry Committee, told the…

“Demand for grapes from India is picking up as we’re getting close to the new year”

The export of grapes from India has started, with the focus being on the Asian market for now, says Krish International chairman Himant Chavda: “We’re an exporter of fresh grapes. We export varieties like White Thompson Seedless, White Super Sonaka Seedless, White Sonaka Seedless and Black Sharad…

First "Blueberry Express" to depart from the Port of Coronel to the US

A piece of good news for the Chilean blueberry industry is the start of exports, through the first refrigerated ships of the "Blueberry Express" service, operated by Cool…

Another 680 Moroccan seasonal workers will be recruited for Huelva's red fruit campaign

Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Huelva will hire more than 680 women from Morocco to help in the 2022-2023 strawberry and red fruit campaign. This will be done through…

Uzbekistan set a new record of watermelon exports in 2022

Uzbekistan exported a record volume of watermelons in 2022, exceeding last year’s volume by almost twice. The increase was possible mainly due to an almost two-fold increase in the volume of exports to Kazakhstan and a multiple increase in export volume to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, EastFruit experts…

"Spanish and Greek producers have reported the same quality issue in strawberry plants"

Producers in the province of Huelva, such as Simone Pierini in Lucena del Puerto, have started to harvest the first strawberries of the season. "Specifically, producers have started harvesting the earliest potted varieties. We have planted Agrom Berries plants from Poland produced especially for the…

A lot of Italia variety grapes are remaining in the vineyards

For the Italia grape variety, the season appears to be going no better than how it started. It has been a difficult campaign, always marked by hope in the aftermath, which started with hardships and problems caused by the international economic context, which soon turned into a contraction in consumption…

"With Bonita, we can offer great, regionally-grown tart, pink apples"

TripleF Fruit and Cuvelier Fruit have joined forces under the name Apple Select to market Bonita apple in the Benelux. "This apple lends itself perfectly to that," begins Matthijs Nijhoff. "It resembles Pink Lady, which is one of its parents, but Bonita's tart flavor appeals more to Benelux consumers."…

Strawberry farm to reuse rainwater to curb flooding

The seasonal heavy rainfall received by a large strawberry farm in Benguet province will soon be collected, after which it will be ‘injected’ back into the aquifer of the town…

USDA

Canadian apple production forecast to grow 4 percent for market year 2022/23

Canadian apple production is forecast to grow four percent for market year 2022/23, as production rebounds in Ontario and Quebec following adverse growing conditions in MY 2021/22. Pear production is forecast to grow on a bumper crop in Ontario, especially of the Bartlett variety. FAS/Ottawa forecasts…

Berry grower/shipper offers expanded scholarships for 2023

Bobalu Berry Farms Managing partners established an annual scholarship in 2022 to celebrate 60 years in business honoring their grandparents. In 2023 Bobby and RC Jones are expanding the program to support additional students.  Graduating high school seniors in Ventura County benefitted from the company’s…

Grape consumption helps counter UV damage to skin

A recent human study published in the scientific journal Antioxidants found that consuming grapes protected against ultraviolet (UV) damage to the skin.¹ Study subjects showed…

Moroccan table grape grower transitions to new varieties

The Moroccan grower Les Vergers du Soleil produces table grapes in the regions of Marrakech and Taroudant. The grower's flagship product, seedless table grapes, is available for export each season starting in late May.  The company currently markets up to 3,000 tons per year of table grapes, a production mainly…

New technology enables real-time monitoring to determine the quality of the coveted Chilean fruit

The cultivation of blueberries is in fashion and is required by countless consumers around the world. This has prompted the incorporation of technology in the fields, such as…

"There are efforts from all the actors and a common view of the country to improve logistics this season"

Iván Marambio, the president of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile (Asoex), maintains that the main problem of the past export season was the logistics crisis. “The…

Twenty years of research leads to three new apricot varieties

After more than 20 years of research and assessing thousands of apricots, Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR) New Zealand has released a group of apricot varieties. Arlene Nixon,…

