Waitrose & Partners Foundation helps farming communities with expansion into Senegal and The Gambia

More farming communities across the globe will benefit directly from customer purchases thanks to Waitrose & Partners Foundation (WPF), which today launches in Senegal and…

Fiji farmers welcome Agriculture Minister's comments on boosting markets

Mahendra Reddy's is Fiji’s Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, Waterways and Environment. His recent statement about boosting markets for produce was very much have welcomed by many of his nation’s farmers. Fiji farmers incur many losses because they are unable to sell all their products. "The unsold…

$400,000 to support Australian apple, pear and cherry growers reducing energy costs

More than 20 South Australian apple, pear and cherry growers are set to benefit from a $400,000 State Government grant for new infrastructure aimed at reducing on-farm energy costs. The Apple and Pear Growers Association of South Australia (APGASA) is being offered up to $400,000 through the State Government’s Regional Growth…

Philip van Geest, Van Geest International:

"I still can't imagine Brexit causing a heap of trouble for fruit and veg exports"

On 29 March, the Brits will officially leave the European Union. Working groups, meetings, and lobbies aside, Philip van Geest is not too concerned yet. Van Geest is a Dutch…

Price of Turkish peppers and tomatoes cut by half

The Turkish government has launched a project to sell cheaper fruit and vegetables directly from municipalities to consumers. As a result, prices have fallen by half, reports the local newspaper Yeni Safak, cited by BTA. The aim of the measure is to fight food speculation in the country. The Turkish…

Spain: Solutions requested for shortage of strawberry pickers

While 23,000 jobs have been offered by the Andalusian Employment Service (SAE) to work in the strawberry harvest, only about 1,000 people have responded, which means that only…

Paul Tomlinson - Davis Worldwide

"Supermarkets will have to take a look at their margins and may no longer be able to dictate to the market"

As the Brexit deadline approaches, people in the UK are being told to stock up on toilet rolls and soup! But the general feeling within the trade, especially for bigger companies, is to just to wait and see what will happen. The general feeling at the recent Fruit Logisitca in Berlin was to prepare the…

"Successful brand structure and promotion are key to market success"

"The annual import volume of fruit into China has been around 4 million tons in the last 3 years. The average annual fruit import value was around 5.5 billion USD. This volume, however, only accounts for 3%-5% of the volume in China's fruit market. There is still great potential for imported fruit in the…

UK getting ready for horticultural trade after no-deal Brexit

Last Wednesday, the British Government updated the information on "How to import and export plants and plant products if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union (EU) in March 2019 without any agreement." The guide has been prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the British…

EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and Investment Protection Agreement approved

Last week, the European Parliament approved the EU's free trade agreement with Singapore, which could enter into force later this year, and the investment protection…

In first three months after March 29th

No-Deal Brexit could cost grocery sector billions

According to an analysis by operational improvement specialist Newton, the UK grocery industry could lose up to £4.5 billion of revenue in the three months after Brexit if retailers and manufacturers are not prepared by 29 March. The figure is based on an estimated 20% additional gaps on supermarket shelves due to…

Chinese Ministry of Agriculture

Inefficient market connectivity reason for "roller coaster" vegetable prices last year

Tang Ke, the Bureau Chief of Market Intelligence in the Ministry of Agriculture, recently stated during a routine press conference that the violent fluctuation of vegetable…

Argentina: Blueberry producers celebrate lowering of the non-taxable minimum for employer charges

"The measure announced by the president is very good," said Alejandro Pannunzio, the president of the Blueberry Producers Association of the Mesopotamia, Argentina, about the increase of the non-taxable minimum for the payment of employer charges. The announcement of the lowering of the non-taxable minimum for employer…

Peru will be able to export more easily to Mexico

The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) said that, since the Electronic Certification of Origin has been enabled, Peruvian exporters now had more facilities to…

California and New York

PACA violators restricted from operating in produce industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural…

