Avocado production in Huelva down by massive 70 percent

The avocado sector in the Spanish province of Huelva, which is home to about 1,800 hectares of crops, has suffered a strong setback due to the drought. Local media reports…

"We have lost 150.000 plants, but we will get back on our feet"

The flood hit Daniele Neri's company hard. His nursery in San Michele di Ravenna remained under water for a few days and 150 thousand scions dried in little time. "It's been terrible, as we had many bookings for our patented peach and nectarine varieties. But the flood in mid-May caused what we did not think…

Spain: Strawberries get into politics

What started as a campaign supported by 150,000 people in Germany encouraging supermarkets to stop buying Spanish strawberries could become a more serious problem. Following this boycott attempt to avoid contributing to the drying up of the wetland Doñana, a group of German MPs is visiting Spain this…

Tighter supplies likely ahead for California carrots

The supply of carrots over the next couple of months out of California is going to be a little tighter than normal. The transition from the Imperial Valley to Bakersfield, California is underway, though slightly later than normal, leaving carrot supplies decent for now. “The weather during our planting window…

Cooperatives demand radical change of EU's packaging and plant protection proposals

A radical change in the approach of the legislative proposals on the reduction of the use of plant protection products and new packaging standards. This is what the fruit and…

Extreme winter temperatures affect Nova Scotia peach crop

Following extreme temperature fluctuations over the winter, Nova Scotia looks as though it won’t be seeing a stone fruit crop this year. “The winter was extremely mild and we didn’t have the cold hardiness develop in the orchards that we generally have,” says Emily Lutz, executive director for the Nova…

"If there is a Global El Niño phenomenon, Peruvian mangoes will only be exported by air"

The weather is already having an impact on the mango for export campaign. According to Cesar Morocho, the president of the Association of Mango Producers and Exporters (APEM),…

"A hailstorm impacted part of our apricot production"

The stone fruit sector has been mainly concerned about the drought for the 2023 campaign. But for Anthony Oboussier, who produces cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and kiwis in the Drôme department of France, this year’s harvest has been severely impacted by the excess of rainfall. “Since the…

The bad weather has affected vegetable yields

This is truly a bad year for Emilia-Romagna: first there was the drought, then the frost followed by the excessive rain and hail and, finally, the flood. "The bad weather that hit the heart of our region as far as the Riviera Romagnola caused serious damage to the agricultural sector," reads a Sipo note.…

Meteorologists predict soaring risk of flash droughts

Meteorologists from Oklahoma State University published a study which found that the risk of flash droughts, which can develop in the span of a few weeks, is set to rise in…

"Climate change is the new reality for Moroccan agriculture"

The agricultural season in Morocco is drawing to a close, with the last summer fruit calendars, mainly table grapes, and watermelons. Drought and poor weather conditions have set the tempo for the season and caused a sharp drop in crop yields, even those for which Morocco had achieved export records until…

"Water shortage by far this Spanish stone fruit season's biggest challenge""

In the Netherlands, Marni Fruit is currently transitioning from stone fruit from southern Spain to that from that country's north. "On Tuesday, we'll start getting supply from Zaragoza - peaches and then nectarines. Flat peaches and Platterinas will soon follow," says Erik-Jan Thur. He says this season's…

Lack of fruit and vegetables at the Lazio wholesale market

The consequences of the flood in Emilia Romagna and the swift temperature changes are causing a lack in the supply of fruit and vegetables, affecting prices and consumption habits.  The observatory of Centro Agroalimentare Roma, one of the leading European organizations for commercialization in the agrifood sector,…

UK and Europe “screaming for citrus” but still more rain for South Africa

Rain is expected to continue in the Western and Eastern Cape as a cutoff low moves over. Snow has fallen over the mountains of the Western and the Eastern Cape. "Given the recent rainfall and increased soil moisture over parts of the Western and Eastern Cape, sporadic heavy rainfall may enhance the…

