Friday, March 8, 2019
	EUROPE

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OVERVIEW GLOBAL GRAPEFRUIT MARKET

Florida grapefruit, which is considered the best of its kind in many countries, is still available. Globally, however, traders lament that the total production volume is gradually falling each year, mostly as a result of citrus greening and the weather conditions. Most of the grapefruit currently on the…

Dunkirk and Calais strike continues

Hauliers now refusing to send trucks to UK

French customs officials in Calais and Dunkirk are continuing their protests in order to demonstrate what will happen after Brexit, when greater controls will have to be put into place for those crossing the channel. They say France isn’t ready for Brexit. The protests started earlier this week, and have…

Egyptian onions in demand thanks to European shortage

The season for golden onions in Egypt is in full swing and it’s been a pretty good one so far. There seems to be more demand for the golden onions, but Egyptian growers and traders will have to prepare for the future. Climate change is upon us and one Egyptian trader feels they need to improve to be able to…

Raffaele Bucella from Granfrutta Zani

Italy: Slow kiwi and pear market, livelier apple demand

The winter market saw low kiwi prices, pears stable at more or less the same level as last year, a slight increase in apple consumption and persimmons with good prices despite the amount of waste during processing," reports Raffaele Bucella, market manager for Granfrutta Zani. "We thought kiwis would pick up, but consumption…

J.A. García: "We don't want to blame other countries for the current campaign"

Ambitious project for Spanish lemon and grapefruit

Ailimpo, the Lemon and Grapefruit Interprofessional Association, has approved the Standard Extension project for the next five years, with a budget of up to 4,770,000 Euro for the next five seasons (September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2024). The goal is to carry out actions that allow the lemon and grapefruit…

“On the French market, we must offer tomatoes of excellent taste quality”

The company Les Cailloux en Provence offers 30 varieties of old tomatoes grown in the ground. “We have been cultivating those tomatoes for 15 years,” declares Thierry Boyer, director of the company. “At some point, we realized that the French consumer did not like the round tomatoes in bulk, which have very…

María Dolores Pelegrín, of Apemar:

"Turkish competition is increasingly tougher for Spanish grapefruit"

The Spanish grapefruit season has already passed its peak, since between 65 and 70% of the production has already been harvested. Prices have not been high, despite the decline in the production, which ranges between 15 and 20%, depending on the production area, explains Mª Dolores Pelegrín, manager of…

Andreas Schindler sees a yearning for authenticity

"Increasing demand for sincerity in a world which so often seems fake"

Sustainability along the supply chain is currently a particularly important topic. At the same time, the term itself is becoming increasingly complex - especially in an environment of increasing production capacities and turnover rates. According to Andreas Schindler, Managing Director of Don Limon, the key…

UK: Warm February brings asparagus back on track

The warm weather at the end of February has brought on the asparagus in the Wye Valley, but it won’t be an especially early season according to Chris Chinn of Cobrey Farms. “The warm weather at the end of February was enough to get us from what was looking like a very late season to being back to average timings, if it had stayed…

Jan Preiss, Preiss Agrar, Handel & Beratung e.K.

"Consumers prefer citrus fruits from the EU compared other, third countries"

"Spain is the most important source of citrus fruit in the German market, but we do not trade Spanish goods because there are many other companies that do so, and there are increasingly direct partnerships between cooperatives in Spain and German retail chains," says Jan Price from Preiss Agrar, Handel &…

Special Australia / New Zealand

NZ: Mr Apple's new varieties pass consumer tests as production prepares to ramp up

New Zealand apple suppler, Mr Apple NZ Ltd. is excited about two new varieties that will become available in commercial quantities over the next two seasons. Retail Sales Manager, and China Market Manager, Ben McLeod says the trials and consumer research done into the Posy and Dazzle on both has been extremely positive to…

Global Focus Grapes

"The quality of our Chinese grapes is guaranteed by adherence to organic standards throughout the production process"

"The new production season of our grapes begins every year in the middle of July, provided that weather conditions are regular. The production season continues until the end of December. At the moment we mainly supply grapes from storage. The retail conditions are still quite ideal. Looking at the price, for…

Estimate is 30% down, but massive expansion and new growing regions exert upward pressure

