New UN-backed framework to boost agricultural trade between African nations

According to the UN agency, the initiative will help “unlock the potential” of the agricultural sector to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth across the continent, and promote the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement that began in January, establishing the world’s largest…

Western Growers launches Global Harvest Automation Initiative

Western Growers is spearheading a Global Harvest Automation Initiative to accelerate harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, with a goal of automating 50 percent of harvest within 10 years. “For well over a decade, our members have struggled with a dwindling number of available workers. If we…

Fruit Growers Tasmania welcomes Liberal plans to accelerate agriculture

Fruit Growers Tasmania has welcomed the announcement by the Tasmanian Liberal Party to increase investments in Tasmania’s agricultural sector and strengthen its resilience…

NZ Young Farmers

The importance of balancing traditional methods and innovation in the future of the NZ farming industry

Young people entering today's farming industry need to have an understanding of technology and science and be open to embracing innovation and change, according to the New Zealand industry body NZ Young Farmers (NZYF). Chief Executive Officer Lynda Coppersmith told the MobileTECH Ag conference in Rotorua…

Incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables

USDA invests more than $330 million in specialty crops grants

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of more than $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations in the food supply chain…

AgroFresh appoints Clinton A. Lewis Jr. as CEO

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., a global player in produce freshness solutions, today announced that Clinton A. Lewis Jr. has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer and to the…

New Chief Executive for kiwifruit organisation Kiwifruit Vine Health

Kiwifruit Vine Health announced today that Leanne Stewart has been appointed as the biosecurity organisation’s new Chief Executive. KVH Board Chairman, David Tanner says…

FG Adriaanse – Adagin Technologies

Credible data on worker productivity releases farmers from onerous policing

FG Adriaanse and JD Naudé, the managing directors of Adagintech at the Stellenbosch LaunchLab, spend hours discussing what it is that farmers really want of a digital management system in the field and in the packhouse. “What we've realised is there is fundamental need among farmers to measure their…

At its second meeting, the Brexit Channel analyzes the evolution of Spanish trade with the UK after it departed the EU

Yesterday, the Brexit Channel, a forum for collaboration between the administration and companies to analyze the evolution of trade with the United Kingdom after it left the…

USDA restricts PACA violators in California and Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and…

Companies take action towards living wages

IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative has announced with global companies Aldi Nord, Aldi Sud, Eosta, Fyffes, Fairphone, L’Oréal, Schijvens, Superunie, Taylors of Harrogate,…

Del Monte Fresh restructures multiple divisions and names new Senior Vice Presidents

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. announces restructuring of the North America organization following the departure of former Senior Vice President, Annunciata (Nucci)…

Ocean Spray hires Monisha Dabek as Chief Commercial Officer

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., the agricultural cooperative founded in 1930, has named Monisha Dabek as its new chief commercial officer. As CCO, Dabek will be responsible for…

Labour shortage hits crisis point

Desperate pleas for a government plan to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers to return

As the labour shortage across New Zealand hits crisis point as fruit harvesting is at its peak – Exporters, Growers, Food Companies and industry leaders make a desperate plea to Government for a plan to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers to return later this year. At a media conference in Hawke’s Bay,…

USDA lifts PACA reparation sanctions on Arizona and Maryland businesses

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Los Fuertes Produce LLC, satisfied a reparation order in the amount of $37,322 issued under the Perishable Agricultural…

The contact groups of the Spanish-French-Italian-Portuguese Joint Committee plan further meetings in the coming months

The garlic and stone fruit contact groups of the Spanish-French-Italian-Portuguese Joint Committee are expected to meet on April 6 and May 25, respectively. These meetings…

Ebbe Rabie - Price Forbes

Insurance has become an essential part of the fresh produce sector

The risks faced by businesses across all sectors are more complex and integrated than ever. It’s not just about the risk of property, assets, casualty or liability that most are familiar with, but risks that touch every facet of a business and its environment. For businesses, risk has evolved beyond the…

Jaren Raybould to be 2021-2022 chairman

Potatoes USA elects 2021 – 2022 leadership

Potatoes USA, the marketing and promotion board for the U.S. potato industry, elected new leadership during the Annual Meeting on March 11, 2021. The newly elected Chairman…

Hortyfruta is working so that the extension of the quality standard can be applied this year

