Lighting research consortium brings CEA community industry-ready technologies

Without light, plants can't grow. The continued advance of controlled environment agriculture means that sunlight is often supplemented and in some cases completely replaced by artificial lighting. It works well, but there's one caveat: artificial lighting can take a lot of energy. Reason enough for the…

Further growth for biggest Dutch tomato grower

Agro Care, the biggest tomato grower in the Netherlands in terms of acreage, has acquired Greenco's cultivation location in Wieringermeer. The greenhouse, with 10 hectares of illuminated acreage and 10 hectares of undeveloped land, will handle illuminated cultivation for Greenco for the coming season.…

New temporary location, new tomato varieties

The open day of tomato breeding company Syngenta was not held in the usual demo greenhouse this year. They opted for the brand-new location of Ter Laak in Wateringen. Kris Goen and her colleagues show the visitors the presentations of the various tomato varieties. Depona is a recently introduced cocktail…

Sicilian tomatoes find their place in Europe

Tomato production might slow down in some areas, but it never stops: all of Europe now produces tomatoes 12 months a year but Sicily remains the leading producer.  Giudo Grasso, an administrator at Azienda Agricola Dorilli provided his point of view when it comes to the current table tomato campaign in Italy…

“We grow in the country, for the country”

Fresh herbs have been gaining popularity in the past few years and according to Jonna Hansson from the Swedish herb company Spisa Smaker, the product demand has been steady. The company works mostly with potted herbs, which makes up about 85% of their product while the other 15% of their product is cut…

"Rising interest in hydrosalads, advantageous cultivation techniques should be emphasized more"

Hydrocultures have been making rapid entry into the (Northwest) European trade for several years. In Switzerland, there are currently three farms that are involved in hydro-cultivation. Of these, Wyssa Gemüse is the only one who cultivates hydroponic crops outdoors without covering. Headquartered in the canton…

Winning teams for participation in Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge announced

On Friday 13 September, five winning teams for the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge were announced in Bleiswijk. This followed after a 24-hour hackathon, in which 21 international teams took part. The second edition of the challenge was organised by Wageningen University & Research and Tencent. The five…

The 'shiny object' problem plaguing indoor ag

Joe Swartz, Vice President of Contain vendor American Hydroponics (AmHydro), is a fourth-generation farmer from Western Massachusetts. When it came time for him to take over, he went looking for a way to do things differently. His family had faced numerous challenges with conventional outdoor…

No end in sight for Seed Valley's growth in sales

If you bought tomatoes or lettuce in the supermarket today, there is an excellent chance the seeds came from a Seed Valley company. This is a region in the Netherlands. A…

US (TN): Urban agriculture at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The importance of food and diet in healing and medical treatments is becoming much more widely recognized, so it is only natural for hospitals to realize the value of providing local, organic food to their patients. Having a farm onsite adds to the wellness culture, not only by providing nutritious food…

Turkey: Village generates enough revenue from tomato exports to reverse migration trend

The residents of the Deregumu village in Isparta had started greenhouse tomato production nearly 12 years ago and the production area is right now around 100 hectares. The village grows 10.000 tons of tomatoes annually and nearly 60 % of the village households earn their living through tomato production.…

"China's agricultural technology has benefited us a lot”

The simplified energy-saving solar greenhouse that has just been built in the China- Roman Agricultural Science and Technology Park (Hereinafter referred to as the Park) is more suitable for the Romanian climate and economic development conditions than the glass greenhouse from Western Europe. The first…

China: New agricultural project construction under way

The glass greenhouse of the China-Israel Agriculture Demonstration Park Project, which is located in the Pinghu Agricultural Development Zone, is under construction. With a total investment of 150 million RMB and a total planned area of 120 mu (around 8 hectares), the project will rely on the world's…