Facebook

Woolworths responds to customer’s outrage over watermelon pricing

A Woolworths customer has taken to the Internet to vent about the high cost of its watermelons. On Facebook, the customer voiced her outrage after noting that a whole watermelon was now priced at $34.32. A single quarter cost an incredible $8.58. A Woolworths spokesperson responded that adverse growing conditions…

Wet weather affects Victorian cherry and berry season

Continuing rains over the past month have resulted in a tough start to Victoria's cherry and berry season. Growers have been struggling against poor-quality and dying trees,…

Egypt to allow the supply of grapes and cherries from Uzbekistan

The first meeting of the joint working group of the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt has been recently held,…

"There is a massive amount of pineapples that will be ready to harvest in February across the industry"

A Queensland pineapple grower is expecting supply to be impacted in the next few months as weather issues catch up, leading to a glut of fruit in late summer followed by low volumes heading into winter. While Piñata Farms' pineapple production has been fairly solid all year, Managing Director Gavin Scurr…

Australian Table Grape Association welcomes new board members

The Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) board welcomed two new delegates last week, following its 2022 annual general meeting. Two long-term industry supporters will…

This year's first of Qingpu District strawberries are hitting the market

Qingpu District is the westernmost district of Shanghai Municipality, Here, the strawberry season has started, with this year's first batch of strawberries grown in the…

New cherry varieties shows promise to make Chilean season even earlier

In Chile the race is not only on to get tons of cherries to China in time for the earlier New Year, but also to breed and evaluate new early maturing cherry varieties that will make their season even earlier. These new earlier maturing cherries will also taste sweeter, have fewer chill requirements with…

2022 North America cranberry crop offers modest improvements over 2021’s crop

This year’s cranberry crop has improved over last year’s. However, not as much as growers had hoped for. Following last year’s disappointing crop, the August forecast for this year predicted higher numbers. “The indication is that the “breadbasket” of cranberries, Wisconsin, was a little disappointing…

Good volumes of NZ cherries for for Lunar New Year

The first cherry varieties from New Zealand's Southern Fruits International are usually ready by late December and the harvest then continues with varieties ripening progressively until February. The company grows a total of eight cherry varieties each with a distinctive colour and flavour profile with…

Apples worth Rs 500 million exported from Mustang district

Apples worth Rs 500 million (€3.7 mln) have been exported from Nepal’s Mustang District this year. Seventy percent of the total product has been supplied outside the district;…

'Indian banana exports can increase four-fold'

Despite being the largest producer of bananas in the world, India is ranked 20th in exports and has a paltry 0.6 per cent share in the global banana trade. Industry sources…

Changing climate: Not all bad news for Maine blueberry growers

Maine blueberry grower Courtney Hammond spent the past summer developing a makeshift irrigation system, using sprinkler heads and hoses that he scraped together. “Two pumps…

Argentinian blueberry exports decrease as the world's blueberry consumption increases

In the last five years, blueberry consumption has grown exponentially throughout the world and there are new markets to supply, such as China, India, and the United Arab…

"Effect of lower Dutch strawberry supply is being felt; Egyptian ones in greater demand as that season starts"

The new Egyptian strawberry season started at LuBa Fresh last week. "We receive shipments three times a week, exclusively by air," says this Dutch company's Lucien de Wit. "The pandemic made that tough last year. The high air freight rates from Egypt will make this year challenging too." Yesterday's…

French pears remain very popular despite the drop in purchasing power

French pear producers had a difficult campaign last year due to the impact of the frost on the harvest. This year, however, the volumes are even better than expected. “We have revised our predictions upwards. We were expecting 137,000 tons and we have now reached 147,000 tons,” explains Vincent Guerin of…

"Brightly colored fruits are more acceptable in the market"

At present, the storage of domestically produced apples is coming to an end in China. In the current situation where the market momentum is not good and the fruit market has…

Total global blueberry shipments from Argentina at 4.228 tons until now

In week 47, Argentine blueberry shipments to the US amounted to 67 tons, of which 62 were shipped by boat. Weekly Argentinean blueberry arrivals to the US for 2022 / 2023 up til now amount to 1.173 tons, shipped by boat and air almost 50-50. This year's shipments to the UK only amounted to 38 tons so far, but continental…