The Interprofessional Organization of Fruits and Vegetables of Andalusia (Hortyfruta) held its XIV Ordinary General Assembly in El Ejido in which it presented the actions that…

Dole Packaged Foods names Juan Carlos Dalto President as part of leadership expansion in the Americas

Dole Packaged Foods, LLC today announced the expansion of its US leadership team as part of its strategy to achieve its commitments to make nutritious foods accessible for 1…

AHDB appoints Tim Rycroft as CEO

Tim Rycroft has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Tim, currently Chief Operating Officer of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF),…

USDA restricts PACA violators from multiple states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on five produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and…

H3, certification that guarantees the responsible use of water resources in agriculture

The Global Water Day is celebrated on the 22nd of march every year and its principal objective, is to create awareness of the importance of looking after the so called liquid gold for the life of human beings and all the species of this Earth. Something that Spanish agriculture and more specifically the…

USDA cites North Carolina frozen food company for PACA Violations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on Imperial Frozen Foods Op Co LLC, Wake Forest, N.C., for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.…

Pepper import from Colombia into the Continental United States authorized

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is authorizing importation of five commodities of fresh pepper fruit from Colombia into…

Mexico and Morocco strengthen their commercial relationship and their technical and scientific cooperation

The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) of Mexico, Victor Villalobos, and the Moroccan ambassador to Mexico, Abdelfattah Lebbar, held an online…

2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement: Inspections, PACA, and compliance tips

In the second instalment of their webinar on the 2019 Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico, the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration, provided an overview of how the agreement is put into action by discussing inspections, the role of PACA, sales to Canada as…

Port of Gulfport names Jon Nass as new CEO & Executive Director

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and Executive Director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search…

ASOEX met with the new ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Chile

The president of ASOEX, Ronald Bown Fernandez, and the entity's general manager, Miguel Canala-Echeverria, had an online meeting with the new extraordinary and plenipotentiary…

The Union of Unions expects the EU to comply with and strengthen surveillance against pests at its borders

The Union of Farmers and Livestock Unions stated that the EU should be consistent with the speeches it makes and tighten the mechanisms to prevent the entry of pests and…

Overview of the 2019 Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico

In a webinar held yesterday by the US Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration, an overview was given on the 2019 Suspension Agreement on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico. This was the first instalment in a two-part series on the agreement where the speakers gave a brief overview of…

UPA Huelva denounces aggressive speculation in strawberry purchases

"The market is saturated with speculators"

On March 11, UPA Huelva released a press release denouncing a price war to take over the consumer market, affecting agricultural and livestock products. The organization is conducting a continuous market study of which agents respect farmers' prices and which ones try to impose lower prices. UPA Huelva…

Washington Apple Commission announces re-appointment of five board members

The Washington Apple Commission has welcomed the recent re-election of five commissioners to the Board of Directors.The commissioners, who were elected for a three-year term,…

House of Representatives passes the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Yesterday, March 18th, the House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act with a strong bipartisan vote of 247-174. The United Fresh Produce Association…

Citrus Australia’s succession plan sees new Chair elected

Citrus grower Richard Byllaardt was elected Chair of Citrus Australia following the peak industry body’s annual general meeting. Mr Byllaardt was elected Chair following…

Summerfruit NZ board welcomes appointment of new Chief Executive

The chairman of Summerfruit New Zealand, Tim Jones, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kate Hellstrom as the new chief executive. Kate was appointed after a rigorous…

61st Fepex Assembly

Spain's Minister of Agriculture reiterates his support to include the fruit and vegetable sector in the aids decoupled from the CAP

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, closed the 61st Fepex Assembly, which was held online, by reiterating his support for the new CAP to include the fruit and vegetable sector in decoupled aid, to end a discriminatory situation, and by stating that they were working so that the…

Competition commission welcomes signing of memorandum of agreement with Pick n Pay on capping of garlic and ginger prices

The Competition Commission (Commission) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with Pick n Pay Retailers Proprietary Limited (Pick n Pay) on Wednesday…

Xiuwen kiwifruit from Guizhou on the list

EU-China agreement on GI products comes into effect

A bilateral agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Government of the People's Republic of China on cooperation and protection concerning geographical indications…

USDA cites New Hampshire company for PACA violations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on JLD Inc., doing business as North Country Wholesale, North Conway, N.H., for violating the Perishable Agricultural…

