Ample growth margins for aromatic herbs from Etna area

The Sicilian aromatic herb market has great potential, mostly due to the versatility of the products in both the food and cosmetic sectors. FreshPlaza talked about it with Roberto Carbone, who stressed the importance of medicinal herbs also when it comes to diversification in companies looking for crops…

Basil continues to increase in popularity

Supplies of basil could become slimmer as the Easter holiday approaches. Camilo Penalosa of Infinite Herbs in Miami, FL says basil volume at this time of the year typically comes from Baja California, the interior of Mexico and Colombia. Domestically, Florida and select greenhouses in the U.S. also have…

Pioneers in the research on wild rocket

Before the Sele plain (Salerno) became the most important hub in Europe for agricultural productions destined to the fresh-cut industry, Maraldi Sementi was already studying and applying genetic improvement to various baby leaves, especially wild rocket, introducing new cultivars on the market. Thanks to…

Coriander suspected as origin of 2018 UK Shigella outbreak

New research indicates that an outbreak of Shigella in England in 2018 was likely caused by contaminated coriander. The national food poisoning outbreak highlights the…

"We are two weeks behind compared to last year"

The domestic herb season is currently getting underway. Small quantities of chervil, coriander and burnet are already being cut, the "official" start of the season is still a little longer in coming due to the cold weather, says Johannes Adams, owner of the herb nursery of the same name in Düsseldorf.…

Fresh herbs demand amid instabilities concerning possible restrictions or relief

The Dutch based establishment, Europe Retail Packing B.V, has been experiencing, alongside the entire fresh produce industry, the immense obstacles created by Covid19's social restrictions and lockdowns. “It goes without saying that there is an overall decline in sales inflicted by these restrictions.…

Italian know-how for the production of organic herbs

With 6,000 horticultural farms and 24,000 hectares under cultivation, Italy is the fourth largest country in the EU for the production of aromatic herbs. The marketing channels are diversified, but the food retail sector in particular can benefit from herbs to enrich the fruit and vegetable section. Rosanna…

Prepara

Herb Saver that keeps produce fresh for longer goes viral

On TikTok, there is a video about a viral herb saver that may be just what you need to keep your cilantro, chives and dill fresher for longer. So if herbs are hard for you to keep fresh for long periods of time, this herb saver from Amazon is a tool you will adore in the kitchen. The viral video showcasing…

"South Africa poised to become big player in saffron market"

Plans are in place that could see South Africa becoming a significant player in the farming and export of saffron. For the South African economy, this offers an invaluable source of foreign income from exports, whilst also assisting in establishing emerging, small-scale farmers. Furthermore, it offers…

High prices for herbs in Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia

Prices for herbs in Georgia have reached an unusually high level in January and February 2021. According to Georgian growers, the issue is not about the supply, but about the…

Belgian Bio-Planet now sells vertically-farmed coriander too

Just under a year ago, Bio-Planet first introduced its basil to the market. This came from this Belgian store's self-developed vertical farm. "This cultivation method differs from conventional farming. It requires less water and space and fewer nutrients. That results in herbs with tiny ecological…

"I am very happy to be able to grow fresh herbs here in the north"

Petra Haake's (r) greenhouses in Papenburg smell of oregano, mint, basil and other fresh kitchen herbs. She runs one of 50 family businesses that have joined together to form the Papenburg Gartenbauzentrale. According to the Landvolk-Pressedienst, the nurseries there cultivate about 90 million pots of herbs a year on 170 hectares in the open and 100 ha under glass, offeri…

“We use Weber Vacuum Cooling to extend shelf-life of our herbs”

While perishability is in the nature of fresh produce, some products are more perishable than others and therefore require extra attention and innovation to ensure that its shelf-life is as long as possible, and that the product arrives to the customer with the best quality achievable. This is something…

"Aroma is still the hallmark of a quality basil"

The market for fresh herbs is increasing at a fast pace, gaining markets as consumers become more interested in a healthy food experience. In Germany, the largest market in Europe for imported fresh herbs, the import value increased with 42% from 2015 to 2019. The most popular fresh herb in Europe is basil,…

Shenandoah Growers issues limited, voluntary recall of specific imported organic basil

Shenandoah Growers, Inc (Harrisonburg, VA) out of an abundance of caution, has issued a limited, voluntary recall of approximately 3240 units of branded fresh cut, packaged…

“The most difficult thing last year was knowing what to plant"

Last year’s lockdowns in Australia affected many fresh produce companies as the food service sector shut down, things are back to normal now with restaurants operating at 100%. “We lost around 50-60% of our business to the food service, but we still supplied those businesses which were open for take…

Successful first basil crop and lessons learned in 2020

In July 2020 Irish grower McCormack Family Farms had their first commercial crop of basil, the season went better than expected with a good supply right through until almost the end of October. “It was a big undertaking for us. This year we put in a 0.5 hectare crop and we cut the basil four times until…

"COVID-19 boosted mushroom and top fruit sales"

Mushroom and top fruit trading are in the Verhoeckx's genes. Dad, Paul, does mushroom sales while one son, Brent, is responsible for fruit sales. His brother, Rick, and sister, Danique, also work at this Dutch company. We visited this family business, where last year's COVID-19 outbreak brought in extra…