Consumption still growing on organic and conventional Brussels sprouts

Supplies of Brussels sprouts are strong coming from the West Coast. “The fields in Washington are projected to have promotable volume all the way through January,” says Andres Quiroz, commodity manager of Miami, FL-based Alpine Fresh, who notes that supplies look similar to last year at this time. “The…

"Peppers, mini cucumbers positive exceptions on 'dead' Spanish greenhouse vegetable market"

It is, by no means, crazy on the Spanish greenhouse vegetable market at the moment. So says Kees Havenaar of Frutas Luna in the Netherlands. "Trade has been completely dead…

Australian vegetable exports resilient, despite ongoing challenges

Despite rising freight costs, a rapid increase in farm input costs, difficulties with international shipping as well as labor shortages, Australian vegetable grower-exporters…

Gov.uk

Current average week price at £0.51 for bananas from Colombia

This series gives the average wholesale prices of bananas by country of origin. The prices are national averages of the most usual prices charged for bananas at wholesale markets in Birmingham and London. This publication is updated weekly. The current average week prices of bananas were at £0.51 for bananas…

Texas Super Sweet Onion named latest Texas Superstar

The Texas Super Sweet Onion, or 1015Y, is famous for its sweetness, size and overall good performance as a cool-season crop in the Lone Star State, said a Texas A&M AgriLife…

Switch-over from air to sea-freight litchis in Europe will be quicker this year

Successive days of rain and overcast conditions in Malelane, Mpumalanga, have been holding back the start of the harvest of the Mauritius litchi variety. “It’s been very difficult with cooler than normal conditions and a lot of rain and more forecast. Rain could well pose a challenge to the harvest…

NRGene signs a strategic collaboration agreement with Top Seeds International

NRGene, an AI based genomic company operating in the agricultural industry, and Top Seeds International Ltd., a global seed company wholly owned by Mitsui & Co., Ltd., have signed a collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize new and improved cherry tomato varieties. Based on the agreement,…

"When you see your glasshouse washing down the main street of Mildura, then you know you’ve got a problem"

LaManna Premier Group CEO Anthony Di Pietro has been featured in the AgJournal of the Australian publication Weekly Times, which visited the company's Lancaster Farms greenhouse tomato growing operations. During Covid, LaManna battled to get the massive amounts of fruit and vegetables it grows on its own…

Hapag-Lloyd adds JAXPORT to its AL3 service

Hapag-Lloyd’s 7,000TEU Hudson Express has made its inaugural call to the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) as part of the Atlantic Loop 3 (AL3) container service which links Europe and the United States. With this addition, AL3 service is now calling on Antwerp, Hamburg, London, Charleston,…

Backlog in Southern California ports creates setbacks for local agri industry

Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have a backup of cargo ships that extends all the way to San Diego. As this is exacerbated by a shortage of truck drivers and warehouse…

"Robots must become the new multi-functional field workers"

The 'Exploring Bejo's World' online event's last day focused on agriculture's future. Pixelfarming Robotics and Farmwise introduced their answer to the question of how to meet the labor shortage. The growing labor shortage means the agribusiness sector is increasingly pursuing automation. Pixelfarming…

"We say that this machine is the first of a new generation of peelers"

Forsfood celebrated the Company's 30th anniversary by launching a new generation of peeling machines. The new peeler answers challenges in the peeling process for the 2020s, especially in peeling quality and in capacity. For example, with big products, like sweet potatoes, Forsfood's machines have…

"We have the most advanced and market ready tray sealer"

Over the years there have been continued calls from fruit packers for faster, more efficient tray sealing machines and now one UK company has come up with the technology to do this. Packaging Automation has been in the business for close to 60 years and has a lot of experience in designing and…

“Treating fruit and vegetables as if they were jewels, that’s the key to success!”

Moslem Naceur recently embarked on a new adventure as the head of the fruit and vegetable department of the new Biocoop store in Thonon-les-Bains. “Following my professional experience at Intermarché, I was contacted by Nicolas and Vincent Quiblier, two young and ambitious brothers motivated to develop…

FEFCO launches testing methodology for printed corrugated board in food contact

The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) has issued the FEFCO Testing methodology for printed corrugated board in food contact. At EU level there is…

Hawaii: Food Hubs receive $1 million for statewide expansion

In Hawaii, a collective of statewide food hubs has a plan to get more crops from small farmers to businesses, institutions and families that want locally grown food. On Oahu,…

The farmworkers in California’s fire zones

When wildfires force thousands of Californians to evacuate, a little-known 'ag pass' program lets employers keep farmworkers on the job. In August, 2020, a flurry of dry…

Backpackers careful about returning to Australia

The Australian government has re-opened the international border to backpackers, but it seems the farming industry has some work to do to entice travellers back to its…

Logistics the biggest hurdle for Peruvian grape growers this season

Good volumes on newer grape varieties--so is the outlook for the Peruvian table grape crop, which is just getting underway. For Long Beach, CA-based DLJ Produce, its harvest begins in about a week which puts first arrivals in the U.S. between the week of Dec. 13th and the week of December 20th. “We’re…

USDA

US table grape storage numbers still on downward trend year-on-year

The number of California table grapes in storage on the West Coast is still significantly lower compared to this time last year. The Western Fruit Report - Grape Cold Storage Summary states that there were almost two million fewer cartons being held. Data reveals there were 10.5 million cartons in…