Ethiopia: Growth of horticultural sector impeded by unavailability of land

The Ethiopian Horticulture Producer Exporters Association (EHPEA) has called on the government to make land available to help local and international horticulture firms…

Inlcuding reactions by FPC and Freshfel

UK Government confirms six-month postponement on EU import checks

On 31 December last year, the UK left the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. This was the biggest change in the UK’s trading relationships for decades. The Government has…

Peak of the Market's Larry McIntosh retiring after 27 years

It is with mixed emotion that we announce the retirement of Larry McIntosh after 27 years as Peak of the Market's President and CEO. "Larry's commitment, dedication and extreme…

SA’s economic performance in 2020

Impressive performance of horticulture, led by citrus exports

The Department of Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has recently released the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures for the final quarter of 2020, which offered a sobering…

SIFAV steps up sustainability ambitions in 2025 program

The companies united in the Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV), as set-up and hosted by IDH the Sustainable Trade Initiative, have launched their new collaborative sustainability strategy for 2025. The new ambitions focus on reducing the environmental footprint across the supply…

Ausveg.com.au

James Whiteside resigns as AUSVEG CEO

AUSVEG has announced that James Whiteside has resigned from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 July 2021, to pursue other interests. Mr Whiteside was…

"The alternative of not harvesting our income source would have been untenable"

How New Zealand's stone fruit industry has tried to mitigate labour shortage effects during harvest season

New Zealand's peak stone fruit body says while the industry has suffered from labour shortages over the harvest season, there were a large number of students who helped with the cherry picking during their holidays. Chief Executive of Summerfruit NZ Richard Palmer told the ABARES Outlook 2021 conference…

USDA PACA updates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that United Commodities USA Inc. satisfied a reparation order in the amount of $262,863 issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act involving…

Central warehouse EDEKA, Nieder-Olm

Employees protest comprehensive structural changes

On Wednesday, 03.03.2021, the works council of Kaiser's Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft - an EDEKA subsidiary - held a workers meeting. At the beginning of 2017, the jobs of the employees at the Nieder-Olm site (Rhineland-Palatinate) were secured for 5 years (moratorium) by ministerial permission…

USDA imposes sanctions on two companies for PACA violations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on Southern Sun LLC, Woolwich, N.J., for violating the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. These sanctions…

"There are stories being told about you - but who is telling that story?"

Melbourne fruit retailer believes that embracing a digital strategy is the future of fruit and veg marketing

When a local Melbourne grocer was getting tired of the "same old advice" that was constantly being given to him on how to sell fruit and vegetables, he decided to think outside the box and revolutionise the marketing of his business in line with the 21st century. David Zahlan of Alexanders Fruit Market…

Ohio company satisfies PACA violations

In a complaint filed on March 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleged that Enson Group LLC, doing business as Eternal Food Service (Enson Group), Cincinnati,…

Juan Antonio Gonzalez agrees with MAPA's guideline for the distribution of direct payments

"Two farms that produce fruits and vegetables with similar characteristics should receive the same income support"

Juan Antonio Gonzalez Real, the president of Fruits and Vegetables of Agro-food Cooperatives of Spain, said he agreed with the guideline established by the MAPA so that the…

Australia cautious of international trade conditions despite reaching best year for agriculture production

Australia's peak agriculture industry body, the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) says the latest production figures forecast this year to be the sector’s best on record. The NFF has set a target of achieving $100billion in farmgate value for Australian agriculture by 2030, and speaking at the ABARES…

National Potato Council elects Dominic LaJoie president

Aroostook farmer is now the nation’s top potato lobbyist

Dominic LaJoie grew up on his father’s potato farm in Cyr Plantation, but he recently said he never could have imagined the size his family’s company, LaJoie Growers LLC,…

Freshfel Europe publishes reflection paper urging EU to have a fullyfledged SPS Strategy

In response to the new EU Trade Policy Review, Freshfel Europe is publishing a policy reflection paper, ‘SPS Export Protocols: towards greater reciprocity in fresh produce…

Call goes out for kiwifruit pickers and packers

The first kiwifruit will be picked off the vines this week and growers across the country anticipate needing around 23,000 workers for the harvest. The harvest runs through till June and is expected to produce even more than last year’s record of 157 million trays of Green and Gold. New Zealand Kiwifruit…