Österreichische Hagelversicherung

Stone fruit, pome fruit and more affected in Styria

The first severe thunderstorms of this year caused agricultural damage in several regions of Austria on Tuesday, with hail, heavy rain and partly stormy winds. As Österreichische Hagelversicherung VVaG announced in the evening, storm cells, which moved in particular from the Waldviertel to the eastern…

The abundant rains have been good for the fields, but a concern for Valencian stone fruit, vegetables and citrus

The Spanish Levante, especially the Region of Murcia and the Region of Valencia, have been recording abundant rainfall after months of extreme drought. In general, and despite the fact that there have been floods in some towns, the producer organizations of both regions consider these recent rains good…

"It's been a terrible blow, but we're getting back on our feet."

Last week there were still 7 meters of water in the warehouse of Italy's Bagioni Technology, but yesterday much of it was gone. "We are almost ready to start the production again," says owner Aurenzo Bagioni, " in order to meet the orders of our Italian and foreign customers." This is what the courtyard of…

Bad weather causes damage in Sicily again

Winds exceeding 100 km/h hit eastern, northern, and central Sicily on May 19th and 20th. Greenhouses covered in (old) plastic films and polytunnels were damaged, as well as many blossoming citrus fruit groves and orchards in full production. The immediate effects were apricot and peach drops, as well as…

French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish peach and nectarine producers analyze forecasts for 2023

The peach and nectarine contact group, which is made up of government and sectoral organizations -including FEPEX- from the group's member countries (France, Italy, Spain, and…

Part of the potato and onion production is lost

We can say potatoes are lost in the areas hit by the flood in Emilia Romagna (Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Bologna provinces), as 24 hours under water are more than enough to destroy the crops. The situation is not much better when it comes to red onions, even though they are sturdier.  "At least 2000 hectares…

"Unfortunately, in my case, I must consider my fields as lost"

Although the rains of recent days have brought some relief, drought and the depletion of water reserves in the Axarquia and the Costa Tropical de Granada have been causing great difficulties to the tropical sector, as "there appear to be no viable short term solutions," says producer Francisco Garcia.…

Climate change might cause apple crisis in Himachal and Kashmir this year

Climate change is causing bees to die in Himachal Pradesh and the Kashmir Valley. This has led to major losses for apple growers in the two areas. While apple production is…

Can the drought prolong Europe's inflationary spiral?

The ECB has already stated that the inflation in the Eurozone could continue well into 2024 and that there could be another escalation of food prices due to the decrease in…

More than 7,000 km2 of flooded land in Emilia Romagna

"A first evaluation shows that at least 5,000 crop farms suffered damage from the floods in Emilia Romagna in recent days. The total damage amounts to billions," said Ettore Prandini, national president of the Italian trade association Coldiretti. Meteorologist Pierluigi Randi speaks of about 7,000 km2…

Italy: floods claim lives and cause enormous damage to farms

"We've lost a colleague, an acquaintance, a friend. The loss of life is the worst result of the catastrophe that struck Cesena and the regions of Emilia-Romagna and De Marche [in Italy] on May 16," Matteo Evangelisti, Biondi Giulio's manager, told FreshPlaza on Wednesday. This cultivation company has a…

Florida strawberry growers will have to change with the climate

According to University of Florida agricultural researchers working with the Environmental Defense Fund, if Florida's strawberry industry is going to survive climate change,…

"A lot of apricots lost due to bad weather conditions"

When the rain comes down in buckets and at the wrong time, much of an entire year's work can be lost just like that. It happened to Adriano Vena, a grower from Montalbano Jonico, a village in the southern Italian province of Matera. "I was hoping for a good season, not only because we escaped late frosts,…

Pakistan mango production to drop by 20 percent

Pakistani fruit and vegetable exporters anticipate a significant decline of around 20 percent in this year's mango yield. The nation has an annual capacity of approximately…

Cold weather is bad news for Polish soft fruit

The cold weather in Poland will have an impact on the soft fruit production, says Emilia Lewandowska, office manager for Polish fruit exporter Fruit-Group: “This year we have a cold spring in Poland. Low temperatures don’t favor appropriate bud development or pollination. During the end of April and the…