South Africa: Heatwave reduces Hass, but avo crop could still surprise

South Africa has opened its 2019/19 avocado season, one that will not repeat what has been called the “astronomical increase” (or “an inundation of avocados”) of last year. The new crop will be roughly 30% lower, but, like last season, the figure could perhaps later be adjusted upwards. “We might still be surprised on our current estimate,…

The focus of Lab Innova's programme of this year: fruit and vegetables (in collaboration with Macfrut)

Stronger relationship between Italy and African countries

The African market for fruit and vegetables has significantly grown over the past years. Thanks to the relationship with Italian enterprises, and via Macfrut, they have been able to discuss supply and demand issues. This is the objective of the international training program "Lab Innova - Africa…

Also in Battipaglia the situation is positive, while in Puglia cultivations are being damaged by frost

Artichokes are now being harvested in Marche at a very good price

Currently, the prices of artichokes are very satisfying in the entire country and hopefully they will remain positive at least until Easter. The quality is excellent, with some issues in Puglia due to frost. In the last few days Mauro Masini, of the "Microplant" company that is specialized, among other…

Gottfried Kreimer, Kreimer Obst & Gemüsehandelsgmbh Wien:

"Constant sales of Austrian edible flowers"

Herbs and edible flowers are among the most popular products with gastronomers. At Vienna's Inzersdorf Wholesale Market, more and more retailers are currently reacting to this trend by presenting their own pronounced ranges of herbs. Gottfried Kreimer - owner of the wholesaler of the same name - has…

Sustainable packaging solution presented for the first time at Biofach 2019

"Robust cotton nets, use again and again"

Instead of plastic bags there are also reusable cotton bags for fruits and vegetables. The renunciation of plastic goes hand in hand with a wave of new, innovative packaging alternatives. As part of these changes, Kerler GmbH presented its fruit and vegetable nets made of cotton for the first time at this…

Quantities of Sardinian artichokes should increase in one or two weeks' time

Artichoke harvesting started around twenty days ago in Sardinia and the same should also be true for Puglia and Sicily. However, volumes are not high due to a previous period characterized by heavy rain,…

Consistent increase in quotations during February at the Lusia Fresh Produce Market

February was characterized by temperatures below zero at night and mild during the day and by the almost total lack of rain. These excellent weather conditions meant operations in the fields such as soil preparation, sowing, planting…

Survey: Campaign for the outermost region labels and consumer motivation

The Exotic Taste of Europe campaign was present this year at the International Agricultural Show (SIA) in Paris, with a special booth for outermost region labels in order to draw the consumers. It was an opportunity for the team to ask the general public about their perception of the sectors concerned by the…

Del Monte Pacific turns $2.6 million profit compared to $38 million net loss last year

Fruit and Vegetable trader Del Monte Pacific managed to lower "one-off" expenses for its US subsidiary, which helped deliver a third-quarter net profit of US$2.6 million, compared to a net loss of US$38.4…

Agrargenossenschaft Heringen separates from fruit-growing division

"With a heavy heart, we decided to stop fruit production"

For four weeks in August, they brought in water daily to irrigate the apple and cherry trees. Nevertheless, "It is becoming apparent that the damage of last year's drought will remain. With a heavy heart, we…

Hall 10 – Stand H58

Schoeller Allibert: Latest innovations on show at the CFIA 2019 in Rennes, France

Schoeller Allibert, the European market leader of reusable plastic packaging and containers, exhibits each year at CFIA Rennes (France), the major international agri-food fair. At the 2019 edition held from March 12th to 14th at the Parc Expo of Rennes Aéroport, some of the company’s latest solutions will be…

Calavo Growers’ income stabilized in First Fiscal-Quarter 2019

After having reported a net loss in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2018, avocado and fruit supplier Calavo Growers seem to be recovering, according to their fiscal first-quarter 2019 report. Despite lower prices…

The Gariguette strawberries arrive on French market stalls

Spring has come earlier than expected. The Gariguette strawberries arrived two weeks early on the market stalls of Casteljaloux because of the summer temperatures and the exceptional sunshine in…

Sapros GmbH presents new snack salad cups

"Handmade snacks have a place on all To Go shelves"

Sapros GmbH, headquartered in Ilsfeld, on the 7th of March launched a new product line for the To Go market. Labeled SalatCup, there is now a line of salad mixes in four different variations. The expansion of the convenience range goes hand in hand with the growing demand for healthy snacks in appropriate…

