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Thursday, January 24, 2019
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Ullrich nursery from Hesse sees development potential for kale as superfood

"Kale could be offered year-round in the future"

Kale is harvested in the cold season in large volumes, especially in northern Germany. But kale also thrives particularly well in the more southern states. The Ullrich nursery, headquartered in Hessian Ihringshausen, has been successfully building up the winter culture for several years and is now attracting…

Is air freight still a viable option for transporting fresh fruit and vegetables?

There is an ever-growing demand for organic products. The reason - these are less damaging to the environment. Despite this, air freight transportation is gaining popularity in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector. “You can often find pineapples, mangoes, and strawberries that are flown in, in the supermarkets. Many years…

Planet Israel on their citrus season:

“We chose to delay the export of our Sunrise Grapefruits”

The citrus season in Israel is ongoing, and so far there seems nothing to complain about. The exports of the Sunrise grapefruits were postponed due to an oversupply from South Africa, but these fruits are now finding their ways to the Far East as well. For Israeli company Planet Israel there are several…

Saveurs du Bout du Monde: forgotten vegetables are popular again!

For about 10 years, Vincent Elegoet, manager of the company Saveurs du Bout du Monde, has been specializing in the market of the so-called “forgotten” vegetables. This gives him the experience to measure the consumers’ variable interest for old vegetables. “Some of those vegetables have become more popular,…

"Dependence on a single variety could become a weakness"

The challenges ahead for the Spanish avocado sector

Planting avocados in Spain was thought to be impossible - until 1966, when the German Dieter Wienberg insisted on making it a reality. This marked the origin of La Mayora, an experimental farm of the CSIC that pioneered the 'green gold' revolution. Half a century later, this is bearing fruit. In the midst of…

Karl-Josef Hortmann, RPZ Rheinische Pilz-Zentrale GmbH:

"European scarcity of mushrooms has a positive effect on prices"

Mushrooms are in short supply throughout Europe. Because of the hot summer, the straw we use as a substrate component does not have the usual quality, so the yield is lower than in the past," says Karl-Josef Hortmann, commercial manager and authorized representative of the Deckers Group. The group is a…

Sedat Bayburt, SE-SA Obst & Gemüse Hamburg:

"Stable lemon market, but too many limes available"

In December, there was an excellent sales of Amalfi lemons. Overall, about 50 percent more lemons were sold than usual, after which the market could stabilize again immediately after the turn of the year to some extent, reported Sedat Bayburt from SE-SA Fruit & Vegetable Wholesale at the Hamburg…

Carrot Forum 2019:

Positive mood in the European carrot industry

On the 17th and 18th of January, the annual Carrot Forum took place in Verden to the south of Bremen. The mixed program included lectures on cultivation, trade, residue analysis and more. Overall, the mood in the pan-European carrot sector is quite positive at the moment: Production is growing very quickly,…

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 possibility of…

UK: AHDB opens tender for potato desiccants research project

The UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is inviting researchers to tender for a new project to understand alternative potato desiccation methods in the absence of diquat. The loss of approval for diquat has wide ramifications since it is currently the main product used by potato growers…

Special Fruit Logistica

Business France assists 162 exhibitors at this year's Fruit Logistica

Sustainability and new concepts for future agriculture in the foreground

Business France assists 162 exhibitors at this year's Fruit Logistica. They will focus on sustainability and new concepts for the agriculture of the future. Germany continues to be an important market for France: the export volume of fruit and vegetables totaled 326,000 tonnes in 2017. Fruits and vegetables…

Canadian packaging company honored by award nomination

Changes in consumer attitudes towards plastic packaging is what CKF believes has driven them to be nominated for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2019 for its top sealable moulded pulp container for strawberries. The Canadian-based company launched the Earthcycle™ punnets for soft fruit in 2018,…

Global Focus Bananas

Mexico contributes 2.2% of the world banana volume

The banana (Musa paradisiaca) is one of the most consumed fruits in the world, due to its low price and because it is considered a nutritious fruit; in some countries it even is an essential part of the…

Conference brings international robotics experts to UK horticulture

Leading experts in agri-tech, robotics and automation are set to talk at SmartHort 2019, a two-day conference examining new technologies in light of current labour shortages in horticulture. Taking place on 6 and 7 March, labour saving technologies from automated harvesters to lettuce peeling robots will be the theme…

Patrick Stoffels, Gaia Herbs:

"Israeli passionfruit is popular with greengrocers across Europe"

The first lots of passionfruit have arrived from Israel at Gaia Herbs in Poeldijk, the Netherlands. According to Patrick Stoffels, this Israeli variety, Passion Dream, is characterized by its large size and sweet taste. "This exotic fruit cannot be compared to, for example, the Kenyan or Colombian passionfruit", says Patrick.…

Visit to Ribambelle: “The sale of chicory derivatives doubles each year”

Ribambelle, the vegetable specialist, is located in Monchy le Preux, near Arras, and sells a large selection of local products. 50% of their merchandise is cultivated within 60 miles. According to Jean-Pierre Dalle, commercial representative at Ribambelle, it is even more important to offer local products…

Are nectars and fruit juices healthy?