Peru: Children learn about growing vegetables

In a small greenhouse in Ica, Peru children learn all about growing vegetables. The Bayer Crop Science team of Peru helped the Santa Maria de Guadulupe House realize a hydroponic system and has entered into partnerships with local companies for selling the vegetables, in order to make the house…

Storm damages experimental greenhouse of the University of Malaga

One of the greenhouses of the Grice Hutchinson Experimental Center, of the University of Málaga, in Spain, has been severely damaged as a result of the weather phenomenon 'Gota fría', which hit the province in the early morning of Saturday 14 September. The greenhouse structure is badly damaged and there…

"Overall decline in demand for courgettes, despite an increase in organic"

In the vegetable growing region of Pfalz, organic farming is rapidly increasing: from last year alone, there was a growth of 20%, both in terms of area and turnover. This is also noticed by Bernd Kugelmann, who cultivates zucchini, pumpkin, celery, leek and lamb's lettuce on 60 hectares of organic farmland…

"Rising interest in hydrosalads, advantageous cultivation techniques should be emphasized more"

Hydrocultures have been making rapid entry into the (Northwest) European trade for several years. In Switzerland, there are currently three farms that are involved in hydro-cultivation. Of these, Wyssa Gemüse is the only one who cultivates hydroponic crops outdoors without covering. Headquartered in the canton…

US: CDFA and GO-Biz announce $600,000 federal grant for California’s global trade expansion program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced that California received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help California small businesses boost trade and exports abroad.…

How can China provide vegetables for 1.4 billion people?

Over the past decade, China's vegetable production has increased and has always been the world's largest. Thanks to the six large key vegetable production areas and technologies such as greenhouse and vegetable breeding, China now can provide its 1.4 billion people with fresh vegetables all year round,…

Winning teams for participation in Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge announced

On Friday 13 September, five winning teams for the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge were announced in Bleiswijk. This followed after a 24-hour hackathon, in which 21 international teams took part. The second edition of the challenge was organised by Wageningen University & Research and Tencent. The five…

Almeria to host the largest center of biotechnology applied to agriculture in Europe

In October, the Almeria-based manufacturer and marketer of fertilizers Kimitec, based in Roquetas and with a factory in La Mojonera, will open the largest center of biotechnology applied to agriculture in Europe. The state-of-the-art facilities have more than 5,000 square meters dedicated to R&D&I in…

United Fresh announces Smart Pass Education Package for 2020

United Fresh Produce Association has announced the member-exclusive Smart Pass Education Package for 2020. The package offers members access to three core annual events with a…

Sunfarming wins innovation award

Sunfarming was awarded the innovation prize for intelligent energy solutions at the CHINT Group conference with over 600 participants from 140 countries. The Global Summit on Market Innovation and Development, hosted by CHINT, China's leading smart energy solution provider, held in Wenzhou from 9-11 September, focused on…

Vertical farming company Kalera names new CEO

On Sept. 17, technology-driven vertical farming company Kalera announced that it has hired veteran foodservice and grocery industry executive Daniel Malechuk as CEO. Kalera’s co-founder and current CEO, Cristian Toma, will move to the role of chief technical officer. The company also announced that J.…

Further growth for biggest Dutch tomato grower

Agro Care, the biggest tomato grower in the Netherlands in terms of acreage, has acquired Greenco's cultivation location in Wieringermeer. The greenhouse, with 10 hectares of illuminated acreage and 10 hectares of undeveloped land, will handle illuminated cultivation for Greenco for the coming season.…

“We grow in the country, for the country”

Fresh herbs have been gaining popularity in the past few years and according to Jonna Hansson from the Swedish herb company Spisa Smaker, the product demand has been steady. The company works mostly with potted herbs, which makes up about 85% of their product while the other 15% of their product is cut…

Urban farming start-up to open Michigan farm on September 30

On September 30th, Square Roots will cut the ribbon and officially open its newest indoor farm on the Gordon Food Service headquarters in Wyoming, Michigan. The company said this is the beginning of a strategic partnership that will see Square Roots’ high-tech farms built on or near Gordon Food Service…

