"Corona has hit high frequency locations particularly hard"

The Corona crisis has had a serious impact on sales in the food industry, especially in the hospitality industry. This is also being felt by manufacturers and suppliers in the convenience sector. "The sales sectors that are important for us, such as canteens, service stations and petrol stations -the…

COVID-19: what’s the ROI on the industry’s pandemic investments?

Six months into the pandemic, the fresh produce industry has felt the economic impact of investing in greater resources around COVID-related safety—whether it’s educating workers, implementing physical distancing and more. But, as this week’s PMA virtual town hall discussed: what effect have these…

"Good start for greenhouse vegetables from Almería"

"When I arrived in Almería 34 years ago, exports often stopped around the end of May and started again sometime in October. For a number of years now, greenhouse vegetable exports from Almería have continued for all twelve months a year," says Kees Havenaar of Frutas Luna. "Large cooperatives can no…

China currency nudges toward best quarter since 1981

China is witnessing a rapid advance in the yuan, as traders push the currency toward its largest quarterly numbers on record. The yuan has strengthened 4.4 per cent since the end of June to 6.7620 per dollar, set for the biggest ever quarterly gain since 1981. The currency is the best performer in Asia…

Greenyard returns to profitable growth and raises adjusted EBITDA guidance

On 27 August Greenyard announced a firm sales increase for the first quarter of this fiscal year. This was the third consecutive quarter of sales growth and the profitable…

Australia: Queensland govt could give fruit picking students discounts on their college fees

The Queensland government is considering giving students discounts on their university fees if they pick fruit and vegetables in the state. Under the proposed plan to fill a…

Government of Victoria sets aside $17 million to address labor shortages

The Victoria state government has announced it will provide targeted funding to attract seasonal workers to the regions. Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes says a $17 million…

The launch of innovations in the European market increased by 46% during the lockdown

An average of 120 references are launched on the European consumer market every day. However, according to Nielsen Bases' Breakthrough Innovation Report, in the first half of this year, coinciding with the lockdown, the average increased by 46% to 175. According to Celine Grena, the director of Nielsen…

Fruit and vegetable differentiating formats gain market

Constant innovation has led the agricultural sector to adapt to the new demands of consumers by developing innovative healthy, high-nutritional, great-tasting products. One of…

Mexican vegetable season starts strong with extra safety precautions

Bridges Produce’s Fall 2020 Mexican season has begun with new crop organic items shipping out of Nogales, AZ. Bridges' Mexican line-up is very robust with strong volumes expected and start dates are on schedule. Slicer Cucumbers are going strong, shipping from two grower partners with English Cucumbers…

Jamaica: 100 growers to benefit from $3.6-million project

According to Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, approximately 100 growers across the island will benefit from the distribution of 70,000 vegetable seedlings and…

Good demand and prices for the first peppers from Almeria

The pepper harvest has started recently in Almería; earlier than usual, because producers had planted earlier. As the days go by, the supply will gradually increase, although the volumes are still limited and won't become significant until the end of September or the beginning of October. For the time…

Kroger’s second quarter sales climbed $30.49bln

Bigger customer base portends more growth for U.S. online grocery marketDespite a drop-off from a June peak, U.S. online grocery sales are nearly five times what they were a year ago, according to the Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. Sales from online grocery delivery and pickup…

First Spanish horticultural plant certified against COVID-19

The company SERVIAGRO 2000, devoted to the export of organic citrus fruits, has become the first company in its sector in Spain to obtain the AgroCovid-19 certificate issued by SOHISCERT, which serves to approve the measures adopted to guarantee protection against COVID-19. The certificate has been…

US backs off from tomato import ban from Xinjian, China

Last week it was announced the US was preparing orders to block imports of tomato products and cotton from China’s western region of Xinjiang. The reason relate to alleged…

India: Tomatoes more expensive than apples

In India, one can now find tomatoes that are costlier than apples. The price hovered around Rs60 (€0.75) per kg, somewhat higher than that of the golden variety of apple,…

State governments invest heavily to attract Aussie workers to horticulture jobs during COVID-19 pandemic