Chile: Bown takes up vice presidency of SHAFFE

The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) chose Dr. Konanani Liphadzi, the CEO of Fruit South Africa, as the new President of the Association, and…

Objective: To prevent agricultural products from losing their value

France sets limits to commercial promotions at points of sale

Since January 1, the "Ordinance on sales at a loss and the organization of food product promotions" has come into force in France. It regulates, among other aspects, the promotion of food products at the points of sale. The objective is to prevent these products from losing their value. According to the French Ministry…

Costa Rica reaches an agreement with Mexico on avocado

After almost four years of conflict, the Government of Costa Rica and the Mexican authorities reached an agreement on the conflict that prevented the entry of Mexican avocados…

Brexit: 50,000 jobs at stake in France

According to a German study, more than 600,000 jobs could be lost in the world, including 50,000 jobs in France, in case of a Brexit without agreement on March 29th. Negotiations between London…

Agreement with Singapore set to give a boost to EU-Asia trade

The trade and investment agreements between the EU and Singapore have today received the approval of the European Parliament. The Parliament has also given its green light to…

Free Trade Agreement top of mind in EU meeting

A New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement was top of mind in discussions today between Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and the EU’s Commissioner for Agriculture…

The EC warns it is essential to be ready for a no-deal Brexit

The member of the negotiating team of the European Commission for Brexit, Celine Gauer, explained this Monday in Madrid that the EU is confident in its capacity to reach an…

VegetablesWA responds to North Wanneroo Agriculture and Water Taskforce recommendations

VegetablesWA remains concerned about proposed changes to water supply targets for growers in the North Wanneroo Agricultural region. The North Wanneroo Agriculture and Water Taskforce last…

Marni Fruit warns of Polish fraudster pretending to be their agent

Marni Fruit warns colleagues in the fruit and vegetable sector about a fraudster, pretending to be an agent from Marni Fruit: "This woman, Anna Barska, has placed an order for…

Mexico agrees to resolve the avocado dispute with Costa Rica outside the WTO

Last weekend, Mexico agreed to postpone the composition of a panel of arbitrators at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to resolve the dispute over the Hass avocado trade with Costa Rica, which opens a new space in which both countries can solve the confrontation. This was confirmed on Monday, February 11, by…

Australia: $400,000 support for apple, pear and cherry growers to curb energy costs

More than 20 South Australian apple, pear and cherry growers are set to benefit from a AU$400,000 government grant for new infrastructure that is aimed at reducing on-farm energy costs. The Apple and Pear Growers Association of South Australia (APGASA) is being offered up to $400,000 through the State Government’s Regional Growth…

Moroccan Agriculture Minister tours Costa farm

A delegation led by the Moroccan Minister of Agriculture toured the Costa Berry farm at Corindi on February 9 as part of a two-week visit to Australia that included New South…

Extension of tariff preferences of the Association Agreement to the Sahara

EU-Morocco agreement comes into force

The agreement between the EU and Morocco to extend the tariff preferences of the Association Agreement to the productions of the Sahara is now in force. This follows the…

The difficulties to close the EU-Mercosur agreement

Uruguay: "We are what Europe says it wants, but not what it buys"

The difficulties tin closing a commercial agreement between the EU and Mercosur are complicating Uruguay's citrus and blueberry exports to the European bloc, according to…

FDA issues Final Guidance on Voluntary Food Recalls

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced new plans, via the issuing of final guidance, for how the agency will issue public warnings about voluntary…

Unifying brands and logos of different operators

French fruit and veg sector adopts an environmental certification system

France's fruit and vegetable sector has begun to adhere to the HVE (High Environmental Value) environmental certification system for agricultural holdings created by the…

Polish Ministry of Agriculture wants to promote organic production

The organic food market in Poland is in a constant state of crisis. The production volume is not increasing and the market is growing basically through the rise of imports. Although the organic agricultural production is growing, a large part of it is exported in the form of raw materials to France or…

