Global Focus Melons/Kiwifruit

South African yellow kiwis, conventional and organic, hit sweet spot in an early market

Yellow kiwis from South Africa have a six week window before fruit from New Zealand or Chile are sent to market. This year the campaign had an attenuated end as New Zealand came into the market quicker than expected, but the yellow kiwi industry is pleased with a season during which a number of…

Developed by Seminis

Bayer CropScience introduces a new variety of Charentais melon

A few days ago, the "Vegetable" division of Bayer CropScience presented the new early Charentais melon characterized by a very red flesh, called "SV9790MC" and marketed by Seminis®. The presentation took place in a two-day timeframe in Licata and Palma di Montechiaro, in Sicily. The locations that were…

Morocco, Spain, France

Predictions for the 2019 Charentais melon harvest

At MedFEL, Catherine Taussig of APREL, presented the 2019 predictions for the Charentais melon harvest in Morocco, Spain and France. Important conclusions Generally speaking, the surfaces have not evolved much. There is a slight decrease in France and Morocco and a slight increase in Spain. The favorable…

Bumper summer for watermelon farmers

If anyone happens to pass by the land of Al-Amin, a farmer in Galachipa upazila, he or she cannot help but see coloured watermelons lying on a plot of agricultural land. It is a marvellous sight bound to make people stop. Last year, Al-Amin planted hybrid watermelons on an experimental basis on one acre…

Florida watermelons wait for warmer weather to boost demand

Watermelon supplies are waiting for the weather to warm up to kick-start summer demand. “Right now supplies are very strong but demand is on the weaker side. It’s not normally like this,” says Andy McDonald of Sweet Life Farms in Plant City, Fl. “But in the Northern part of the United States, it’s been…

After slow start, watermelon volume is ramping up in US

The US watermelon season has made a good start in terms of production, with Florida's fruit quality reportedly high, despite some minor disease pressure. Imports of Mexican fruit were slow to get started but supply has rallied and are now strong. "We are finally getting a good flow of watermelons now…

US cantaloupe season starting up

Over the next week, the first cantaloupe of the California season will be harvested in the Imperial Valley. Up until now, the majority of supply into the US has been from Mexico and other parts of Central America. Florida is also in the process of starting their season, signaling the beginning of the US domestic season which…

Great start to US watermelon season

The domestic watermelon season in the United States has started on a positive note, with plenty of volume out of Florida kicking in. Production is currently concentrated in South and Central Florida, while Texas and North Florida are preparing to start their seasons very shortly. Volumes are expected to…

Seeka's kiwifruit harvest in full swing

Seeka's kiwifruit harvest is in full swing across both New Zealand and Australia with the company cautiously assessing the effect of the dry summer with both countries experiencing hot dry conditions. Rainfall in New Zealand was unseasonably low through the first quarter, and in Australia, Shepparton was…

AgricolliBio produces organic golden kiwis in South Africa

The first two containers of Violea golden kiwifruits from South Africa reached the warehouses of AgricolliBio last week. The produce passed the checks with flying colors and presented excellent firmness and Brix levels. In 2014, the producer and exporter - one of the top organic kiwifruit players on an…

Chilean kiwifruit import season off to strong start

Chilean kiwifruit has been arriving in the US for several weeks now, heralding the end of the California season. Importers say the season has begun strongly, with good volumes and quality helping to move the market along. This is in contrast to some seasons when early Chilean arrivals are sometimes not…

Ricardo Vallespín, of Líder Villaconejos:

"The markets are looking forward to receiving Spanish melons"

The Spanish Piel de Sapo melon harvest is about to start in the greenhouses of Almería. The main operators are now working with the last volumes from Senegal, since the Brazilian production has already run out. "Most of the melons marketed at the moment come from Senegal, since the rainy season has…

Nogales shipper now offering organic watermelons

The Sykes Company has announced it has expanded its organic program and is now offering organic red seedless watermelon to its customers in the U.S. and Canada. The watermelons are USDA Organic certified by Oregon Tilth. “After a lot of work on the part of our grower-partners our melons have been…

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