Australia: Alpine apple crop is looking good

According to two local growers, the Alpine apple season seems to have fared well amid recent wet weather. However, chestnuts may suffer if the rain continues. Wandiligong…

Five containers of Moldovan apples ready to ship to India – Moldova Fruct

Due to the Russian war against Ukraine and the Russian embargo on Moldovan fruits, local producers are looking for new markets. Among the alternatives are the Arab countries,…

How to reverse the downward trend of the Piel de Sapo melon

BASF's horticultural seed business, which operates in the market under the Nunhems brand, held a meeting in Murcia on Thursday, November 24, with the Spanish Piel de Sapo melon producing and marketing sector to analyze the current situation of this fruit and expose some of its opportunities to continue…

High demand for Egyptian strawberry plants

The high demand for strawberries and their adoption by growers has stimulated seed producers, one of which in the Arab region is the Egyptian strawberry Fayruz Nurseries. Mr. Emad Mahdy, owner and operator of Fayruz Nurseries, said, "We are the first nursery in Egypt to be licensed and accredited to export…

Unexpected result of blackout in the apple sector of Moldova

Managers of Moldovan factories producing apple concentrate claim that “there is an abnormal surge in the supply of industrial apples” at the beginning of the week. The…

Puerto Ventanas implements a Chilean fruit export service together with Cool Carriers

Puerto Ventanas (PVSA) will begin loading and unloading reefers containers to support Chilean fruit exports through the company Cool Carriers, which specializes in the…

Murcian company with a workforce of almost 240 workers has filed for bankruptcy

The horticultural company Cano Nature, which owns the Soleil Royal brand and specializes in the production of the Charentais melon variety, has filed for bankruptcy and…

"Grapes and clementines are always in high demand around year's end"

As the festive season approaches, business at Bouvry, in Belgium, usually slows down a bit. "That's no different this year," begins Christoph Bouvry. "But as the holidays draw nearer, it picks up. Grapes and clementines are always in demand around the end of the year. Sales of winter vegetables like…

Hortifrut grows its quarterly income by 19% thanks to dynamic blueberry offer

A strong rise in the sale of fresh fruit has given the world's largest blueberry marketer, Hortifrut, a dynamic boost, adding revenues of US$ 627 million in the first nine…

New app to monitor fruit pickers

In the Tasmanian horticulture sector, this year things are a little different for growers and pickers; a new fixed award rate of pay is prompting change in orchards and berry patches around the…

Green apples, red apples: Which one is more nutritious ?

As is well-know, apples are rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, pectin, and quercetin that help to protect the cells in the body from oxidative damage. This fruit is also…

More flooding expected in Orange River region

“Earlier than usual flooding” stretching from the Prieska to Kakamas areas in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, have left farmers concerned about the rest of the…

Seedless varieties of table grapes are being prepared for planting in Uzbekistan

Seedless varieties of table grapes of foreign selection will be planted in Uzbekistan. Seedlings of seven varieties of foreign selection of table grapes are currently grown…

Hortgro

'SA area planted under cherries could expand by 90% in the next five to six years'

'In the uncertainty of life, the one thing we can be sure of is change.' That was the theme of the Cherry Associations annual general meeting, which took place on 27 July 2022 in Paarl. Hortgro Cherries chairperson, Arno Marais, said that change is not always easy, but it is the people and the businesses…

British Columbia fruit packer focuses on developing pear category

Pears out of British Columbia, Canada are seeing a strong crop. “They’ve come through the weather events with very little damage or issues at all,” says Bryan Key, category director with The Star Group based in Kelowna, B.C., who notes that its pear grower/packer, Day’s Century Growers, has the only…

Awe Sum Organics’ winter organic table grapes to arrive soon

Awe Sum Organics, one of the largest importer of organic table grapes from the Southern Hemisphere has begun the 10th season of their organic Peruvian winter table grape program. Awe Sum Organics helps to fill the winter organic fruit void with high-quality organic table grapes from early December, when…