If more Norwegians are to work in agriculture, the store price must go up

Price is key

The Corona situation has created great uncertainty among the country's fruit and vegetable centres ahead of this year's season. The danger of importing infections and strict infection control rules…

Ward Verberck, VLAM Brexit supervisor

"Due to Brexit hassles, flexible trading is no longer an option"

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 1, 2021, as a result of which European exporters are faced with formalities, inspections, long waiting times at the border and paperwork. To support Belgian export companies and producers, VLAM has appointed Ward Verberck as Brexit supervisor. With…

The Canarian banana sector falters after three decades of being protected by Europe

The Canarian banana started this year with difficulties. The obligation to establish a minimum price and the impossibility of selling at a loss, as proposed by the draft…

Spain asks Europe to make sure Morocco complies with the terms of their trade agreement

The Secretary-General of Agriculture and Food, Fernando Miranda, stated that the Government of Spain had asked the European Commission to make sure Morocco complies with the…

CBP officers seize about 12,000 Lbs. of marijuana, worth $27 million, within a shipment of papayas

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the commercial facility at the Otay Mesa port of entry seized more than 12,000 pounds of marijuana found commingled within a shipment of papaya hauled by a tractor-trailer rig, with a street value of $27 million. At about 5:45 p.m. on Monday, a…

Mr. Apple appoints Advertising and Marketing Supervisor

Mr. Apple, one of New Zealand’s largest apple producers, has announced the appointment of Jo Turner as internal marketing manager. Global sales and marketing manager Ben…

The association will join the national strike on February 24

UNA faces the enormous challenge of changing Almeria's agricultural sustainability model

Almeria's Union of Agricultural Producers (UNA) was established in April 2019 to manage the foundation of a new exploitation model in the Almeria countryside and the southeast of the peninsula. Small and medium-s…

Law on the indication of origin applies to all

Amazon must also indicate origins of fruit and vegetables

Every local supermarket must inform its customers where the fruit and vegetables on its shelves have come from. But this is not possible with online delivery, Amazon claimed…

Citrus sector of Murcia and Alicante asking for "direct aid to producers"

As reported by sources from the citrus sector in the Spanish Region of Murcia and the province of Alicante in a statement, producers are receiving between 0.16 and 0.18 Euro…

Massimo Scozzoli

Suggestions to the European Commission for new commercialization rules

Before modifying the commercialization standards for agricultural products, including fresh produce, the European Commission granted all Member States the opportunity to make suggestions. 156 entries were made from all over Europe, though only 4 from Italy despite it being one of the leading producers…

Spain hopes to negotiate with the United States to eliminate its tariffs before August

The Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, recently said that he hopes to negotiate the elimination of US tariffs before next August with the new US…

"The fact that they promote highly-processed products ahead of fresh produce is something that we cannot understand"

Peak fruit industry bodies encourage their growers not to use Health Star Ratings after "baffling" changes to juice calculator

Australia's peak apple and pear industry body is calling on growers and juice producers to strongly consider removing the Health Star Rating from their labels, following a decision to give fresh fruit and vegetable juice a lower health star rating than diet cola. The Australian and New Zealand…

For the provinces of San Felipe and Los Andes in the region of Valparaiso

Chile declares an agricultural emergency

Maria Emilia Undurraga, the Minister of Agriculture, declared an agricultural emergency for the provinces of Los Andes and San Felipe as a way to support the farmers affected by the last weather front that affected the country's south-central area. “After evaluating the damage caused by the weather in…

Freshfel and FPC urge UK government to extend derogations on phytosanitary certifications for fresh produce

The impact of Brexit is a big challenge for businesses on both sides of the Channel with EU27 exports representing over 3 million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables to the…

'Welcome Brett Kelly'

Australian Mango Industry Association

Australian Mango Industry Association appoints new CEO

Australian Mango Industry Association welcomes Brett Kelly to the role of CEO. Brett will start with the organisation on the 1st March and will be bringing a wealth of experience and…

The main debate of the CAP revolves around its green architecture, according to the European Commission

The trialogues between the European Commission, the Council, and Parliament to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which started at the end of last year, are expected…

IICA and the Spanish Cooperation Agency start a new stage of collaboration with a focus on Central America

The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Spanish Cooperation Agency (Aecid) have begun a new stage of collaboration for the construction of a…