The drought has overwhelmed Tunisian producers

Four consecutive years of drought have gotten the better of Tunisian producers and forced them to abandon several crops in favor of others, also motivated by government measures in this direction. Selmi Mohameddhia, a Tunisian agronomist, comments on the situation. Selmi explains: "The least we can say…

Rain and hail is causing damage and no peace in Emilia Romagna

On Friday 12 May 2023 huge parts of Emilia Romagna were again jolted by excessive rainfall. And if that was not enough, hail also hit the area of Bologna, Forlì and Cesena, damaging vegetables and fruit trees not protected by nets. Damage caused by hail in Carpinello, in the province of Forlì-Cesena. Photo…

Ongoing rain in southern Italy risks compromising garlic quality

Things seem to be changing when it comes to garlic. "The situation is rather complicated in southern Italy due to the prolonged rain of past few weeks and to forecasts for the next few days. All of this humidity could compromise quality. We are now waiting for the next 15 days to try and assess how…

Call for flood review to prevent future risk

NSW Farmers is calling for a comprehensive, ongoing review of devastating flooding during La Nina to prevent future threats to people, property and livelihoods. Communities…

‘Climate change will impact strawberry production in Florida’

Florida farmers play a critical role in food production for the U.S., generating over $7 billion in crops, especially during the winter months. Florida’s specialty crops, like…

Recent rainfall saves the stone fruit season in Tunisia

The stone fruit season begins in Tunisia, with good volumes and quality. The industry was unaffected by the drought, says Mohamed Sadok, CEO of CarthagoExpo. "After a long period of drought, we have been blessed by recent rains, especially in the southern and central regions, which saved the stone fruit season.…

Spanish government to spend 2.2 bln euros combating impact drought

Sources say the Spanish government plans to spend 2.19 billion euros ($2.4 billion) on new water supplies, subsidies, and direct aid to farmers. The aid has become necessary…

A visit to the orchards damaged by the flood: video and photo gallery!

Maria and Antonio Gordini are crying bitter tears as they report how the flood of May 3rd 2023 swept away their orchards, damaged their home and destroyed their possessions. This happened to hundreds of families and entrepreneurs in Boncellino (Ravenna), where the Lamone river burst its banks at around…

Pakistan mango exports affected by climate change

Pakistan Fruit Exports have declined by an alarming 42 percent year-on-year (YoY) in the first 9 months of FY 2022-23 in dollar terms. Although the exports of the fruit have witnessed a 110% increase in volume between 2014 and 2021, its production has been heavily affected due to climate change and…

Increased Brazilian melon exports create tensions over water

In the Chapada do Apodi, a plateau that stretches across Rio Grande do Norte and neighbouring Ceará state, things began to change with the arrival of large melon producers in…

"We need to prioritize the use of the water available for perennial fruit crops"

Catalonia, with the province of Lleida at the head, is undoubtedly the largest apple-producing region in Spain. It accounted for 43.5% of the apples harvested nationwide in 2022 (a percentage that would rise to 51.8% if apples for cider production were not taken into account in the total), so the closure…

Possible watermelon shortage for 4th of July

While it’s a slower start for watermelons in Mexico due to the cool weather, supplies are increasing steadily. “We’re about 10 days behind but it’s steady and there’s great size and great quality,” says Dennis Peterson of Riverbend Fresh LLC. “On the earlier melons with the cooler weather, there was a…

Inconsistent supplies ahead from California following winter rains

Spring showers hitting California this week continue to add to the sporadic nature of the state’s vegetable production. “These showers are not big storms--those are behind us. However it’s been a tough spring with the weather and all those winter rains and that really hindered the industry’s ability to…

El Niño to hit 46 Filipino provinces

According to the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines, some of the country’s major crop producing regions will be hit by El Niño this year. U-Nichols Manalo, DA field…