Shelf-life extension technology reduces brown stems in grapes

Since commercializing their flagship shelf-life extension technology in 2016, Hazel Tech’s Hazel 100™ has proven to be very effective in the table grape category. “Our technology continues to drive a lot of value for grape growers/packers/shippers/importers, and retailers,” says Hazel Tech’s Mario…

Chile shipping fewer and fewer peaches

Chilean peaches have begun shipping to Canada, though the volume of peaches out of Chile continues to get lower and lower. “Chile has seen more and more volume come out of the ground as various retailers, especially in North America, have decided to not use Chilean peaches,” says Larry Davidson of North…

Chilean cherries' harvest and export season has begun

"Chile is currently the leading exporter of fresh fruits in the southern hemisphere, with special leadership in cherries and plums. More than 8,000 producers are able to grow a variety of fruits in Chile thanks to the fresh air of the Pacific Ocean and the country's different climatic regions. Cherries…

"Almost no Hoogstraten strawberries until March; after that, there may be a surplus"

This winter, there will be almost no Hoogstraten strawberries in European stores. "We usually have several growers going through, but this year, due to the all-too-familiar reasons, there are only two," says Michiel Vermeiren of Coöperatie Hoogstraten. "That's a pity. Of course, we'd prefer things be…

"We have very attractive apples of great quality, in line with market demand"

The Lake Constance apple harvest has been completed and is up 25 percent on the previous year. "Despite challenging conditions due to increased energy and input costs, our…

"Apple sales are under pressure, and the market demand for preservatives is increasing"

At present, the storage of domestically produced apples is coming to an end in China. Under the circumstances that the current market momentum is not good and the fruit market has entered the off-season of consumption, the changes in the inventory and the later consumption end are the focus of merchants'…

"The recent price of Chilean cherries is lower than the same period last year"

At present, it is time for the concentrated arrival of Chilean cherries shipped by air. Due to the increased production of Chilean cherries this season and the fact that the Chinese New Year is coming earlier this time, the arrival volume of airfreight cherries is more than last year. Recently,…

Youtube.com

Spanish athlete breaks Guinness World Record by slapping watermelons

A Spanish athlete broke a Guinness World Record when he used his open hand to smash 39 watermelons in 1 minute. According to Guinness World Records spokespeople, Roberto Rodriguez took on the record for most watermelons smashed with an open hand in one minute on the set of the Italy-based TV special Lo…

“I don’t know how blueberry farmers are going to survive”

Rainbow Superfood’s blueberry farms in Rawsonville and Lambertsbaai in the Western Cape are commencing the harvest at a time when prices are slightly improving, after a dreadful season in which growers have been selling their blueberries at far below cost price just to keep programmes going.In both…

South African early table grape export volumes trending lower than last season

The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) held the first bi-weekly marketing forum meeting for the 2022-2023 season, noting that early export volumes will be less than…

USDA

US cranberry harvest expected to be 5 percent larger in 2022

With the 2022 US cranberry harvest wrapping up just in time for Thanksgiving, this year’s crop is forecast to be 5 percent larger than last year’s crop. The 2022 cranberry crop is estimated at 7.44 million barrels but is expected to be smaller than in any of the previous three years (2018–20). Cranberry production, as…

Blueberries will be the main focus at the next Macfrut

Is the growth of the blueberry so relentless? Is it still sustainable to have such fruit travel from one part of the globe to another just for the sake of having a tray in the supermarket counter even in December? What are the best varieties? This and many other questions will be answered during the…

Almost 60 percent crop increase on Ontario Honeycrisp this season

Ontario, Canada is welcoming a large apple crop for 2022-2023. “We have a big crop with good quality and growers are talking about exceptional color this year,” says grower Cathy McKay, chair of the Ontario Apple Growers. She notes that the crop overall is 29 percent bigger than last year and 20 percent…