It is important to highlight the distinction between consuming a whole fruit versus a derivative: drinking a glass of fruit juice and eating a fruit compote do not have the same health benefits. “They are…

Europe: The potato industry is at half-mast

On the European continent, the potato harvests have seen better days. This leads to tense negotiations between farmers, fries and chips manufacturers, and the distribution. Europe produced 18% less potatoes, after a…

Migros and Coop among the world’s top 50 retailers

Although mostly dominated by the US, the Swiss companies, Migros and Coop continue to rank among the 50 largest retailers in the world. According to the “Global Powers of Retailing” report, US companies keep the lead…

Madagascar: difficult end of campaign for the lychees

Last week’s Lychee Newsletter of the Toamasina Horticultural Technical Center (CTHT) indicated that: “The traditional decline in prices after the holidays is sharply accentuated. The slight revival expected in…

First heat sealed grapes in South African supermarket

Reduction in plastic use is a growing trend in Europe and increasingly in other parts of the world. In line with this trend, in 2017 South African grape and citrus grower-exporter Schoonbee Landgoed investigated the possibilities to replace the conventional grape punnet lid with plastic film, thereby…

Paul Schockman and Niels-Peter Klapwijk (Nature Fresh Farms) about developments in the North American greenhouse vegetable market:

"More and more US foodservice and retail chains moving from open field to greenhouse farming"

It has been two years since Paul Schockman moved with Niels-Peter Klapwijk from the Netherlands to Canada. There, they started the greenhouse giant, Nature Fresh Farms. We asked the Sales Office Manager about the most important developments in the American market. "In general, the demand for vegetables is ever-increasing. Besides this,…

Carrefour Italia is using blockchain technology for citrus fruits

Carrefour Italia is the first big retail chain that applied the blockchain technology to food traceability. First, the company used it for the chicken supply chain. At Marca 2019 fair, the business announced the use of that system for Tarocco orange variety and Carrefour-quality Sicilian lemons too, both of…

Karlheinz Meier, Meier Pilze GmbH:

"In December, there were too few mushrooms to satisfy demand"

January is classically a tough month for the German mushroom trade. Many restaurateurs close their doors to go on holiday and the large demand for mushroom exotics is very much over after the turn of the year,…

Lidl wants to switch to Fairtrade fruits and hopes others will follow

Retail price crisis: Bananas are too cheap

Only one in ten bananas sold in Germany currently comes from fair production. Lidl now wants to switch from cheap bananas to fair trade fruit, but if the competition does not come along, the discounter has a…

Strong demand for potatoes pushing prices higher

Domestic supplies of potatoes are tight and prices are slightly up. “It’s pretty tight in Wisconsin given the harvest we had. We had a really challenging growing season and an even more challenging harvest season, so supplies are down,” says Andy Diercks of Coloma Farms, Inc. in Coloma, Wi. “What’s available for supplies…

First British cucumbers of 2019 on their way

Harvesting starts of the first British grown cucumbers this week (from 21 January) at large-scale UK based salad grower, Thanet Earth. Thanet Earth, located in East Kent, has six glasshouses covering around 45 hectares, which…

Turkey: Record export of pears and quinces

Turkey exported a record number of pears and quinces last year. According to data provided by the Uludag Exporters' Association, pears, which are grown mainly in Bursa, were exported to 53 countries. Pear exports increased by…

Market Report Austria KW 04/2019:

'Stable potato market, upward trend of onions continues'

The situation on the Austrian table potato market shows hardly any changes compared to last week. On the part of the growers, after the price increase at the beginning of the year, there is a corresponding…

Belgium: schools are dropping the “Fruits and Vegetables” program

Implemented for 10 years and co-financed by the Wallonia region and the European Union, the “Fruits and Vegetables” program for schools is about to end. Schools are dropping the program, which was intended to allow children…

BLE Market Report KW 03/19:

Small-sized citrus: Spain, Italy, Turkey, Israel and Morocco currently on the market

The mandarin market was dominated by Spanish produce, in particular Clemenvilla. These strengthened their presence and were mostly convincing taste-wise. Israeli Orris left nothing to be desired in terms of…

Parsnips are back on our plates

Parsnip is eaten cooked or raw, and possesses very interesting nutritional virtues. In addition to being a concentrate of vitamins, parsnip contains high levels of potassium and magnesium: 100 grams of shredded parsnip cover the…