Tasmanians are responding in droves to the recent agricultural jobs campaign, according to the State Government, which is encouraging the residents to roll the sleeves up and help vital primary industries. Minister for Primary Industries and Water Guy Barnett says this is a great opportunity for…

USDA PACA updates

As part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has filed an…

Irish minister McConalogue: "Agri-food companies must get ready for Brexit"

The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today called on companies in the agri-food and fisheries sectors to urgently complete their…

NIFA awards over $10.7 mln to support Hispanic-serving institutions' ag science programs

This competitive grant program is intended to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic Serving Institutions to conduct higher education programs in the food and…

Empire: First-quarter profit rose nearly 50%

US: Publix takes No.1 spot on People magazine’s 50 Companies that Care list6 retailers have been recognized for succeeding in business while also showing outstanding respect, care and concern for their employees, their communities and the environment - especially during the pandemic. Publix took the top…

SACFEL: “A dynamic campaign for French summer vegetables”

The summer vegetable campaign is in full swing for the company SACFEL, located in the Lot-et-Garonne. According to Mickaël Bazile, sales representative at SACFEL, the season has been quite dynamic for the eggplants and bell peppers. “The demand has been high since the beginning of the campaign. We…

First Amazon Fresh outside California

US: Kroger Dallas division associates ratify new contractThe Kroger Co. announced that associates working at 98 stores across Kroger's Dallas division ratified a new labor agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 1000. "Across the Kroger family of companies, we are proud…

Extremadura's tomato production fell 20% due to the intense heat in July

According to Extremadura's Grouping of Agricultural Cooperatives (Acopaex), this season's tomato production will be 20% lower than the figures that were initially expected as…

IGrowYourFood campaign on September 25

Ifoam is planning on storming Twitter on September 25 with the #IGrowYourFood. They have launched the video below to help growers make nice, clear videos and pictures in which they can tell their message.  Find more about the campaign here, at IFOAM.

Trump and Biden campaign representatives to discuss plans for produce industry

Representatives of the Trump and Biden Presidential Campaigns will tangle live at the United Fresh Annual Washington Conference, advocating their case for why their candidate is the best choice for the produce industry to lead the country for the next four years. “We don’t expect fisticuffs online, but…

Australian MPs back proposal to give refugees residency for fruit picking

Both Australian government and opposition MPs are backing a proposal to have refugees fill vital fruit and vegetable picking jobs left behind by backpackers, who are locked…

Everli partners with Kaufland in Poland

Everli (by Supermercato24), a European grocery e-commerce marketplace, officially announces a partnership with Kaufland in Poland, which will cover 17 cities. Starting today, the partnership will allow people from 17 Cities in Poland (including Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Poznań, and Łódź) to order…

CBP officers discover $6.6 million in hard narcotics at Hidalgo and Pharr International Bridges

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted a load of hard narcotics consisting of alleged methamphetamine and heroin that was concealed within a commercial shipment of produce arriving from Mexico. CBP officers also…

HollandDoor

Strengthening horticulture in Jordan

HollandDoor is granted permission for a 2-year program to strengthen the horticultural sector in Jordan. In this project, funded by Nuffic and the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs, the aim is to strengthen the main practical training center for the private sector managed by the Agricultural…

Walmart tests drone delivery

US: Walmart to hear from 850 entrepreneurs in the October virtual Open CallWalmart has narrowed the field of prospective suppliers down to 850 participants for this year’s virtually conducted Open Call slated for October 1. The retailer sifted through more than 4,800 product pitches this year, a 44% increase from the number of…

Fresh produce beats 2019 Labor Day results in tough week

The last full week of August saw the smallest increases since the start of the pandemic across virtually all departments. Prior months had shown weak final week of the month sales and, in this case, the results were further influenced by a much earlier Labor Day in 2019 that fell on September 2. That…

Tomato shortage follows lockdown

Tomato prices rose 38 percent in August 2020 to a weighted average price of $13.65 per kilo, an all-time high, Stats NZ said today. A shortage of tomatoes due to COVID-19 uncertainty caused higher…