Jazz launch apple campaign 2022-2023

For the 2022-2023 campaign, the Jazz apple is in the spotlight. This year, three major operations will follow one another in order to allow consumers to live new experiences thanks to the famous two-tone apple. “Giving back purchasing power”The first operation consists of “giving back purchasing power” to…

"The energy market's uncertain, so there's more weekly strawberry sales rather than fixed prices"

The Dutch greenhouse multiple strawberry crop season is nearing its end, and the first imported strawberries are entering the market. Sjraar Hulsman of Frankort&Koning takes stock. "Whereas in recent years, lit greenhouse strawberry cultivation expanded sustainably, growers are now taking a step back,"…

Chile strives to maintain position in cherry exports

Walter Masman, an agronomist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUCV), a technical advisor and consultant specializing in cherry trees, has been looking at the…

Blackberries and raspberries know no crisis

There are segments that know no drops in orders or in consumption despite the current period of uncertainty and economic crisis. One of them is that of berries. Alberto De Vincenzis is a sales manager at OP Terre della Luce, a producer organization from Basilicata that started the new berry season…

18 grapes sold at €30 in Japan

Sembikiya can be defined as the most expensive fruit shop in the world. It is located in Tokyo, Japan and Tommaso Rossi, who lives and works in the capital, has shot a video inside it (click here to watch it). The store has been open since the late 1800s.   "I find myself in one of the most expensive places in Japan, which can be defined as…

Wholesale prices for “Moldova” grapes of 2022 harvest are unlikely to further grow

The quality of “Moldova” table grapes in Chisinau retail stores is noticeably degrading in November. You can still find high-quality Moldova grapes in retail markets in the…

The new yellow apple returns to the European market

The new yellow-skinned specialty in the apple segment has returned to the market to satisfy the most demanding consumers. Since the end of October the yello® apple, produced exclusively in Europe by the VOG and VIP Consortia, has been available again with its abundance of tropical aromas, juiciness and…

La Libertad leads exports of avocados, blueberries and asparagus

La Libertad is a region in northwestern Peru. Between January and September of this year, Peruvian avocado exports totaled US$911 million, of which La Libertad shipped US$299…

Aartsen: "Our branding key to growth in Asia"

"We import from and cooperate with farms in different countries to jointly develop markets. The farms are managed according to their own strict standards which are defined by the growers. We brand the high-quality harvests and import them into Europe and Asia," says Allen Wang, a representative from…

“Triple jumbo code” cherries kick off the Chilean crop

Chilean cherries came out of the gate with “their best foot forward.” This is how Ricky Armata of C&J Brothers describes the start of the Chilean cherry season which produced “triple jumbo code” cherries. “I’ve never seen such beautiful early fruit out of Chile or Peru in my life,” says Armata. “They…

Jared Johnson/Good Fruit Grower)

Seven pear varieties tie for first place in consumer trial

The great pear contest of 2021 has ended. Portland pear fans selected seven varieties (Paragon, Bartlett, Green Anjou, Concorde, Comice, Happi Pear and Seckel) as the most overall liked in a 2021 consumer preference study by Oregon State University. According to Ann Colonna, sensory program director at…

Dutoit opens new Cherry Time™ packhouse with a ‘cherrific’ crop

The Cherry Time™ team at Dutoit is over the moon with the quality of cherries they’re packing as the halfway mark of the cherry season approaches. The well-known topfruit and vegetable enterprise grows approximately 2,000 tonnes of cherries per year, of which half is exported and the other half sold…

The transporter's strike puts in check the transport of 25,000 tons of cherries in Chile

“The situation has become critical for our fruit exports. There are significant obstructions on Ruta 5 Sur (Route 5 South). There are transit problems in Paine, also between the area of Rosario and Rengo. However, the Port of Valparaiso is experiencing the most complicated issues, as the carriers' strike…

New Zealand apple sales in China increase steadily every year

In recent years, New Zealand apples have been deeply loved by consumers. As one of the most representative varieties of Chinese fruits, domestic production is sufficient to…

Peruvian blueberry prices on world market lower despite 28% export growth

Despite the fact that Peru exported 28% more blueberries to world markets, average prices have been lower compared to last year. The country reached 33 markets with 217.000…