City Council prefers to get investor on board instead of city financing

Start of negotiations for the construction of the Munich Wholesale Market

The municipal committee has today given an advisory vote to the municipal department to enter into negotiations with a large tenant on the wholesale market area. It has to do with the conclusion of a leasehold agreement for the construction and operation of a new wholesale market hall on their leased…

EU to invest 191.6 M€ in agricultural product promotion

The European Commission (EC) is now accepting applications for promotional programs for agricultural products in the EU and outside the EU for 2020, to be co-funded by the EC.…

Region of Murcia

Spain: Up to 30% of grape and stone fruit exports threatened by Brexit

The fruit sector of the Region of Murcia, especially stone fruit producers in Cieza and grape exporters, is facing quite an uncertain situation due to the upcoming Brexit, as…

Chile and the United Kingdom sign an agreement that will protect exporters

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Ampuero, and the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Chile, Jamie Bowden, signed on Wednesday in Santiago, a bilateral trade instrument that will serve as a safeguard, following the eventual exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, for national…

US: Support for states to improve agricultural marketing efforts

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that $1 million in matching grant funding is available for the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP). This…

Costa Rica can continue to export organic products to Europe

Costa Rica will maintain its third country status with the European Union (EU), after the agency began an audit in 2016 to evaluate the system of accreditations of organic…

Peru: Senasa establishes the phytosanitary requirements for the export of asparagus

The director of plant health in Senasa has established phytosanitary requirements for asparagus exports after the country's asparagus shipments raised phytosanitary and…

Spain: Ministry of Agriculture wants stable budget to help the sector

Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) have defended the Department's budgets in Congress, considering them sufficient to help the sector…

Council of Ministers approves extension of tariff preferences of Association Agreement

This week, the Council of Ministers of Agriculture has decided that it will allow the tariff preferences of the Association Agreement between Morocco and the EU to be extended to Western Sahara, after approval in the European Parliament on January 16, 2019. According to the Council, "the amendment of the Agreement complies…

UK and Chile sign continuity agreement

The UK and Chile have signed a new trade continuity agreement. This trade continuity agreement will see British businesses and consumers benefiting from preferential trading…

USDA awards $200 million through agricultural trade promotion program funding

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $200 million to 57 organizations through the Agricultural Trade…

Fieldin signs cooperation agreement to help Argentina growers fend off pests and diseases

Fieldin has signed a cooperation agreement with the Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) to help protect the Argentina citrus industry from…

$200 mln. in total awarded by USDA

Washington Apples receive $8.4 million in trade mitigation funds

The Washington Apple Commission will be receiving $8,457,600 through the USDA Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) Program funding. The ATP program, funded at $200 million, will…

French company specialises in wholesale market management

Egypt: France’s Rungis to develop its wholesale markets

The Egyptian government, represented by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, signed a cooperation protocol with Rungis, the largest French company specializing in the management of wholesale markets in Europe. The goal is to rehabilitate and develop the markets of vegetables and fruits in Egypt. Minister of Supply…

Farmers and Ranchers need USMCA

The following statement can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “Farmers need the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and the sooner the better. U.S.…

Justin Leonard - Jackie Leonard & Sons

“If it is a hard Brexit things will just come to a standstill"

The fresh produce trade is very slow in Dublin this week according to Justin Leonard from Jackie Leonard & Sons. “Trade is poor, the weather is very cold and everyone is…

Romania introducing measures to promote domestic product consumption

€100 million will be invested by the Romanian Government in order to stimulate the development of its agro-infrastructure. The end goal is to promote the consumption of local…

China launching food tracking system in 58 cities

China's Ministry of Commerce announced that a food tracking system for 86,000 companies and 524,000 traders had been established in 58 large and small Chinese cities across…

Philippines:

Agriterra and LCDFI sign MOA to boost agricultural cooperative business growth and expansion

After a series of meetings and exchanges to develop a partnership program that will make agricultural cooperatives bankable and improve services to their members, Agriterra and the Landbank Countryside Development Foundation, Inc. (LCDFI) signed a memorandum of agreement on the empowerment of…

The analysis by OI Pera

What is wrong with the Italian pear market?