Spain is the only country able to guarantee a stable, year-round pepper supply

Spain is currently the EU's largest producer and exporter of peppers, with approximately 750,000 tons sold each year in Europe's main supermarket chains and large stores. One of the main reasons for this leadership is the…

Fruit and veg exports to the UK rise slightly

Brexit does not yet seem to be hindering the export of fruit and vegetables. Last year, this trade increased slightly by 0,8 per cent. In 2018 the total export value of fruit and vegetables was EUR1,397…

Unió de Llauradors:

Spain: "Only 39% of the expected citrus volume has been withdrawn for juicing"

The exhaustion this campaign and the advance of the Spanish general elections to April 28 have taken momentum away from the summit announced in February by Minister Luis Planas, which was intended for those in…

McDonald’s signs agreement with Florette

McDonald’s signed up with the five French agricultural cooperatives in the fruit and vegetable sector of Florette. At its Torreilles and Saint Pol de Léon locations (Finistère), Florette develops and packages…

Netherlands: Exports to Britain dropping for second year in a row

The Dutch national statistics agency CBS has reported that exports of goods from the Netherlands to Britain fell 1% last year to just over €20 billion , but rose 4% to the EU as a whole. It is the second year in a row that Dutch exports to Britain have fallen. In 2016 they actually rose 7%. Britain accounts for an…

3rd National Stone Fruit Congress

Murcia is the second largest stone fruit producer in Spain

Murcia's Councillor of Agriculture, Miguel Ángel del Amor, closed the latest edition of the National Stone Fruit Congress, held in the region. More than 700 agricultural producers and researchers have attended…

CMA CGM updates its Europe / Indian Ocean and Australia offering by upgrading NEMO service

The CMA CGM Group, a shipping group, reinforces its Europe / Indian Ocean & Australia offering by upgrading its NEMO service, which liaises North Europe and the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean Islands…

Spain: Hortofrutícola Mabe invests 25 M€ in its new facilities

Hortofrutícola Mabe is working to complete the construction works of its new facilities, located in El Ejido. The project, which will require a total investment of approximately 25 million Euro, is expected to be completed by the beginning of the next agricultural campaign (2019-2020), so it is already in…

Avocado Love restaurant opens in Madrid

If you see life as an avocado, Avocado Love will fascinate you. It is a restaurant where its flagship product is this craze-inducing fruit. The phenomenon of creating restaurants specialised in this green…

Economy of Turkey: Grim outlook for 2019

According to an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecast, the Turkish economy will contract by as much as 1.8% this year. This prediction came out in a week that saw opposition newspapers…

"Pumpkins increasingly popular on the Chinese market"

"Most pumpkins currently on the market in south China come from Myanmar and Laos. The current purchase price is around 4-5 yuan [0.60-0.74 USD] per 0.5 kg with retail prices on e-commerce platforms around 8-10 yuan [1.19-1.49 USD] per 0.5 kg. Of course, the product quality, production volume, and price all…

NZ: The Kiwifruit Claim preparing to enter the appeals stage

New Zealand kiwifruit growers and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) will both begin their respective cases in the Court of Appeal next week. Last June, the NZ High court ruled that the MPI (formally MAF) was negligent on several different occasions when it allowed Psa disease into New Zealand in 2009 after a…

Strong growth of the group is reflected in this new milestone

Aldi opens its 200th branch in Switzerland

On the 7.of March, Aldi opens its 200th branch in Switzerland in Lugano. It took about 15 years for the discounter to get to that number. Aldi started preparing for market entry in mid-2004, and in autumn 2005…

Flowers wilt faster when near fruit

Roses wilt and boats sink, but vases could best be placed nowhere near a kitchen sink. A beautiful bouquet of flowers deserves a good spot in your home. However, make sure you don’t place it near a fruit bowl.…

Steady plantain imports meet good demand

Supplies of plantains from South America are steady right now. “We get supplies mainly out of Ecuador and Guatemala. They are both year-round producers,” says Alan Goldberg with A&B Tropical Produce in Miami, Fl. “Supplies are pretty consistent with last year at this point.” Given plantains are in stronger demand in the colder months…

Challenging start to purple asparagus trial

A green asparagus grower with a well-established program that is currently running in the Caborca area has for the first time launched a small purple asparagus trial. Grown adjacent to their existing green asparagus fields, Desert Farms planted the purple asparagus on a 10 hectare field. "This is the first season we…