"USITC's ruling sets a precedent for other Mexican export products that are currently under investigation"

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has determined not to impose tariffs on US imports of Mexican blueberries. This ruling was taken in the framework of a…

Industry reactions

ITC determines blueberry imports don't cause injury to domestic industry

The ITC decision on the 201 investigation regarding blueberry imports was made yesterday, February 11th. The ITC determined that fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries are not causing injury to the domestic industry; they are not being imported into the United States in such quantities as to be a…

Calavo Growers announces changes to organizational structure

Calavo Growers, Inc. has announced changes to enhance the organizational structure within the company’s operations department. Under Jim Gibson, chief executive officer,…

Venture capital interested in the powerful Spanish agri-food sector

According to data from the Spanish Association of Capital, Growth, and Investment (Ascri), private equity funds in Spain alone have 4,500 to 5,000 million available to invest.…

SHAFFE annual general meeting elects new Chilean-Uruguayan presidency team for 2021-23

SHAFFE, The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporter, has held its Annual General Meeting at the 4th of February 2021 online that has served as a starting point…

What's happening in India?

Indian farmers are on a war footing since the Indian Parliament passed the Indian Agricultural Acts of 2020, often referred to as the Farm Bills, in September of last year. Since the end of November, hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered on the outskirts of New Delhi to protest against the changes brought by law,…

Investment funds invest in Spain's agri-food sector

In recent months, there have been important investment operations in the Spanish agri-food sector. In January 2021, MCH Private Equity partnered with the SanLucar premium…

"AgPick has helped them plan their days, reduced stress and saved them money"

The digital management tool streamlining the harvest process for some Australian growers

An Australian harvest management software system has received "phenomenal feedback" since it started running two years ago, according to its creators. South Australian-based Agricultural Picking Technology (APT) launched AgPick to capture and record harvest activities out in the field, but chief…

Iván Hernández Grabalosa, of Vicasol's Commercial Department, explains the export procedures

A vegetable's journey to London in post-Brexit times

Since January 1 of this year, the United Kingdom has officially ceased to belong to the European Union. However, even though the agreement reached by both parties in late…

The strawberry group will meet on February 16

The Hispano-Franco-Italian-Portuguese Joint Committee on Fruits and Vegetables' to start 2021 meetings

The different contact groups created within the framework of the Spanish-Franco-Italian-Portuguese Joint Committee will start their 2021 meetings on February 16. The…

Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of Public Policy

United Fresh’s priorities for the new presidential administration

Working closely with the government to ensure that the concerns and challenges faced by the produce industry are taken into account in legislative decisions is one of the key goals of the United Fresh Produce Association. Robert Guenther, the Association’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy,…

Argentina and Portugal analyze the status of the EU-Mercosur agreement

Argentina's Secretary for International Economic Relations, Jorge Neme, and the Secretary for European Affairs of Portugal, Ana Paula Zacarias - who currently are the…

Secretary Vilsack receives unanimous support of the Senate Agriculture Committee

A confirmation hearing for Former Secretary Tom Vilsack to be Secretary of USDA in President Biden's cabinet has provided Vilsack with unanimous support. United Fresh Produce…

Cobram and District Fruit Growers’ Association (CDFGA)

Victorian Government provides more seasonal workforce support for the state's farmers

The Cobram and District Fruit Growers’ Association (CDFGA) has received $430,000 from the Victorian state government to support 30 farm businesses in the region to attract and provide for the workforce they need. The grant, as part of Government’s $6 million Seasonal Workforce Accommodation Program…

Washington farm groups sue state over emergency COVID-19 regulations

Agriculture groups in Washington state announced yesterday they are taking legal action against the State of Washington over recently renewed emergency COVID-19 regulations…

Seasonal laborers are Norwegian farmers' main COVID-19 headache

The Norwegian insurance company, Frende Forsikring, commissioned Sentio to do a survey. Its results show that Norwegian growers are most concerned about sufficient foreign…

Limoneira.com

Limoneira announces new Director of Human Resources

Limoneira Company a diversified citrus growing, packing, selling and marketing company with related agribusiness activities and real estate development operations, today…

McCain Foods South Africa appoints new managing director

McCain Foods South Africa has appointed Unathi Mhlatyana as its new managing director (MD) effective yesterday. Mhlatyana brings more than 20 years experience in the FMCG…

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