The 2019 Interprofessionale Pera conference was the occasion to reflect on the state of the pear sector, which does not look very good nowadays. This situation does not refer to the…

USDA restricts PACA violator in South Dakota from operating in the produce industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on a produce business for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities…

Spain: El Dulze Growers recognized as PO by Council of Agriculture

The Council of Agriculture of Murcia has recognized a new Producers' Organization (PO), El Dulze Growers, which is mainly devoted to the production of different types of lettuce and aromatic plants. On Tuesday, Councillor Miguel Angel del Amor, together with the mayor of San Javier, José Miguel Luengo,…

Minister Lees-Galloway to review seasonal worker scheme

Labor problems at New Zealand’s Hawke's Bay orchards

The New Zealand government has promised a review of its seasonal worker scheme. It is a response to claims it isn't doing enough to address a worker shortage in the horticultural industry. National's Hawke's Bay-based horticulture spokesman Lawrence Yule has been calling on the government to declare a…

Sicily can now finally export to China

"The signature from the Ministry for Agricultural, Environmental and Forestry Policy and of Tourism makes the possibility of air transport official for the export of citrus fruit to China. It is the last formal step that makes this new opportunity for Sicilian citrus fruit production truly effective,"…

Spain wants to curtail citrus exports from Egypt and Turkey to EU

The Valencian Association of Agricultural Producers (AVA-ASAJA) has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to take the necessary steps for the launch of a process aimed at the future application of a safeguard clause against citrus fruits from countries such as Egypt and Turkey. The reason for this is the…

China – Zimbabwe: Multi-billion projects planned

According to senior diplomats from both countries, China has lined-up several multi-sectoral billion dollar investment projects for Zimbabwe for this year, covering mining, manufacturing, steel and hospitality sectors. In a joint interview with Zimbabwe Independent , the acting Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe, Zhao Baogang,…

Ukraine could export greenhouse tomatoes to the UAE and Saudi Arabia in summer

Ukraine currently exports hardly any vegetables to the countries of the Middle East, despite the fact that there are opportunities for this and the markets are extremely…

Spain: Export figures to the UK are already negative

Almeria's agricultural sector is one of the most concerned ahead of the immediate future of the country's commercial relations with the United Kingdom, given the possibility of a hard Brexit, as this would result in the UK being considered a third country from March 30. If this ends up happening, there is a…

U.S. Agriculture Department to reopen all farm agency offices

On Tuesday, the U.S. Agriculture Department said it will reopen all Farm Service Agency offices on January 24 to offer services to farmers and ranchers during the partial…

USDA restricts PACA violators in Florida and New York from operating in the produce industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural…

Russia to double the import of Turkish tomatoes

Turkey has the opportunity to increase its tomato exports to the Russian market. The Russian government is planning to purchase over 100,000 tons of Turkish tomatoes in 2019, according to fruchtportal.de. Citing the Interfax agency and government sources, Fruchtportal.de reports that trade relations between Russia and…

Argentina: Apple and pear producers are unable to pay salary increase

The Federation of Fruit Producers of Rio Negro and Neuquen presented a request to the Secretary of Labor of the Nation not to approve the 42% salary increase for harvesters of…

Tanzania: Minister urges Zanzibar hoteliers to buy local produce

Rashid Ali Juma, Tanzania's Minister for Agriculture, Natural Resources, Livestock and Fisheries, is encouraging Zanzibar hotel owners to source their food from local…

COAG regrets that Spanish vegetables suffer the consequences of EU-Morocco geopolitical agreements

The Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Cattle Ranchers (COAG) strongly criticized the position adopted by the MEPs who were in favor of extending the commercial advantages that Moroccan exports to the EU have to the productions of Western Sahara. This approval clearly harms the interests of…

Romania: Government to invest €100 million to streamline wholesale agri market

Through its trade house Unirea, Romania’s government has pledged to invest up to €100 million for the development of the nation's agri-business infrastructure. The aim is…