Japan imports record volume of frozen vegetables, China supplies 50%

Japan imported a record volume of frozen vegetables in 2018, for the second year in a row. Frozen vegetables are popular in the Japanese restaurant business because they do not expire easily and they require…

Cherries take the leaad

Growing sales volume of imported fruit in China

Data from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture shows that China imported 8.42 billion USD worth of fruit last year. That is a growth of 34.5% in comparison with 2017. The cherry is a leading example of import…

Driscoll's expands Fair Trade Certified™ farms in Baja, Mexico

In 2019, Driscoll’s said its Fair Trade program increased acreage by nearly 14 percent with the goal of being 100 percent Fair Trade Certified™ by the end of 2019. This means an additional 1,000 workers can positively benefit from the program. This expansion builds on the company's multi-year Fair Trade USA partnership which…

Produce importer/exporter opens tropical fruit division in Colombia

Terra Exports, a multi-national import and export trading company, opened a new Central and South American division for tropical fruit to kick off the new year, based in Colombia. Last year, Terra Exports said it tripled the sales they previously achieved in tropical fruit and opened this division in response to continuously…

National Mango Board’s frozen mango amendment referendum

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting an amendment referendum among eligible first handlers and importers of mangos in the U.S., to determine the inclusion of frozen mango in the National…

Valley of Rio Negro and Neuquen

Argentine pear and apple exports dropped by 16%

Pear and apple exports of pears from the Valley of Rio Negro and Neuquen to overseas markets amounted to 40,598 tons in the first two months of the year. This is nearly 16% less than in the same date of the…

APAL officials visit growers of new variety in Tasmania

Head of Commercial & Bra nd Development Craig Chester, who manages new apple variety projects on behalf of APAL, accompanied Gary Hopewell and Allan McWaters from the DAF to the Huon Valley. There they…

MSC enhances Australia Express service

MSC is upgrading its Australia Express service between Europe / Indian Ocean and Australia. Starting in September 2019, a new partnership will be implemented between MSC and CMA CGM to operate a joint service linking the North West Continent and the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean and Australia on the…

Evolution of bird scaring tactics

New Zealand: Marlborough vineyards scare birds with drones

Grape growers will go to great lengths to protect their crops and without them, birds can significantly damage to vineyards. Common tactics used in Marlborough to keep birds at bay include fake hawk kites, netting, shot guns, gas guns, reflective tape, even releasing hawks. But technology is changing the bird scaring ball…

This March: Ratification process Peru - CPTPP

Yesterday, Peruvian Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Edg ar Vasquez affirmed that the internal ratification process of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will…

Rwanda: Horticulture exports grow by 80 percent

Rwanda’s horticulture exports increased by from $5 million in 2005 to $25 million in 2018, occasioned by new products on the market. This was reported by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal…

Organic Trade Association launches Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions program

In a major step by the organic industry to fight against fraud in the global organic system, the Organic Trade Association on Wednesday announced the official launching of its groundbreaking Organic Fraud…

Honeybear Brands

Shipments of southern hemisphere premium Honeycrisp underway

Honeybear Brands, am importer of Honeycrisp apples from the southern hemisphere, announced today that the first shipments of the company’s 2019 Chilean Honeycrisp are leaving their southern hemisphere orchards and will begin to arrive on retailer shelves no later than April 15, 2019. The crop represents the…

Exports of citrus fruits from Uruguay decreased significantly

In recent years, exports of citrus fruits from Uruguay, namely oranges, lemons, grapefruit and tangerines, have declined significantly. Exports of citrus fruits from Uruguay decreased by 14.6%, and at the same…

Global potato exports in dollar value

During 2017, worldwide sales from potato exports by country totaled US$4.1 billion for unprocessed potatoes. The value of shipments for prepared and/or preserved potatoes -including frozen French fries-…

Median age in Europe

So young people are 'green' and older people feel 'blue'? How rude.

Summer Ice Extent 1970 - 2100

This is a bit depressing.

Waitrose & Partners: higher sales and a recovery in operating profits in FY 2018

ICA: 42% growth in online sales in FY 2018

UK: Wales to 'lead the way' in cutting plastic bag use Welsh shoppers will be the first in the UK to trial a scheme to cut the use of plastic bags. Supermarket chain Lidl is removing 9p plastic bags from all of its 54 stores in Wales after identifying they were increasingly only being used once. The move is…

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