China officially kicks off the sixth edition of 'Chilean week'

The 25th of November was the first day of the 'Chilean week' in Beijing. The sixth edition of the 'Chilean week' is a hybrid event that combines online and in-person activities. The activities cover a wide range of topics including trade, investment, economic development, travel, culture, and food. The…

How rain can make you lose $250,000 in an hour

David Zahlan, Director at Alexanders Fruit Market was visiting a farm in Cobram, Victoria this week where he saw first-hand the damage that can be done by an hour's worth of rain on an orchard.   David said it is important to educate customers as to what can happen on a farm, "I like to share with them the things…

IQonsulting

US and Asia have received 44.5% and 48% respectively to date

Last week (46) exports observed again showed lower volumes than previous seasons, reaching 939 tons, 8.4% less than the same week of the previous season. The total to date is 2,731 tons, this is -27.4% less than last season, when 3,735 tons had been reached. Along with these figures, the industry has…

China-Chile trade to reach record high in 2021

According to a recent forecast by the Chilean Ambassador in Beijing, Luis Schmidt, economic cooperation between China and Chile is expected to hit a record high by surpassing a $55 billion threshold. The ambassador's prediction has its merits. Driven by an upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and…

Lambayeque exported 35,108 tons of blueberries in past five months

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, from June to date, Lambayeque district exported 35,108 tons of blueberries to different markets abroad. This…

ABC

Total weekly blueberry shipments from Argentina to the US at 417 tons in week 46

Total weekly blueberry arrivals from Argentina to the US stood at 417 tons in week 46, compared to 804 tons last season. Of these shipments, 30 tons were send via air freight, and 387 tons were shipped by sea. The UK only received 3 tons, all shipped in by air. Shipments to continental Europe amounted to…

Apple-growing areas in Washington State: Trends in net use

The United States is the second-largest global producer of apples and 70% of these apples come from Washington State. The main apple-growing areas in Washington State are…

“December and the following months should come with even stronger demand”

It’s busy times for Polish apple traders, as one exporter states he’s fully filled with orders over the next two weeks. Demand overall has been strong this year and is expected to increase even further once apple producing countries run out of their local stocks. Mateusz Wajnert, head of sales for Polish…

Organto lists “I AM Organic” branded fresh cut organic herbs with Gorillas

Organto Foods Inc., an integrated provider of organic and value-added organic fruits and vegetables, announced that it has extended its range of I AM Organic branded products, listing for a broad range of fresh cut organic herbs with Gorillas®, Europe’s fastest growing company in instant on-demand…

Fruit Logistica postponed to 5-7 April 2022

The fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is worsening the situation in many European countries. At the same time, the industry's wish to meet in person remains unwaveringly…

Why has orange consumption decreased?

According to a study on the per capita consumption of fruits in Central Europe during the last 15 years, specifically in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and…

Organic: Lower demand in French supermarkets

According to the association Initiative Bio Bretagne, the organic sector in general is facing a decline in consumption in supermarkets. For the president, Denis Paturel, the…

Adopting a plant based diet might ease chronic migraine severity

Over 1 billion people worldwide have migraines, characterised as one-sided, pulsating headaches lasting 4–72 hours, and often accompanied by sensitivity to noise and light and…

Australian supply chain optimization platform set for major fresh produce pilot

A leading Queensland fresh produce company is set to trial an emerging digital trading and supply chain optimisation platform, which is hoped to boost operations and productivity. OmniOrder will aim to allow Qualipac to easily manage inventory at the batch level, take orders digitally with a trading app,…

New digital market place about to launch

It has often been said that the fresh produce industry has been slow to modernise and adapt to new situations, but is that now changing? The whole industry is being forced to look at new ways of operating, whether that is at the point of harvesting, sorting, packing or selling. When buying or selling…

“There’s a foreseeable future with hydroponics in every home”

“Aerospring’s mission is to make fresh produce accessible to everyone by creating versatile and efficient hydroponic products that can be used in homes and commercial settings,” explains Mark Newton, chief operating officer at Aerospring Hydroponics. Aerospring Hydroponics is a Singaporean agtech company…

Brazilian orange juice producer Cutrale suspends exports to US

Brazilian orange juice producer Cutrale has suspended exports of orange juice concentrate from Brazil to the United States, as a new tax on exports has eroded its profits. The…

“Our freezer is designed to lower freezing cost per kg of product”

The long-term success of an IQF business lies in its ability to garner quicker return on investment with an efficient freezer. But what defines an efficient freezer? According…

Flagship Food Group recalls frozen cauliflower due to possible health risk

Flagship Food Group of Eagle, Idaho is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of frozen cauliflower, TJ Farms Select brand, because it has the potential to be…

The world production of nuts will fall by 8% this campaign

According to the forecasts of the International Nuts and Dried Fruit Council (INC), the world production will produce 4.99 million tons of nuts this season -not including…

"A manufacturing breakthrough in packaging sustainability"

The latest food packaging technology has provided a major leap forward for the sustainability of heat-sealed fresh produce punnets and trays. A series of new punnet and tray designs, launched by Westpak Group Ltd, offer grocery retailers and their suppliers a set of commercially viable paper-based…

British Columbia growers comment on recent floods

While there have been widespread reports about the significant losses of dairy cattle, hogs, chicken, and egg production because of British Columbia’s recent and devastating floods, produce production in the province has also felt some effects from the natural disaster. At Discovery Organics in…