Redpack Maschinen GmbH

"The demands on machines and packaging will continue to rise"

"In the past we used to ask what should be packaged - apples, cherries, plums - but that's not enough nowadays. Now you have to know, for example, which foil material to use, testing and calibrating the machine accordingly, so that you can start from scratch and do a good job for the customer," said Dr.…

Private label packaging should be more environmentally friendly by the end of 2030

REWE and PENNY are saving 7,000 tons of plastic per year

The REWE Group has published its first guidelines for environmentally friendlier packaging. In it, the Group is committed to optimizing all private label packaging and service packaging at REWE, PENNY and toom…

7,500 Moroccan seasonal workers selected to harvest Spanish strawberries

The agricultural associations and organizations that traveled to Morocco for the selection of 7,500 seasonal workers have successfully completed the process. The selection for the hiring at origin has been carried out, among…

P. Smets from Geleen buys The Greenery's first Dutch greenhouse asparagus

Yesterday, The Greenery auctioned off their first Dutch greenhouse-grown asparagus. The buyer - P. Smets. The price for this first box with a yield of 5kg was €6.000. Pierre Smets paid € 3.000 and The Greenery then doubled the amount to € 6.000. Together with the buyer, they donated these proceeds to Kinderen Kanker Vrij…

Brexit:

Impending deadline means investment may not be enough says FTA

With less than two months until the UK’s scheduled departure from the EU, FTA has questioned whether the government’s projected spend of £29 million to implement Operation Brock has been made available in time…

Third Ailimpo harvest report on campaign 2018/2019

Ailimpo's third lemon harvest estimate (crop forecast) for the 2018/2019 season confirms the figures published in September, with an estimated total crop of 1,300,000 tonnes, with a slight increase in fino and…

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…

Team GB extends Aldi partnership to 2025

Today, Team GB has announced that it is extending its current partnership with Aldi by a further four years to 2025.  This latest agreement with the British Olympic Association will see Aldi support Team GB through a third Olympic cycle at Paris 2024, making it one of Team GB’s longest-serving partners.       Since the partnership began in 2015,…

Tech start-up Clarifruit

Israeli app picks out bad apples

Israeli start-up Clarifruit uses computer optics and machine learning technology to quickly evaluate the quality, ripeness, and freshness of fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2016, ClariFruit develops a produce monitoring mobile app that scans fruits and vegetables and analyzes their condition to determine whether or…

Hidden beneath bananas from Ecuador

Portuguese police intercept cocaine shipment to Spain

Yesterday, packets of cocaine hidden beneath bananas were displayed at the Portuguese police headquarters in Lisbon. Portuguese police officials say they have discovered 430 kilograms of cocaine, concealed…

Potato growers concerned about ban of an anti-germinative

The European potato sector is concerned by the possible ban from July 31 of the anti-germinative Chlorpropham (CIPC), which is used to prevent the germination of the tubers while they are in storage. It is currently approved for…

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 attractive, as explained to the portal…

NFU Director of Policy Andrew Clark:

National Farmers Union outlines impact of No-Deal on food and farming

The NFU has today stressed why a no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for British food and farming, outlining the importance of recognising the strategic importance of food production to the nation. Speaking at the…

Salsify: A little-known restaurant staple

Some people call salsify an impressively ugly ingredient for any cuisine. However, mashing it reveals its delicate, creamy side, while roast salsify comes out somewhere between a potato and a parsnip – nice, but perhaps a little bland. According to Andrew Clarke, the chef-patron at St Leonards in London, salsify isn’t really the sort…

AU: South Australian cherries finish summer harvest strongly after challenging growing season

The South Australian cherry season has ended with the very late season varieties finishing off well, with cleaner fruit and warm, dry weather, according to the state’s peak representative body. Despite some weather and pest issues, Cherry Growers Association of South Australia Executive Officer Susie Green says production…

The anticholinergic effect of Actinidia arguta fruits

Actinidia arguta is a promising new crop which has well adapted to European climate. Researchers from the Wroclaw University stated: “This study discusses both the identified and quantified polyphenolic compounds in the fruits of A. arguta and their in vitro anticholinergic activity. In particular, we…

Good feedback for pomegranate juice at Sigep

A quick transformation into tasty juice is what is needed to promote pomegranate consumption and WellnessFruit seems to have achieved just that, thanks to automatic juicers for bars and restaurants and manual juicers for use at home. "We have displayed our equipment and products at Sigep and feedback was very positive. Pomegranate juice has…

US broccoli market collapses

Up until recently, prices for broccoli had been relatively strong thanks to the extended period of lighter production. Prices in the past couple of weeks have eased back though, and have reduced substantially further since Monday. "Prices were in the double digits," Rosa explained. "Out of Santa Maria, Yuma, and other…