Severe weather warnings remain in place across NZ

Heavy rains have hit Northland, Auckland and Coromandel in the weekend, with Kaikohe seeing 200 millimetres of rain in 24 hours. Severe weather warnings were earlier issued…

medFEL 2023: the drought is on everyone’s mind

The second day of medFEL 2023 was much calmer than the previous one, but one topic was present on everyone’s mind, raising concerns throughout the entire sector: the drought! The availability of water resources is a concern. The subject is not new but this year more than ever, the sector remains on alert.…

Frosts cause damage locally in Polish apple orchards, but majority is unaffected

The Polish apple season has had its challenges, but overall the season has been pretty good, Adam Malengiewicz, sales manager for Polish apple exporter Ewa-Bis, explains: “I think that the season, which will soon end, can be considered a successful one. We’ve exported an impressive number of containers.…

The frenzied search for wells to obtain irrigation water

Drought continues to be a problem in northern Italy, where rivers and reservoirs have reached minimum levels, already almost as bad as  last summer. The rainfall in winter and these first few spring months has been so low that irrigation cannot be assured. Applications for wells have increased again, but companies…

El Niño to return in 2023 following a three-year La Niña phase

The El Niño oceanographic phenomenon forecast to return in June 2023, following three years of La Niña. Dry weather conditions are expected in key cropping areas of Central America, Southern Africa and Far East Asia, while excessive rainfall and possible flooding are foreseen in Near East Asia and East…

Potatoes as a solution to counter climate-fueled hunger in Africa

Potatoes are one of the world’s most important food crops consumed by billions of people across the globe. They are becoming “an advantage crop” in the global food security…

Gamtoos vegetable farmers drive hundreds of kms daily to keep going during drought

Eight years of drought has had a “fatal impact” on vegetable production in the Eastern Cape’s Gamtoos Valley, says Noelie le Roux.“There are only two or three farmers left who plant vegetables in the Gamtoos,” he says. On his farm called Spes Bona (“we could do with some of that”, he remarks) vegetables…

Spain asks Brussels for emergency funds to combat drought

According to Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas, Spain has asked Brussels for emergency funds to help the agricultural sector cope with the ongoing drought. In a letter,…

UK growers advised to 'plan now' to preserve water supply

UK experts have urged the nation’s growers to focus on preserving water now, anticipating future dry spells. At the most recent meeting of the National Drought Group (NDG),…

Seven years of drought catch up with Gamtoos citrus orchards

Despite modest rainfall every now and then, the Gamtoos Valley’s drought is, alas, still with farmers who have now experienced six years of water restrictions. Over that period citrus and vegetable farmers  have had to make do with 40% and then 20% of their usual water allocation. It is expected that the new…

Spain might experience record-breaking April heat of 40C this week

Spain might experience see record-breaking heat this April, as forecasters are predicting temperatures of up to 40C, beating the previous high of 37.4C. The record-breaking…

"After two years like this, our entire legacy is in jeopardy"

Just a few days ago, the Commission for the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Demarcation agreed to start the irrigation campaign with a discharge of 385 hm³ for the irrigation of crops under the General Regulation System, which, as detailed by the body itself, covers more than 345,000 hectares. This amount…

The simple steps that could save $163 billion in preventable waste each year

While today’s supply chain helps to keep the world moving, it is far from perfect, with almost 8% of stock perishing or being discarded at a cost of $163 billion annually.…

New apples from University of Maryland might counter changing climate and labor shortages

University of Maryland researchers have developed what may just be the perfect apples for American growers trying to adapt to a changing world. The two new apples, a yellow and a red one are heat-tolerant, blight-tolerant, low-maintenance, easy to harvest and not least, delicious-tasting. Both have been…

Uneven supplies and higher prices on lettuce likely until June

Very choppy until the first or second week in June. This is how Mark Vaughan of Fresh Avenue says the lettuce market will look until then. “It’s going to be an unsettled market with significant swings in supply. Supplies may improve for a day or two and then it will fall off again,” he says. There are a handful…

Last week's anticyclone caused frosts at night and damage in several Spanish regions

"The anticyclone in Spain during the last days, which is responsible for the high daytime temperatures during Easter, has also caused a significant drop in temperatures during…