Hishtil on the advantages of home gardening

Hard times prompt people to grow their own food. And while now more than ever, as people are getting out their gardening gloves and spades, the most recent pandemic is not the only reason people are running out to plant their favourite vegetables and herbs. Stronger than fear, are factors such as growing…

Government of Pakistan bans import of Iranian vegetables

Pakistan’s Department of Plant Protection (DPP)’s quarantine unit, which is responsible for keeping a check on the import and export of edible goods, has banned the import of…

Vietnam: Promotion of supply and demand of Eco-Fair Agri-food processing products

The project 'Promotion of supply and demand of Eco-Fair Agri-food processing products in Vietnam' (Eco-fair), funded by the European Union, began to implement from April 2020. Center for Sustainability Study and Consultancy (CCS) - the member of Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform together with…

How will the market for dried Chinese pepper react to the disastrous market developments of fresh peppers?

The market price of small peppers in northern China recently stopped falling and stabilized as the trade volume of peppers from refrigerated storage began to grow. The price…

Netherlands: Large price differences in peppers

Dutch bell pepper prices have been decent for weeks, but there is a big difference between the prices per size. Large sizes in particular currently yield high prices, but here the supply is limited. "For the rest of the season, the vast majority of the peppers will be a bit smaller," predicts Berry…

Tomato prices are returning to normal, mainly the Netherlands stands out

There is a bit of movement in tomato prices. What is striking is that in particular the Netherlands, the country with the low margins, is now the only one above the five-year average with an average price per kilo of 63 euro cents. A price that is on the same level as 2019 and that is also close to the…

India displays growing horticulture edge

The NHM, a centrally-sponsored scheme, was launched in 2005-06 with one of its major objectives being to increase horticulture production and doubling farmers’ income.…

Mexico: Inflation hits 15-month high on fresh produce prices

Rises in the prices of fruits and vegetables -as well as other goods- pushed Mexico’s annual inflation to its highest level in 15 months in August. It came out about half a…

USDA cites Hunter Bros. Inc. in Pennsylvania for PACA violations

As a part of its efforts to enforce the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and ensure fair trading practices within the U.S. produce industry, the U.S. Department of…

USDA seeks input on ready-to-go technologies and practices

To further the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) work on the Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA today announced it is seeking public- and private-sector…

UK supermarket group Morrisons anticipates border delays

Morrisons is the UK’s fourth largest supermarket group. On Thursday, a statement went out saying it anticipated delays at borders in the event of the UK failing to reach a…

Delay of Spanish zucchini leads to shortages in European markets

The agricultural season started in Almería in early September, although the European markets are still short of zucchini at a time when the Spanish production should be…

Salinas growers deal with heat, ash and air quality concerns

With more than 2.1 million acres of California with active wildfires burning on them, smoky, dark orange skies hang above the state, including over the entire Salinas Valley growing region. The concern for Salinas crops remains largely around ash. “The amount of ash falling this week is maybe 10 to 20…

"Investment in greenhouse farming is my priority"

Mr Bernard Opoku Marfo, the NDC Parliamentary aspirant for the Kumawu Constituency says investment in greenhouse farming would be a priority when elected into office. This,…

Slight increase in EU27 agri-food trade despite Coronavirus and Brexit challenges

Continued strong exports of EU pork and wheat helped to mitigate the trade challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit in the first five months of 2020. As a result of these challenges,…

Smart greenhouse provides Chinese town with fresh veggies

Departing from Zhaojue County in China, heading west along National Highway 356, about 30 minutes' drive, you will arrive at the Fuzhao Modern Agricultural Industrial Park in Sikai Township, Zhaojue County. This is one of the key projects to help Zhaojue County in Fucheng District, Mianyang City. The…

Market study on plant propagation material in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is moving from an inward-oriented economic model towards a more open, integrated and export-driven economy. With the support of the EU, World Bank, FAO and Asian Development Bank, an agri-food development strategy for 2020–2030 was created by the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan and…

Russia: 15 ha greenhouse complex to be constructed in Tver region

The government of the Tver region (Russia) have discussed financial support of an investment project in Kuvshinovo town. The construction of the greenhouse complex is carried…