US (TN): Urban agriculture at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The importance of food and diet in healing and medical treatments is becoming much more widely recognized, so it is only natural for hospitals to realize the value of providing local, organic food to their patients. Having a farm onsite adds to the wellness culture, not only by providing nutritious food…

CAN (ON): Roots of cleaner water found in greenhouse waste, says UWindsor student

A University of Windsor PhD student has found old greenhouse tomato roots, which are often thrown out, are better than garlic, cannabis and leek roots in cheaply removing phosphate that can fuel algal blooms. “There are literally tons of them,” chemistry and biochemistry PhD student David Ure said Monday…

Sicilian tomatoes find their place in Europe

Tomato production might slow down in some areas, but it never stops: all of Europe now produces tomatoes 12 months a year but Sicily remains the leading producer.  Giudo Grasso, an administrator at Azienda Agricola Dorilli provided his point of view when it comes to the current table tomato campaign in Italy…

Organic tomatoes 50.7% more expensive than the conventional in the Spanish campaign

According to data from the Prices and Markets Observatory of the Government of Andalusia, in the 2018/2019 season, the price at origin of organic tomatoes was 50.7% higher…

Northern hemisphere officially endured hottest summer on record

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data released Monday, the Northern Hemisphere just officially had its hottest summer on record since 1880. NOAA found the average global surface temperature taken by thousands of thermometers, buoys and other sensors on land and sea tied with…

China’s yuan not very successful in dethroning US dollar as global currency

According to an international survey conducted by the Bank for International Settlements, China’s effort to promote the yuan as a global currency has made only marginal…

No end in sight for Seed Valley's growth in sales

If you bought tomatoes or lettuce in the supermarket today, there is an excellent chance the seeds came from a Seed Valley company. This is a region in the Netherlands. A…

Valencian citrus growers benefit from the rains

Although in other regions the rainfall has dealt hard blows to the agricultural sector, the storms that have been recorded in recent days in the province of Valencia have also…

EU welcomes Member States' support for greater price transparency

Following today's exchange with Member States, the European Commission will now adopt the measures to introduce greater transparency through improved price reporting along the…

UK: ADM Capital's Cibus fund creates new holding company with 230-hectare berry farming acquisition

London-based private equity and advisory firm ADM Capital announced that its Cibus Fund has acquired the majority of the assets, totaling 230 hectares, of international berry producer Hall Hunter Partnership (HHP). With these assets, Cibus will create a new holding company, The Summer Berry Co. Led by…

Canada: The temporary foreign worker program reviewed

The Government of Canada is working with the agriculture sector to modernize the agriculture stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program assists Canadian employers with filling their labour requirements when qualified Canadians and permanent residents are…

"Own crop rotation machines in demand, especially abroad"

New viruses keep on appearing and crops are affected. Unfortunately, there is not always a suitable solution for suppressing it. Plant protection products are often not effective. The crop may have to be removed. Who is going to do that? The present risk of contamination is a source of concern for…

Lighting research consortium brings CEA community industry-ready technologies

Without light, plants can't grow. The continued advance of controlled environment agriculture means that sunlight is often supplemented and in some cases completely replaced by artificial lighting. It works well, but there's one caveat: artificial lighting can take a lot of energy. Reason enough for the…

Eight Canadian food and agtech innovators selected to compete for US$1.25m

Radicle Growth, an acceleration platform for early-stage ag and food technologies, revealed the eight Canadian-based entrepreneurs who will compete at the first-ever…

Harnessing tomato jumping genes could help speed-breed drought-resistant crops

Once dismissed as ‘junk DNA’ that served no purpose, a family of ‘jumping genes’ found in tomatoes has the potential to accelerate crop breeding for traits such as improved drought resistance. Rider transposons are well-known for causing the elongated shape that we see in plum tomatoes, but new research…