Spain's agricultural sector requested authorities to create a Working Group on Drought

The lack of rainfall during spring is increasing the level of plant stress and producers are increasingly more concerned about crop development, especially in the south of the…

Geological service fears that France might face worse summer drought than 2022

According to French geological service BRGM, low groundwater levels are putting France on course for a worse summer drought than last year. The nation suffered its worst…

"Many producers have abandoned the summer campaign due to the lack of rain"

Placido Perez Chuecos, the president of COAG in Lorca, stated that the lack of rain was making producers rethink the summer campaign, which focuses mainly on watermelon and…

Zagora watermelon volumes to decrease by at least 25%

Due to restrictions on watermelon production in the Moroccan region of Zagora, imposed by the local government, watermelon volumes from this region will decline significantly this season. The decision is due to the depletion of the water table and the lack of rainfall in the region. The local government,…

How companies protect their crops from frost

There are those who use under-foliage irrigation to create a micro-climate and those who prefer over-foliage anti-frost systems, pellet or wood burners, or even burners towed by tractors. Producers try to find many ways to protect their crops, FreshPlaza has witnessed it in Emilis Romagna on April 6 2023…

Frost: French fruit growers remain vigilant

“Frost was announced so we remain vigilant,” explains Anthony Oboussier, fruit grower based in the Drôme department. “Last week, we struggled at night. One night, the alarm went off at 1.45 am and the temperature was below 1°C at that time. While preparing the equipment and warning the employees, we lit…

"Last night I had to light the paraffin candles and sprinklers at 3 o'clock in the morning"

Several points of the region of Calatayud have been affected by frosts. There have been frosts in the axis of the Jalón and in several of its tributaries, such as the Jiloca…

Egyptian producers brace for heat wave threatening crops this weekend

A sudden heat wave is happening in Egypt from Friday, April 7, until Monday, April 10, causing a rapid and intense increase in temperatures, reaching a 5-10 degrees difference, and alarming the producers of several crops. According to Mr. Hesham Tantawy, nutrition expert and technical support &…

Warmer temperatures and extra acreage leads to a 'glut' of tomatoes

There’s an oversupply of tomatoes right now. “It’s an oversupply that’s almost a glut,” said Bob Spencer of West Coast Tomato, LLC, noting it’s affecting all varieties of tomatoes. There are a few reasons why tomato volume is where it’s at right now. “There have been great yields from Mexico, and there…

Californian farmland soaked, leaving nowhere to plant tomatoes

Many Californian farm fields are soaking wet.  Asparagus farmers can't get into fields to harvest their produce. Tomato growers have greenhouses bursting with seedlings but it's…

Dutch fruit growers combat frost

In the Netherlands, the fickle weather is over, and the sun is back. But, there has been light nightly frost again, Weer.nl reports. For many fruit growers, that means there is work to be done to…

Importance of collective action for responsible water management underlined by Nature’s Pride

The UN water conference in New York has resulted in a Water Action Agenda with 700 commitments to tackle the global water crisis and promote sustainable water use globally. Nature’s Pride was actively involved in the United Nations conference and looks back on a valuable water summit. Coen van Iwaarden…

Climate change is one of the main concerns of Europe's fruit and vegetable regions

The Assembly of European Fruit and Vegetable Regions, AREFLH, representing 16 regions and 38 producer organizations from 10 European countries - including the Afrucat,…

Hope for California strawberry supply to stabilize by mid-May

Strawberry supplies are really right at the moment. Florida: “Florida is on a trend downward as it usually is this time of year. Volume is around where would expect it to be,” said Nick Wishnatzki of Wish Farms. California is weeks behind where it should be this time of year,” said Nick Wishnatzki. The state…

Climate problems and lack of labor affect Sicilian agriculture

The vegetable campaign is in full swing, productions are regular and demand is peaking. Yet not everything is going as it should be, as the segment has to deal with problems that used to be unimaginable up until a few years ago. FreshPlaza has talked about it with Vittorio Gona from Alba Bio. Vittorio…