Filipino growers donate millions worth of unsold vegetables to citizens of La Trinidad

La Trinidad is the capital of the province of Benguet in the Philippines. Filipino growers and traders have been donating millions of pesos worth of unsold assorted vegetables…

Russia: Farmer's School to educate future growers

The specialists of Russian cultivation company AIC Eco-kultura will become the ambassadors of the unique project Farmer’s School by Rosselkhozbank and will take upon themselves the task of educating the participants in the basics, the nuances and the practical matters of the greenhouse business. The…

Metro Canada is accelerating the roll-out of the FoodHero app

US: PriceSmart announces August net merchandise sales and earnings releasePriceSmart, Inc. announced that for the month of August 2020 net merchandise sales increased 0.9% to $262.4mln from $260.0mln in August a year earlier. Foreign currency exchange fluctuations impacted net merchandise sales…

Spain: Which Spanish regions would be most affected by Brexit tariffs?

Murcia, Valencia, Galicia and Aragón are the regions most potentially exposed to the consequences of a no-deal Brexit. This is due to the relative weight of their trade with the British market but also to their export specialization According to a report by the Banco de España, these regions would be…

CAN (ON): Governments investing over $7.9 mln to help farmers bring safe food to market

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing more than $7.9 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help farmers improve their business operations and…

Nine Singapore farms awarded almost S$40 mln in grants to increase local food production

Nine companies have been awarded grants totalling S$39.4 million under a scheme to strengthen Singapore's food security, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on September 9.…

US intent on banning tomato imports from Xinjiang, China

US Customs and Border Protection officials have prepared orders to block imports of tomato products (as well as cotton) from China’s western region of Xinjiang. Although a…

Turn-key business models of feeding & greening megacities

According to FAO (2016), the production of fruit and vegetables in the world would have to triple to provide a healthy diet for everyone. The combination of continued rapid urbanisation of China, growing urban middle class, and COVID-19 means that the demand for nutritious, trustworthy, safe, and premium…

Agroparks in the U.S. - a horn of plenty for investors?

America is known as the land of opportunity. When it comes to greenhouse horticulture though, there's still a world to win. With a large amount of greenhouse vegetables being imported from Canada and Mexico, and food production not always concentrated in the highly populated East and West Coast, there is…

“Our drones can deliver orders within 3 minutes from shops directly to consumers”

This week’s PMA virtual town hall focused on the ‘last mile delivery’ – the last step in the supply chain, which is often considered to be most crucial and problematic. As the pandemic hit, distributing produce directly to consumers became more popular but the challenge of actually delivering the…

Beginning of the dried herb season in France

The arrival of autumn marks the beginning of the dried herb season at Les Herbes du Roussillon, producer of aromatic herbs in Argelès-sur-Mer. According to Anthony Lepage, head of business development at the company, the situation on the market is very positive. “French aromatic herbs are very popular in…

UK: Low Carbon Farming may miss out on Non-Domestic RHI

The council has described developer Low Carbon Farming’s request for a rapid approval of its plans to build two 18-acre greenhouses as 'ambitious and unrealistic', and the…

UAE and Israel discuss closer co-operation in food and water security

The Emirati Minister of State for Food Security and the Israeli Minister of Agriculture discussed opportunities for closer collaboration in achieving better food and water security. Both countries have made significant investments in agricultural and water research and development to find innovative…

ANE

Fruit and veg for half of Europe are grown on 3% of Almeria's acreage

The greenhouses of Almería account for just 3% of the total acreage of ​​this Andalusian province; however, these have the capacity to supply fresh fruit and vegetables for salads to countries and markets in more than half of Europe, mainly Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands,…

'Availability of native, Dutch and Belgian cucumbers was limited'

The availability of local, Dutch and Belgian cucumbers was limited. First Spanish offers arrived in Berlin and were with 4,- to 6,- € per 12-package much cheaper than the Central European lots. In general, the notparticularly strong demand can be satisfied without difficulty. Nevertheless, valuations…