Volume reduction of Chilean fresh blueberry exports less than projected

Between January and October of this year, 90.645 tons of fresh blueberries have been exported from Chile, for a value of USD FOB 360 million. Compared to the same period…

Cape Town terminal exceeds weekly volumes as deciduous fruit season starts

State-owned Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) says the Cape Town Container Terminal has been exceeding weekly volumes by 32% for two consecutive weeks as South Africa’s deciduous…

Chilean blueberries, a superfood consolidating in the world

In recent decades, Chile has become an exporter of a huge variety of foods that currently reach more than 170 markets, complying with demanding production standards and world…

Joy Wing Mau celebrates first arrival of Chilean cherries by air

In the early morning of November 24, a flight full of Joyvio cherries arrived at Chengdu International Airport. This is the first batch of several independent charter flights to arrive in China at the start of this new Chilean cherry season. It is also the first batch of co-branded fruit gift boxes, an…

Which will be the first Spanish supermarket chain to charge more for its apples?

The apple harvest in Girona will end in November, with the exception of some varieties such as Pink Lady, which will continue to be harvested until the end of the year. Overall, apple production has declined this year and prices, which have been slightly higher than last year, should continue to increase…

California Prune Board welcomes 0% tariffs on prune imports into the UK

The California Prune Board has announced its support for the UK Government’s decision to suspend the UK import tariff on dried prunes. Effective from 1 January 2023, the…

Nigeria: Chivita drives consumer preference with its excellent quality

CHI Limited has said it will continue to ensure that its product, Chivita, continues to be the reference point for premium quality fruit juice in Nigeria. CHI Limited’s…

Early stonefruit, perhaps early grapes as well

Stonefruit started early this year at Kasteelberg Vrugte, at the foot of the eponymous mountain in Riebeeck-Kasteel, and it looks as if table grapes could follow suit, says Lila Vlok, chief operating officer at JL Vlok Fruit.“We start in December with our grapes, when the stonefruit is ending. We were…

New Moroccan fruit exporters enter the European market

The 2023 season will see the entry of more Moroccan exporters of red fruits and avocados to the European market. The company Entrepôt Frigorifique Lexus, based in Larache in northern Morocco, will be joining the competition with a volume of 12,000 tons, half of which will be avocados, and the rest…

BC Tree Fruit growers force meeting over Lake Country plant closure

The BC Tree Fruits Cooperative board of directors and CEO have met with orchardists at a special general meeting at the Peachland Community Centre. The meeting dealt with…

Chilean cherry arrivals timed for early Chinese New Year's celebration

The first “Cherry Express” one of a fleet of 11 weekly ships, is on its way from the port of Valparaíso, Chile, to Hong Kong, China. The mainland Shanghai office of Garces Fruit, with their own brand called Jizhi 吉制, are hard at work to co-ordinate the arrival and distribution of their first containers,…

"Chinese cranberry production continues to increase"

The new season of fresh cranberries produced in China has been on the market since mid-September and is expected to last until April next year. The largest cranberry planting base in China is located in Fuyuan, Heilongjiang. It began to harvest on a large scale in 2019, and its production has increased…

Success story of the world’s first 100% organic French apple

The Juliet apple has now become an international reference thanks to its intrinsic qualities of course, as well as a well thought-out production and marketing strategy, a handful of producers with an entrepreneurial spirit, and excellent teamwork. A look back at the success story of a unique apple that…

The first strawberries are always eagerly awaited

"We didn't even have time to get organized. All the product that recently arrived from our growers had gone straight out the door in no time. In less than two hours we found a destination for our 300 cartons of strawberries," said Maria Ferrara (pictured here) of Italian fruit and vegetable wholesaler…

Turkey ships its cherries all around the world

Cherry producers in Turkey, having achieved tremendous success in the world market, have directed their efforts to breeding new, better varieties. The number of cherry producing companies in Turkey has continued to grow over the past years, the reduction of cold weather and the growth in the number of…