Spain: Valencian citrus growers protest with orange vests

The disastrous citrus campaign currently underway in Castellon and the Region of Valencia has again resulted in producers taking the streets on Monday. The organization that called the protests, the Platform for the Dignity of the Llaurador, says that this is already "the worst campaign in decades" for…

US shutdown could delay plans to stop fake organic imports

The US government shutdown is stalling plans to block fraudulent imports of organic produce. The 2018 farm bill instructed the US Department of Agriculture to develop and…

First automated online and offline fruit trade platform in Jiangxi opens for business

The first automated trade platform for Taiwanese fruit in Jiangxi Province opened for business in Nanchang on January 19th, 2019. Traders from Chile, Australia, New Zealand,…

Australia expands Pacific Labour Scheme to win influence in region

On Jan. 17, as Canberra expands a regional labour scheme in a bid to win favor with its neighbors amid rising competition from China, Fijians will be allowed to work in…

Avocado lawsuit will cost Costa Rica $500,000 dollars

The Minister of Foreign Trade (Comex), Dyala Jimenez Figueres, confirmed on Wednesday that the famous avocado lawsuit, which began in 2015 and is now in the World Trade Organization (WTO), would cost the country ¢ 300 million colones. Jimenez Figueres preferred not to comment on whether his predecessors were responsible…

Logistics chaos if customs controls are reinstated

Spain: Murcia fears compulsory inspections of 500,000 tons of products post Brexit

The outcome of Brexit is increasingly unpredictable, although every day that passes, companies foresee new complications in exports to the United Kingdom. The rejection by the British Parliament of the plan agreed with Brussels has raised the fears in the Region of Murcia for a hard Brexit, which would…

India: Maharashtra government plans fruit export market for fruits

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state of Maharashtra has come up with a plan of promoting agri-businesses. It will have a ₹35 billion (€432 mln) project…

During Government shutdown

USDA to reopen FSA offices for limited services

Today, US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that many Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices will reopen temporarily in the coming days to perform certain limited…

$1.3 million debt waiver is boost for South Australia’s hail-ravaged apple growers

South Australia’s hail-stricken apple and pear industry will receive a $1.3 million lifeline after the State Government agreed to waive a growers’ co-operative debt. Lenswood Cold Stores Co-operative Society chairman Iain Evans said the debt write-off was great news for Adelaide Hills growers, who had faced two years…

Theresa May survives no confidence vote

British Prime Minister Theresa May survived a vote of no confidence this week after her Brexit plan was voted down. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn filed the motion…

US: Employees at USDA recalled to help with farm loans & taxes

On Thursday, the US Department of Agriculture reopened about 980 Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices for three days starting to help process farm loans and tax documents during…

Spain: Producers request citrus fruits be included in the aid package

The Association of Producer Organizations integrated in the Citrus Management Committee (AOPCC) was informed by unofficial channels that Valencia's Ministry of Agriculture…

Australia & New Zealand compete for harvest workers

Australia and New Zealand are facing the same problem: we are both very short of workers for harvesting fruit and vegetables. This issue will not go away in the immediate or medium-term future and it will require some assistance from government. Low unemployment in many parts of the country, where there…

Recommendations by the Coviro nursery farm

Italy: Varietal selection is crucial for asparagus

In a few days, the nursery farming company Coviro (Cervia, Ravenna) will kick off the marketing of the new produce. The business is specialised in the production and marketing of asparagus. The marketing manager Marcello Sbrighi and the marketing technician Nicola Bernabini analysed the nursery farm’s…

EU tightens import rules for some fruits, vegetables & nuts

The European Commission has updated the list of imported products subject to official controls, including the frequency of checks. Black pepper from Brazil and crushed or ground Capsicum from…

Ghana: Some 27,000 farmers benefit from sustainable land and water management

About 27,000 farmers from Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions have benefited from Sustainable Land and Water Management Project (SLWMP) funded by Global Environment Facility and World Bank to increase agriculture production and forest conservation. The SLWMP, which is currently operating in 12 districts of the…