LAN Bogota

Dutch perspectives for the Colombian horticultural sector

In a virtual event organised by the Agriculture Department of the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Colombia (LAN Bogota), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency – RVO and N&S del Trópico, with the support of the Dutch-Colombian Chamber of Commerce – Holland House Colombia, the documents entitled 'Taste the Future…

UK: HOPS will not recruit seasonal labour in 2021 season

HOPS has informed growers of its decision to not recruit seasonal labour for the 2021 season in light of current market conditions. HOPS, which has been providing seasonal…

“Belgian strawberry prices - from rock bottom to skyhigh”

"Strawberry prices have been on a high level since the start of the season. However, two weeks ago, these prices plummetted. Strawberry prices dropped to below €1/kg," says Philip Van Overbeke of Aardbeien Van Overbeke in Belgium. "This extreme price decrease was due to the poor quality strawberries that…

Greenhouse tech challenge part of digitizing China’s agriculture industry

An ancient Chinese proverb goes that “to the people, food is heaven.” One might think then that the agriculture industry would rank among the top recipients of technology investments to improve the production and distribution of food. That is sadly not the case. Agriculture may touch us all, but it is…

Russia: 93 thousand tons of produce harvested by Lipetsk growers

The growers of the Russian Lipetsk region have collected over 93 thousand tons of greenhouse vegetables since the beginning of the year. It exceeds the data of the same period of the last year, when 68.4 thousand tons were collected, by 36%. The crop distribution is as follows: 53.6 thousand tons of…

"The Ethical Labor Charters gives us a common conduct as an industry"

Labor is a cornerstone of any industry, but in the fresh produce industry having enough labor at the right time is even more vital for the perishable fruits and vegetables to be harvested properly and brought onto retail shelves with enough time for consumers to purchase and enjoy them. Labor is,…

Labour plan will help Australian growers supply fresh produce

AUSVEG, Australia’s peak industry body for vegetable and potato growers, supports the labour plan submitted by the National Farmers’ Federation’s Horticulture Council that…

Joint decision-making approach for tomato picking and distribution considering postharvest maturity

Fruit maturity is an essential factor for fresh retailers to make economical distribution scheduling and scientific market strategies. In the context of farm-to-door mode, the fresh retailers could incorporate the postharvest maturity time, picking time and distribution time to deliver high-quality…

Export price of Indian dried chilis to China increased

Recently, the export price of Indian dried chilis to China has increased. The main reason is that, on the one hand, India’s domestic stock is gradually decreasing. On the other hand, the economic recovery of major importing countries such as China is gaining momentum, especially the catering industry has…

Walmart: New Supplier Quality Excellence Program

US: How the coronavirus pandemic helped convince grocery chains to experiment with new techThe rapid shift to online grocery ordering has been labeled as the next phase of grocery shopping, but legacy grocers and retail heavyweights are both investing in technology in their brick-and-mortar stores. Price…

Kuwait retailer enters multi-year offtake partnership with Pure Harvest

The Sultan Center, a large supermarket and general merchandise retailer in Kuwait, has secured a strategic multi-year, commercial offtake agreement with Pure Harvest Smart Farms. Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, Pure Harvest will build a dedicated high tech farm producing many varieties of…

"Unusual European weather conditions now affecting fruit and vegetable trade"

The worst of the heatwaves in Europe seems to be over now. But their impact on fruit and vegetable production is becoming increasingly apparent. "We need to make up shortfalls throughout Europe. Especially for full soil products. It's evident in, particularly, cauliflower and broccoli," says Leon van den…

MSU was awarded grant to expand career education opportunities in agriculture

Michigan State University was awarded $280,997 from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at USDA to strengthen food, agriculture, and natural resources career pathways for students in urban Michigan. The project, 'Collaborative Approaches to Building Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and…

Russian prime minister urged to reduce dependence of Far East on vegetable imports

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced the need to reduce the Far East’s dependence on vegetable imports and to bring the region to the average Russian level of…

US: Rise in prohibited chile pepper and tomato imports at El Paso bridges

The chile harvest season is in full swing and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said they are seeing an increase of individuals trying to import various peppers and…