Rain demolishes over 200 hectare of Spanish greenhouses

Rain has damaged over 200 hectares of greenhouses in Spain. Mainly in the region of Níjar the damage is said to be of historical size. Among the damaged crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and zucchini. Since the damage is very regional, for example the pepper crops of El Ejido have been untouched.  The…

Strawberries researched in development of insulin pill

More than 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes and must inject themselves with insulin two to four times daily. Researchers have been looking for ways to administer the…

"There is an uptick in use of paper and aluminum-based packaging"

Frost & Sullivan’s latest analysis, 'Global Food and Beverage (F&B) Packaging Market, Forecast to 2030', reveals that the need to reduce material usage and develop more…

Scientists find a way to get kids to eat more vegetables

Some children are pretty picky eaters and parents may struggle to get them to eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. This problem is compounded by readily available…

"Peat is part of the answer"

Growing Media Europe (GME) participated in the CEO Meeting of the International Peatland Society (IPS) and the Baltic Peat Producers Forum (BPPF) 2019 held on 4-5 September in Palanga, Lithuania. Both events dealt, among other topics, with the overarching question of the future availability of peat as a highly valuable resource…

IFOAM - Organics International elects new Vice President

Karen Mapusua has been unanimously appointed as IFOAM - Organics International's newest Vice President. Karen will assume the role straightaway as the successor to current Vice President and Executive Board Member, Frank Eyhorn. In her new capacity, Karen will serve alongside President Peggy Miars and…

"It is difficult to lower the temperature in the vegetable core to the required four degrees."

Lettuce, carrots, radish: In a heat wave like we had last week, vegetable farmers have to come up with something, so that the goods still arrive fresh on the shelf. Lettuces, carrots, radish and cauliflower are currently piled up in green boxes in the cold store of the Gartenbauzentrale Main-Donau. The air…

Berry Gardens Ltd

Good luck to our colleagues, Oliver, Steven R, Stephen S riding London to Paris for Bloodwise. #bloodwise #cycleforcharity Enjoy! https://t.co/QqN0RP6M7v pic.twitter.com/LFASL7WJBp — Berry Gardens Ltd (@berrygardensltd) September 18, 2019

Products recalled after spinach found to be potentially contaminated with E. coli

Urban Remedy, a California-based producer and retailer of ultra-fresh, organic meals, is voluntarily recalling 76 salads and wraps that contain spinach that may be contaminated with E. coli. Seventy-six salads and wraps are still unaccounted for. No juices or any other products are being recalled. “In an…

Europe institutes emergency regulations on ToBRFV

The Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) will get a quarantine status (Q status), starting November 1. From that day on, a European emergency regulation will come into force, which includes that each case of the virus in Europe must be made public. The decision was made by the European Commission in…

New temporary location, new tomato varieties

The open day of tomato breeding company Syngenta was not held in the usual demo greenhouse this year. They opted for the brand-new location of Ter Laak in Wateringen. Kris Goen and her colleagues show the visitors the presentations of the various tomato varieties. Depona is a recently introduced cocktail…

Netherlands: NFU Energy join Jules Energy for their bike adventure

At the beginning of September Mike, Elisa, Ed and Steven of NFU Energy joined the Jules and Friends Bike Event 2019, where they would be cycling between 50 and 100 km a day. Here is how they got on… Mike, Elisa and Steven loaded the car up Thursday evening immediately after work and set off for Harwich…

That time when Netto put cats in their supermarket

Having a rough start of the week? We'll help you with this one. Let's look back at 2006 when German retailer Netto decided to create a mini supermarket fully equipped for cats. Including the cucumber scare!   

The 'shiny object' problem plaguing indoor ag

Joe Swartz, Vice President of Contain vendor American Hydroponics (AmHydro), is a fourth-generation farmer from Western Massachusetts. When it came time for him to take over, he went looking for a way to do things differently. His family had faced numerous challenges with conventional outdoor…

Choose wisely!