Guarding against Fall Army Worm

Kenyan exporters face new UAE regulations

Exporters of Kenya’s fresh produce to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face the risk of being deregistered if they fail to comply with the latest demands to prove their produce…

Russia abolishes import duties on fruit and vegetable imports from Moldova

The Russian government has passed a decree on the abolition of duties on imports of Moldovan fruit and wine products in 2019, said the President of the Republic, Igor Dodon. We are…

Syria starts shipping citrus fruits to Russia

The Syrian government has started shipping citrus fruits to Russia through the ports of the Crimea, which is the shortest route possible between the two countries, as reported…

Spain has lost over 180 million consumers in Russia

Spain: La Unión Extremadura demands plan to eliminate 500 hectares of peaches and nectarines

La Unión Extremadura has asked the regional government for a plan to voluntarily eliminate 500 hectares of peach and nectarine plantations in order to compensate for the loss of the Russian market." Such a plan should be funded with de minimis aid provided by both the autonomous region and the Ministry. In…

Retail NZ welcomes Nathan Guy Bill on Food Contamination

Retail NZ has applauded National MP Nathan Guy for proposing a Member’s Bill that will create stronger penalties for deliberate food contamination. “Following on from the many recent incidents…

With German Business School FEDA Madrid and German Chamber of Commerce in Spain

SanLucar promotes dual training in wholesale & foreign trade management

The SanLucar company, and the German dual training model of German Business School FEDA Madrid, bring the tailor-made education for future professionals in wholesale and foreign trade to Spain for the first time. In September 2019, the premises of the premium brand for fruit and vegetables turn into a school providing vocational…

Granfrutta Zani takes stock

Italy: Optimistic expectations for Italian winter fruits

The Italian winter fruit marketing did not go as well as expected, but it will recover within a few weeks, hopefully. These are the thoughts of Raffaele Bucella, Italy marketing manager for Granfrutta Zani. He took stock of the pear, kiwi and apple situations. Bucella stated, “I believe that the pear marketing will recover…

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Provincial Pakistani government plans to grow fruit & vegetables on 18,000 acres

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the four administrative provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-western region of the country along the Afghanistan border with. The Khyber…

The new EU Regulations take effect

Less copper for crop protection

More restrictive regulations on the use of copper for crop protection. In a few years, it could be completely banned. On the first of January, the new EU regulations started taking effect, and consequently the restrictions regarding both the organic and the integrated. When we called Michelangelo Garaffoni, a technician for the Europfruit PO,…

South Africa: Finance schemes announced to help expand fruit industry

Unique partnerships in the South African deciduous fruit industry bring authentic agricultural growth The South African deciduous fruit industry, the Jobs Fund, and Land Bank…

Bangladesh: Saline Farming building first training center for development of saline agriculture

The Saline Farming, Lal Teer Seed Ltd and ICCO have signed a cooperation agreement to set up a training centre near Bagerhat, Bangladesh. This training facility will be used to test crops for salt tolerance and to show and develop agricultural techniques. The research results will be used for the project…

Sierra Leone Project

Communications and intelligence are the main principles guiding COLEACP

The Comité de liaison Europe-Afrique-Caraïbes-Pacifique is committed to continuous improvement for its members, placing people at the centre to facilitate learning and…

Interview to Marino Silva, Zespri's Italy Market Manager

Zespri System: the operating model that supports kiwi production

In order to take stock of the 2018 southern hemisphere kiwi campaign and the expectations for the 2018/19 season in the northern hemisphere, FreshPlaza interviewed Marino Silva, Zespri’s Italy Market Manager. Marino Silva With regard to the decreased Italian kiwi production, the manager confirms, “Climatic conditions reduced the expected volumes…

Internationalization is not just exporting, it is going a step further

Spain: Cooperatives more suited to start internationalization process

Agri-food cooperatives, just like other companies in the sector, are increasingly forced to pursue internationalization processes that can help them expand their markets. To do this, it is necessary to have knowledge about the problems that both cooperatives and companies can encounter while trying to…