"Honduran tomato exports to El Salvador amount to up to 200,000 dollars a day"

The tomato is one of Honduras' most profitable vegetable crops, as tomato exports to El Salvador can amount to up to $ 200,000 a day when the price of a box stands at around $…

Amazon is expanding its partnership with Kohl's in a big, new way

US: Albertsons embraces micro-fulfillment to power e-commerceTo support e-commerce growth, Albertsons Cos. has expanded its partnership with automation specialist Takeoff Technologies to deploy micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) to fill online grocery orders. Currently, Albertsons has two Takeoff-powered…

NZ horticultural industry pushes for extended worker visas

Visitors and temporary migrants - ‘trapped’ in New Zealand by the travel restrictions - will now have their visas extended to give them more time to organise flights home.…

'Significant gaps' in Brexit border plans

Eight British logistics organisations have written to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove warning that the UK-EU supply chain "will be severely disrupted" from January, if…

Evogene announces $10 mln equity investment led by ARK Investment Management

Evogene  has entered into a definitive agreement with ARK Investment Management, LLC and Alpha Capital Anstalt in connection with a registered direct offering of ordinary shares…

Russia: Tomato volume in Stavropol increased by 13%

Growers in Stavropol (Russia) have picked 45.4 thousand tons of greenhouse tomatoes since the beginning of 2020, which is 13% more than in the same period of 2019. Stavropol is one of the three regions leading in greenhouse tomato crop collection, reported the first Deputy Minister of Agriculture of…

WOS

High season for eggplant growers

Eggplant growers are in the best period of the year. “At this time of the year, from the end of August to mid-October, we have to earn our money. That happens every year,” says Dutch eggplant grower Ted Van Luijk. The price for eggplants showed a strong increase on the Belgian clock and last week went to 1.30 per kilo compared…

FPAA: "Concessions to Southeast producers will undermine USMCA"

On September 1, 2020, the United States Trade Representative released its plan which includes 201 investigations on blueberries and potentially on strawberries and bell…

Breaking the record for the largest ever investment into direct air capture

Recent investment in Climeworks has been boosted from CHF 73M to CHF 100M. In a first phase of this funding round, Climeworks had announced the successful raise of CHF 73 million (USD 75 million) in equity from private investors in April. As of August 2020, Climeworks’ funding round has been completed…

Egypt now second producer of sun-dried tomatoes, behind Italy

Are these apples? Pomegranates? Nope! These are tomatoes that and Egyptian farm is drying in the sun. Egypt is now the second producer of sun-dried tomatoes, behind Italy. The photo's that El Eman Trading posted on LinkedIn make a pretty nice shot. 

Giant Eagle: First own version of Amazon Go

US: Online retailer Boxed explores $1bln sale - sourcesOnline wholesale retailer Boxed is exploring strategic options, including a sale or going public through a merger with a blank-check acquisition company that could value it at around $1bln, according to people familiar with the matter. Referred to by…

Zimbabwe to return seized lands to evicted farmers

The government of Zimbabwe has offered to return land to foreign nationals whose farms were seized under a controversial government programme two decades ago. Between 2000 and…

Bangladeshi carrot washing

The video below shows a group of growers from Bangladesh cleaning hundreds of fresh carrots by pushing them back and forward on a tarpaulin. This method is a traditional way of cleaning in the region. 

Biggest food retailer deal yet for Instacart

US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports August sales resultsCostco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) reported net sales of $13.56bln for the retail month of August, the four weeks ended August 30, 2020, an increase of 15.0% from $11.79bln last year. For the 16-week fourth quarter ended…

Product innovation drives growth of frozen Haskap berry segment

The Haskap berry has quickly grown in popularity in recent years. Although the elongated berry is native to North America, it wasn’t available on larger scale until 10 - 15 years ago. “They were mainly grown in the wild until the University of Saskatchewan started breeding a new variety with a better…

CAN: Deadline extension for isolation support program MISTFW

The federal Quarantine Act has been extended until September 30, 2020. As a result, the Mandatory Isolation Support Program for Temporary Foreign Workers (MISTFWP) application…