In Kenya, saline cultivated carrot harvest could be doubled

The local carrot yields in Kenya can be doubled. This can be done by using saline-tolerant carrot varieties and a simple groundwater management system. Using water management measures can also reduce the amount of irrigation water used by 20% to 40%. This became evident from a trial project that Delphy, Saline Farming, and…

Peruvian avocado export grows by 22.7% as Chinese demand increases

Data from the Peruvian Export Association (Adex) shows that the value of Peruvian Hass avocados exports reached 720 million USD between January and November last year. That is a growth of 22.7% in comparison…

Indonesian government enters exclusive cooperation with JD

Chinese distribution drone makes first flight abroad

JD announced during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on the morning of January 22nd, 2019, that one of their drones successfully completed its first flight in Indonesia. This is also the first…

USApple selects 2019 Young Apple Leaders

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) announced its class of 2019 Young Apple Leaders. Twenty-two accomplished and aspiring young women and men were selected by the organization to join with, and learn from,…

J&J Family of Farms announces management promotions

J&J Family of Farms has recently announced some changes that will create new opportunities and new responsibilities for several key members of the J&J team. Dick Bowman will become the VP of Farming and Grower Development and will lead the management and development of all of our grower partner relationships. “Dick, who…

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 pears and apples which was signed…

Chile: Fruit exports grow by 6.13%

According to information from Expordata ASOEX, export of fresh fruits in the 2018-2019 season (from 01-09-2018 to 21-01-2019) amounted to 695,218 tons, i.e. 6.13% more than in the same period of the 2017-2018…

Chile: Authorities evaluate the damage caused by the earthquake in Coquimbo

On Sunday morning, several teams from the Regional Secretariat of Agriculture visited the Region of Coquimbo to assess the damage generated by last Saturday's 6.7-degree earthquake. The work intensified on Monday, and much of the effort has gone to the Province of Limari and Elqui, where the greatest amount…

Costa Rica: Pineapple displaces bananas as the main export product

In 2018, pineapples displaced bananas as the main agricultural export product of Costa Rica, according to data released today by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer). Last year, pineapple sales…

Kenya: Residents of Murang'a want Del Monte Fruit farm sold to highest bidder

Murang'a residents have threatened to invade the land leased by Del Monte in their county if they are not involved in the process of its lease renewal. Through a Murang'a County representatives group, the…

Manitoba surpasses P.E.I in Canadian spud production

The reign of Prince Edward Island is over. Manitoba will soon be the new potato king of Canada. Simplot is spending $400 million to expand its French fry processing plant in Portage la Prairie. The larger factory, double the size of the existing plant, will be operational in early 2020. Simplot will require 16,000 more…

Updated Food Recall Warning for Salmonella

Veg-Pak's Hot Peppers Red Thai and Longo's Hot Red Thai Chili Peppers recalled

The food recall warning issued on January 20, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) food safety investigation. Veg-Pak is recalling Veg-Pak brand Hot Peppers Red Thai and Longo's brand Hot Red Thai…

A study by Nielsen, Vipshop, and Tencent News

Chinese consumers are increasingly more demanding

Many brands and e-commerce outlets are feeling the impact of the Chinese economic slowdown. A new report by Nielsen, Vipshop, and Tencent News points out some surprising opportunities in small cities. According to a study based on data from the e-commerce platform Vipshop (known for the sale of luxury goods at reduced…

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

Qatar research on plant-derived breast cancer therapies

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have published an in-depth study reviewing the effectiveness of plant-derived therapies at fighting the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. The paper is…

Why Tanzania should now become a net food exporter

Tanzania recorded another bumper harvest in the 2017/18 season where 15.9 million tons of food was produced. This is a 20% increase from the previous season, when the nation also produced surplus food, with…

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 government shutdown. In addition, the deadline for…

US Tech: Strawberry labor issues may be helped

Once again, technology has taken strawberry production to the next level. Pete Molero and his team at Plantel Nurseries have come up with a transplanting machine that will address labor challenges in the…

Product recall

Inspectors in New York and Florida discover Salmonella in leafy greens

Food inspectors in New York and Florida detected Salmonella in leafy greens from Satur Farms of Cutchogue, New York. This prompted the company to recall consumer and foodservice packages of baby spinach and mesclun. Satur Farms distributed the leafy greens to retailers in New York and Florida, according to a recall…

Competition and Markets Authority: ruling on Sainsbury's-Asda merger now due at 30 April

Alibaba: new technology to help the blind shop online

UK’s largest independent Co-operative set to expand its food stores in the Cotswolds The Midcounties Co-operative, the UK’s largest independent Co-operative, has agreed a deal to purchase 4 of the Cotswolds-based Warner’s Budgens food stores, a deal that will complete this summer. Midcounties Co-operative…

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