UK farming industry urges MPs to take action to avoid no-deal Brexit

The four UK farming unions (NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and Ulster Farmers’ Union) have urged MPs to take all the necessary steps for the UK to avoid a no-deal Brexit, which…

‘Defending Domestic Produce Production Act’

Proposed US legislation targets imports from Mexico

Every year, millions of tons of fresh produce cross the border from Mexico into the US. Now, legislators in Florida are proposing a bill they say would protect US produce growers from unfair Mexican trade practices. Opponents say it would be bad for consumers. The bill was proposed last week by Republican Senator Rubio…

CABI updates International Soft Fruit Conference on fight against devastating invasive fruit fly

CABI scientist Dr Lukas Seehausen has updated delegates at the International Soft Fruit Conference in s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, on the very latest research in the fight against the devastating fruit fly Drosophila suzukii. Dr Seehausen, a research scientist in risk analysis and invasion ecology based at…

Xinjiang reduces agricultural damage by modifying weather

Recently, north-west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has adopted weather modification practices to protect its vast farmland from natural disasters - mainly…

Jersey: Brexit threatens Channel Island’s supply of fresh produce

The import of fresh produce to Jersey is under ‘serious threat’ post-Brexit, a leading retailer has warned, as the Island’s farms and supermarkets consider stockpiling goods…

Spain: Ministry of Finance getting companies ready for hard Brexit

The Spanish Tax Agency and the Department of Customs and Special Taxes have sent a notification to exporting companies to inform them that if no agreement is reached for a…

AU: Expanded labour options, but some new laws too

A lot has changed on the labour front since last harvest. Rob Hayes, Victorian State Manager of the National Harvest Labour Information Service (NHLIS) provides an update on changes to labour law, labour-hire licensing and visa flexibility and a word of advice to growers to take care they know and comply…

Chile: More protests in the port of Valparaiso

Two weeks after port workers and the Government reached an agreement, there are riots and barricades once again in the Chilean port of Valparaiso. According to Portal Portuario, the Chilean port industry's main specialized media platform: "The protests are linked to the discomfort of a fraction of…

EU: Agriculture Commission of EP analyses application of competition rules

The Agriculture Commission of the European Parliament is holding its first meeting of 2019 on Monday, 7 January. A number of items are on the agenda, including an analysis of…

Communication strategies should be contextually relevant

The market tends increasingly towards a fierce global competition. It is unthinkable to produce and do business with one’s own territory only, this would mean to slow down, if not to stop, the growth of the company. Salvo Garipoli In order to better understand the dynamics that regulate a company’s correct market placement, we contacted Salvo…

New Zealand: Māori kiwifruit orchard takes action to attract more fruit pickers

In an attempt to attract more fruit pickers to address the anticipated shortfall of workers during harvest that starts in March, a Tauranga-based Māori kiwifruit orchard is determined to take action. Ngāi Tukairangi Trust Orchard trustee Carlo Ellis says they want to avoid loses. Ellis says it’s about being ready for…

Spain: Dissatisfaction with new insurance measures for table grapes

In the period from 1984 to 2017, the agricultural insurance for table grapes in the province of Alicante recorded an incident rate of 118.13%; however, the Agricultural…

Spain: Growers demand end of EU-South Africa agreement

Representatives of the political party Compromís and of Valencian agricultural organizations met last Thursday at the headquarters of the former in order to discuss the…

US senator Rubio introduces bill to protect Florida agriculture

Last Thursday, US senator Marco Rubio re-introduced legislation to give producers of seasonal fruits and vegetables standing to seek trade remedy relief against Mexico through…

Getting seasonal workers to come to the UK

"Web-based direct recruitment model is the way forward"

Some may say its not the best time to be starting up a seasonal labour recruitment firm in the UK with Brexit and all the uncertainties surrounding it, or is it just the…