Ex-farm supervisor accused of contaminating strawberries is committed to stand trial

A former farm supervisor who allegedly put needles in strawberries has been committed to stand trial in a Queensland court. My Ut Trinh has been charged with six counts of…

"Raspberry and blackberry markets to do a complete about-turn"

Extreme weather conditions make the soft fruit market challenging year-round. Ronald van Vossen takes stock. He is Angus Soft Fruits Europe's Commercial Director. "More volumes will be fixed on the soft fruit market. That's due to the weather extremes," he begins. Strawberries "The strawberry market had…

Courgettes are increasing in the number of requests and doubling the prices

"The courgette market seems to have steered towards a positive trend in the last few weeks, but only after having discarded 40% of production, due to a commercial crisis that…

Tomatoes losing ground again to peppers and zucchini in Almeria

The greenhouses of Almería are already finishing the transplant of seedlings for the new export horticultural campaign, in which tomatoes continue to lose ground, while other…

Public consultation on the promotion of agricultural products in the EU will conclude on 9/11

The public consultation launched by the European Commission to hear the opinion of citizens and interested parties on the policy for the promotion of agricultural products in…

Mexico will respond to the US if they apply tariffs on agricultural products

The Government of Mexico has determined that, if the US applies tariffs on different Mexican agricultural products, which would include strawberries, blueberries, and peppers, it will respond by applying a mirror policy against products of United States origin. Bosco de la Vega, the president of the…

Fruit and vegetable prices are expected to go up due to the increase in production costs

The president of the Irrigation Community, Juan Marin, and the head of the Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers of the Region of Murcia (COAG), Miguel Padilla,…

Why did Chinese chili exports decrease in July?

China's dried chili exports in July 2020 were far from optimistic. Although the prices this year are significantly lower than last year, international demand has not…

AU: Backpackers head home leaving processors and growers with a worker shortage

International backpackers on working holiday and student visas are heading home, and there is no chance of them being replaced due to Australia's closed borders. Australia's…

US: The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

In one of the Ask the Expert episodes of the USDA, Charles Stephens, Associate Deputy Administrator, Specialty Crops Program, for USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) answers a few questions on how the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) can assist specialty crop growers. What is the…

Dilok Klaisataporn

Farm export forecasts highlight uncertainties over US-China deal

Over the past years, US president Trump promised American farmers great sales of agricultural commodities to China for two years. That’s unlikely to happen, if you believe the US Department of Agriculture’s forecasts. A USDA report released last Wednesday claims that exports of farm goods to China are…

Amazon: U.S. regulatory approval to start drone delivery trials

US: Tops introduces Shop + Scan appRecognizing that customers are increasingly seeking contactless shopping options, Tops Markets LLC has begun piloting the Tops Shop + Scan app at a location in Amherst, New York. With the app, customers can use their phone to scan their selected groceries, and then they…

Blackberry pricing to strengthen?

Mexico is about to begin its production on blackberries again. “The only region with blackberry supplies right now is California. Mexico is starting with a little bit but not much,” says Jose Saca of Wish Farms based in Plant City, FL, noting that the volumes out of California between weeks 18 to 33 have…

"We are starting the cucumber campaign with over 3,500 hectares already under contract"

Almeria's 2020/2021 vegetable campaign is starting this week in an exceptional situation due to the health crisis, which has forced companies to be very cautious with their activities and to take extreme precautions, introducing new safety measures throughout the entire production process. La Unión…

Demand for gourmet tomatoes high despite the cooler Queensland growing challenges

The current COVID-19 restrictions have driven an increase in demand for gourmet tomatoes, according to a leading Australian producer. Kapiris Bros Managing Director, Harry Kapiris attributes strong sales to the fact that the gourmet tomato is the most versatile variety, and can be applied to all food…

Tomato campaign in Vegas Altas marked by up to 20% losses

The tomato campaign in Las Vegas Altas, in the Spanish region of Extremadura, which will last until about September 20 with the harvest of the late plantations, has been…

