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Asparagus shortage in South Africa

South Africa has exported less from its traditional asparagus suppliers and there is a shortage of asparagus. On the Johannesburg municipal market's website an extremely low level of asparagus is reported, today sold (in 200g punnets) at R140 (6.8 euros) per kilogram. The traditional asparagus import…

U.S. exporter sends lower volumes of Mexican grown asparagus to Hong Kong and Australia

Exports of asparagus, grown in Mexico, by a U.S. exporter and sent to Hong Kong and Australia have seen lower volumes thus far, compared to previous years. According to Dan Miller, Worldwide Production Manager of Jacobs, Malcolm & Burtt (JMB): “Demand has been fair in both countries. It is all based on…

Will there be a future for mature green tomatoes in California?

At the moment, California's production of mature green tomatoes is centered in the Coachella Valley, in the very southern part of the state. "The season saw a bit of a late start," says Todd Giardina with family-owned DiMare Company. "May 18 was our first picking day." Given that the season is only a…

Special white corn variety back on the shelves

Over 10,000 variations of corn were tasted during a time frame of 22 years before George Crookham and Bruce Hobdey were happy with the results. Their variety is called Amaize™, an all-white, non-GMO sweet corn variety that was bred through traditional methods of hybridization. “Amaize has a distinct pop,…

Peruvian banana exports approaching 93,000 tons so far in 2023

This past week, Peruvian banana exports have fallen to the lowest level recorded not only this year, but also in 2022. According to data shared by the consultancy firm Fresh…

IFA

"Northern European buyers are competing for dwindling supply of old crop"

Retail sales and consumption are slightly subdued due to the weather conditions over the past two weeks. Irrigation of early Roosters is now taking place in parts of the country. Some more early Queens are reported to be coming onto the market this week. Stocks of Premier and Home Guard are clearing…

Kiwi supplies to US are steady, even with New Zealand weather events

Supplies of kiwi fruit in North America continue to be steady. “We have had a challenging New Zealand growing season this year because of various weather events putting pressure on supply globally. However the U.S. has been able to hold almost steady with its supply and we’re excited to gear up for…

Sales are down, but Māori kiwifruit growers are weathering the economic storm

Global sales of kiwifruit dropped by 15 million trays over the last two seasons. Extreme weather events that occurred in New Zealand, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, also brought…

EastFruit

Morocco: kiwifruit imports reach record high in Q1 2023

Kiwifruits, with their unique flavor, have been rapidly gaining popularity among Moroccans, and Morocco continues to increase kiwifruit imports, as reported by EastFruit. As a result, nowadays kiwifruits are among the top five fruits imported by Morocco. Morocco has a rich agricultural sector, and local farmers…

Global fruit breeding company acquires Kankun mango variety

Sun World International, LLC has acquired the Kankun™ mango variety from Diazteca, a strategic addition to its nascent mango breeding and licensing program and the first commercial Sun World mango variety available for license. The signing ceremony took place in San Diego, California on June 6th, 2023,…

Seeka to open new purpose-built seasonal worker accommodation in July 2023

New Zealand produce company Seeka, announced that it was building an accommodation facility for its Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers in September 2022 to replace the…

Thousands of tonnes of UK produce being destroyed every day

British cucumber growers have not had it easy in the last few years, and 2023 is not looking any better. “It is the perfect storm,” said Lea Stiles from Lea Valley Growers…

'Being prepared is key for achieving a competitive advantage'

The Maersk Europe Market update dated June 2023, focuses on logistics systems in all sectors: Ocean UpdateJune marks the start of summer peak period for cargo moving from Asia…

Container News

Chinese major box ports handle over 95 million TEUs in first months of 2023

Chinese container ports have handled 95.4 million TEUs in the first four months of the year, translating to a year-on-year increase of 4.8%. The ports in China have also reported over 5.2 billion tonnes of cargo between January and April of 2023, representing a rise of 7.6% compared with the same period…

Vegetable and potato processing machinery for sale

Are you operating in the vegetable or potato industry? Then the online auction of Industrial Auctions in Suhlendorf (DE) may be something for you. This auction consists of various vegetable and potato processing machines from SolaBonum GmbH. The offer ranges from washing and slicing machines to sorting…

Australia’s first double stacked container vehicle trialled at Port of Brisbane

Global logistics firm Qube Logistics successfully trialled its new Super B Double Double Stacked vehicle at the port of Brisbane in Australia, with the National Heavy Vehicle…

GlobalG.A.P. celebrated World Food Safety Day 2023

GlobalG.A.P. has celebrated the fifth World Food Safety Day, a call to action by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization…

Consumers are not willing to pay more for sustainability

Speaking last week at Hort Connection, Ben Hoodless, Interim Chief Executive of IFPA ANZ, gave some insights into the State of the Industry Future Trends Report. He said that consumer's biggest concerns were increasing costs, 48% expect the economy to worsen in the next 6 months, while 73% expect the cost…

IFPA members put advocacy into action in D.C.