Spain: 19,179 seasonal workers hired at origin for Huelva's campaign

The Spanish Ministry of Labor, Migration and Social Security has authorized the hiring at origin of 19,179 seasonal workers for the agricultural campaign in the province of…

Prices of products like cucumbers plunge

Spain: Asaja demands prevention and crisis management measures

ASAJA has asked for the enforcement of prevention and crisis management measures in order to prevent the collapse of the prices of some products, as has been the case of cucumbers in recent weeks. The associations of producer organizations play a fundamental role in production planning, marketing and crisis prevention and…

Spain

Diversification of fresh fruit and veg exports outside Europe, priority for 2019

The Spanish export of fresh fruits and vegetables to non-European countries has been reduced by 11% in terms of volume and by 13% in terms of value compared to the same period…

Portuguese dockworkers about to launch new six-month strike

Portugal’s dockworkers’ trade union Sindicato dos Estivadores e da Atividade Logística (SEAL) has presented notice of strikes at national ports for six months, between January 16 and July 1. The stevedores demand the resolution of ‘anti-union practices in the various Portuguese ports’. According to the notice sent…

Following Brexit

NFU President calls on government to deliver for food and farming

NFU President Minette Batters will today challenge the government to live up to its responsibilities to ensure that Britain has a robust supply of safe, traceable and…

Eduardo Ledesma, executive director of AEBE

Ecuador: The challenges of the banana sector in 2019

Eduardo Ledesma, the Executive Director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), spoke about the most fundamental aspects that will affect the banana sector in 2019. Internal and external formality This implies affiliating all banana workers to the Social Security system. The sector needs to achieve…

Ecuador: Bill to regulate production and commercialization of bananas is ready

The National Assembly's report for the first debate of the bill that regulates the production and commercialization of bananas, plantain, and other related Musaceae, adjusting the procedures and requirements to improve the commercial exchange and business of the banana sector, is ready. The project, which has 63…

US: Californian farm workers now eligible for overtime

Starting January 1st, Californian farm workers are now eligible to receive overtime pay. Many advocacy groups say this is long overdue, but some in the agricultural community caution this could cause a rise in the costs of fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. For Santa Maria farm worker Reina Mendoza, her workday…

Euro celebrates its 20th birthday

The euro, Europe's common currency, turns 20 on 1 January 2019. Exactly 20 years ago, on 1 January 1999, 11 EU countries launched a common currency, the euro, and introduced a…

Ending trade conflict, Israel and PA lift bans on each other’s produce

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have reversed bans on each other’s fruit and vegetable imports, ending a short-lived trade conflict. Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel ordered authorities not…

Export, import and balance dropped (-12.5%)

Italy: Fruitimprese points out competitiveness concerns Italian horticultural sector

Fruitimprese shared data regarding the first 9 months of marketing abroad Italian produce. Both the export (-12.2% quantity and -3.5% value) and the import (-1% quantity and -1.6% value) dropped. The economic balance is positive (522 million euros, -12.5% compared to September 2017) while the volume is…

Spain: Ministry of Agriculture looks into maritime access to new markets

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has led a logistics study to analyze the viability of maritime transport to access new export markets for the country's fruit. The focus has been on the transit times between Spain and the markets considered of most interest, especially Brazil,…

APHIS’ 2018 accomplishments support american producers and protect U.S. agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is celebrating the agency’s many successful efforts over the past year in…

Chinese import from Japan increases during Sino-American trade war

The protected trade policy of the USA this year affected global trade. This offered great opportunities for Sino-Japanese trade. Data from the General Administration of…

First in India: Maharashtra appoints officers to facilitate trade outside state

The Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) has appointed six officers as its representatives outside the state to facilitate trade in semi-perishable…

AHDB:

The effect of Brexit on the EU agricultural budget

AHDB have been working behind the scenes since the referendum results to analyse the impact Brexit will have on UK agriculture. However, Brexit will also affect the remaining EU 27. In this article, we look at some of the budgetary issues the EU will be considering, with the loss of one of its largest contributors. How will…

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