Raspberry production in Central Mexico starts up this week

Raspberry supplies continue to be steady though production is ramping up as a new growing region starts up again. “There are enough raspberries to cover demand at the moment and California and Baja are pretty much the primary growing regions right now,” says Jose Andreu of Alpine Fresh based in Doral,…

"Consumers today are much more likely to buy a packaged product than loose products"

In India the lockdown came suddenly back in March and affected a lot of businesses especially those involved in the grape export as it was just 2/3 way through.AVI Global Plast produce packaging for, amongst others, the grape sector but the company seems to have coped very well in a difficult…

Advertised retail price apples in US at $1.42 per lb - 16 to 22 August

In the period 16 August to 22 August, the advertised retail price for apples in the US stood at $1.42 per lb, up 16.4 percent as compared to the week before that. Shipping point prices in the same period stood at $71.45/cwt, -9.8% y-o-y. Click here for a larger image. Shipping point prices for lemon in…

New Costco location: The only one in Canada to sit on First Nation land

US: Instacart faces lawsuit from DC attorney general over ‘deceptive’ service feesInstacart is facing a lawsuit from Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine that alleges the company charged customers millions of dollars in “deceptive service fees” and failed to pay hundreds of thousands of…

No fruit and vegetable shortages in Oman

As a result of the heavy rains coming down on some Indian states, there has been a lull in the vegetable trading in Oman. To ease the situation, Oman’s Ministry of…

Qatar plans to develop 1.5mn m2 of different types of greenhouse

Plans to develop 1.5mn sqm of different types of greenhouses in the next two years is expected to further boost Qatar’s agriculture sector, a prominent Qatari agriculturist…

Effects of virtual schooling on retail produce sales

Entering the latter half of August, the very different nature of this year’s back-to-school season is becoming evident. Wave 17 of the IRI COVID-19 shopper impact survey, conducted between August 7 and 9, finds a growing number of parents reporting their school-aged children will be partaking in virtual…

There are not only second class retailers in southern Italy

"Today I'm in Dubai", commented on LinkedIn Mario Gasbarrino, board member of Everton and Cortilia, who has a very long experience at the helm of large-scale retail chains, on a visit to a retail outlet of the Arena Group in Sicily. In the social imagery, Dubai is, in fact, renowned for its luxurious…

Spain's organic acreage already accounts for 10% of the total

According to the provisional data supplied by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the acreage devoted to organic production in Spain stood at 2,355,000…

US seeks Mexico talks over perishable imports in bid to aid US farmers

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced plans to seek senior-level talks with Mexico over imports of perishable imports as part of a broader series of actions meant to…

UK: AHDB pledges to reform in response to request for views

A new strategy and improved communication with levy payers on how their money is spent are just two of the significant changes AHDB has pledged to make. This follows the…

Chamaiporn Kitina | Dreamstime.com

Women in agriculture… What are your leadership aspirations?

Women in agriculture….What are your leadership aspirations? What are the barriers to achieving those aspirations? What motivates you to be involved in leadership roles and organizations? Annie’s Project is taking a closer look at agricultural women’s involvement with its new survey, the Agriculture…

Towards self-sufficiency - Russia reaches three thousand hectares of greenhouses

Ever since Russia introduced the ban on European fresh produce, it has been focusing on its own domestic production. But the Russian climate does not always favor long production cycles, so the country is mainly focusing on greenhouse production. It mainly grows tomatoes and cucumbers, followed by bell…

"Tomato market dramatic, cucumbers recovered and pepper sales not bad at all"

According to Jim Westhoff of Valstar, the Dutch greenhouse vegetable season has been going pretty slow in recent months. "It is just very quiet. Many destination countries have local produce available, so the demand must mainly come from the German and English markets. Normally Spain is quite a good…

Consultancy, all around the world

"I've got customers in Mexico, Russia, Uzbekistan, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Serbia.. and I try to visit them every six weeks," says Benjamin Vermeer with Vermeer Holland Consultancy. "I normally work from the Netherlands, although last year I was out of the country 200 days." Benjamin tells us he got into…