For the second week, International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) members are testifying at key hearings for the produce industry. The June 7 hearing is with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics and Research…

Hort Connections 2023 horticulture awards for excellence

The Australian horticulture industry’s best and brightest have been recognised in the 2023 Horticulture Awards for Excellence, presented on Wednesday 7 June at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner in Adelaide. L-R the Hon Clare Scriven MLC, the Pirrone Brothers and Syngenta Australia New Zealand Managing…

Maritime UK appoints new Chief Executive Officer

Maritime UK, the umbrella organisation for the UK’s maritime sector, has appointed Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE as its new Chief Executive Officer. He will move over from Mersey…

The limits of a plastic covering in a weak supply chain

Climate change and the related weather phenomena are increasingly bringing focus on agricultural production systems. In May, Italy was plagued by bad weather, and while Emilia Romagna suffered more than any other region, the weather in Sicily also showed little spring-like conditions. Prolonged rainfall…

GPG signs raspberry deal for Mexico

UK-based IP company Global Plant Genetics has recently extended its representation of the raspberry varieties from James Hutton Ltd. This was by way of taking on the…

Tight supply in some apple varieties expected

A tight supply of some apple varieties could be coming. “We had a lower crop in 2022-2023 and coming up we have a later crop so it could happen. We think a few varieties could get very tight before new crop becomes available,” says Mac Riggan with Chelan Fresh, who notes that the apple category is seeing…

Metis® plum season kicks off despite the unfavorable weather conditions

The Metis® brand made its appearance in Europe almost nine years ago with only one variety present at the end of the season: Sunset Sky. Since then, the range has been expanded with four additional varieties, making it possible to offer continuity of the supply from June to November. There are three growers…

Higher volumes and strong demand for Turkish stone fruit

It’s been a strong start of the Turkish stone fruit season, Akin Soyleyen, marketing manager for Turkish exporter Aksun, states: “Looking at the first weeks of the Turkish stone fruit season, this year has started very promising. The weather was significantly cooler than it had been in the past few years…

No exports for Israel 2023 table grape harvest as Egypt market closes for them

While Egypt has totally closed the window for Israel’s 2023 table grape exports, producers and exporters are not worried due to strong local market demand. Israel’s 2023 harvest started early last month with the earliest greenhouse grown grapes being harvested. A young block of table grape vines in…

"Demand for the Gourmet herb range continues to grow"

Butler Market Gardens have been attending Hort Connections for many years and will be there again this year. The team will not have a stand this year but still intend to attend. "This is the main event for our industry, we enjoy attending the seminars to listen, learn and keep abreast of trends and new…

9th International Symposium on Walnut and Pecan

It is in Grenoble that the 9th International Symposium for Walnut and Pecan will be held. “This event takes place every 4 years, and this year is an exceptional opportunity for professionals of the French nut and pecan sector to organize it in Grenoble,” explains Jean-Marc Goachet, CTIFL's scientific and…

Photo report Hort Connection 2023

Hort Connections 2023 came to a close last night with the gala dinner and industry awards. A list of the winners can be found below. This year the exhibitors were all talking about the automation of grading and packing lines and the automation of information. Many had great orchard management systems…

Free online mini symposium on melon quality

On Friday, June 30, Normec’s produce specialists will host a free online symposium on melon quality. The melon world is continuously developing in order to have year round…

Egyptian citrus prices held up well throughout the season

As Egypt's citrus season comes to an end, growers and exporters are reporting a good year in terms of prices. Mahmoud Esawy, of exporter Al Wessam, said, "This season has been one of the best in terms of profitability." "The global shortage of citrus has directed all demand to Egypt. Major markets fell…

Rains bring citrus harvest to a halt at Yelta, Victoria

A cold front sweeping across Victoria has delivered a boost to many crop farmers. However, the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a series of severe warnings and flood watch…

If you want to prevent wrinkles, try eating some of these fruits

For those who are continually struggling with skin aging, there are some fruits that will aid them, as they increase the skin's collagen, which gives it more firmness.…

Research into sweet potatoes might help sleep-deprived parents

Researchers at the Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, are exploring whether kumara, or sweet potato, can foster healthy bacteria in baby’s microbiome, supporting…

Maersk discusses ‘Logistics 4.0: Accelerating Africa’s Digital Revolution’ at the Africa CEO Forum

A.P. Moller – Maersk has discussed and presented papers on ‘Logistics 4.0: Accelerating Africa’s Digital Revolution’ at a closed-door session with some of the top CEOs from Africa. Held on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum, the discussion was led by Darryl Judd, Regional Head for Integration and…

A solution for nurseries to combat plant pathogens and reduce mortality

Plant diseases caused by pathogens like Phytophthora, Fusarium, and Pythium pose significant challenges for growers, leading to crop losses and reduced productivity. However, an innovative solution involving the on-site generation of hydrogen peroxide has emerged as a powerful tool for mitigating these…

BBQ purple sweet potato snack awarded among the world's best candy and snack innovations

The BBQ-flavored purple sweet potato chips from the Spanish brand Genuine Coconut have won the third prize for Best Innovation at the international fair ISM 2023, the world's largest trade fair for candy and snacks, held in Cologne, Germany, in recent days. "This award is given by an international jury of…

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Rwanda govt. secures funding to reduce post-harvest losses

The government, through Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), has secured $1.3 million (approximately Rwf1.5 billion) from partners to support the development of a cold chain system. The primary goal of this initiative is to reduce post-harvest losses and improve cold-chain infrastructure,…

Urgent recall of Fruit Perfections and KO Food Australia Enoki mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms are being recalled from stores in three states due to fears they have been contaminated with listeria. The mushrooms from brands Fruit Perfections and KO Food Australia are being recalled over incorrect use by dates that increase the risk of the dangerous disease. “Listeria monocytogenes…

Mintec

Lacklustre US almond shipments expected for May

Market participants surveyed by Mintec in the last week of May were expecting lacklustre shipments and new sales ahead of the May position report, which is due for release on 9th June. Estimates for May almond shipments were reported in the range of 180-205 million pounds, with most market participants…

Australian shoppers upset over individually-wrapped cucumbers at Woolworths

Editor James Massola from Nine Newspapers National Affairs drew attention to the sale of individually-wrapped cucumbers at Woolworths in a tweet on Saturday, commending the…

NZ produce industry ushers in Sustainability Guidelines to meet pressing UN deadline

This week United Fresh launches its Sustainability Guidelines, a significant body of work designed to assist fresh fruit and vegetable value chain organisations throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to make mean…