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- Allround Medewerker Bedrijfsbureau - Est, Nederland
- General Manager Fresh Produce Manufacturing - Tasmania (Australia)
- Head Grower - Mason City (Iowa) USA
- Integrated Crop Management (ICM) Technician - Olds (Alberta) Canada
- Hoofd Engineering - Gameren, Nederland
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- Automation inside and outside Mucci’s cucumber greenhouse
- N. Korean leader visits greenhouse farm under construction amid food shortages
- Tomato growers must remain vigilant for tomato brown rugose virus
- Analysis of nutrient variations in electrical conductivity-based closed-loop soilless culture systems
- "The coating provides the foundation; screens are the emergency brake"
Top 5 -last week
Top 5 -last month
Market Information
Kees Havenaar, Frutas Luna:
"People in Spain are more concerned about low prices of greenhouse veggies than Brexit"
The sale of Spanish greenhouse vegetables is not doing well according to Kees Havenaar of Frutas Luna. "The prices are very poor, both from eggplant and peppers, as well as from cucumbers and courgettes." The tomatoes are currently a positive exception, as are the leafy vegetables, which we are currently…
Asian vegetables gaining popularity with a new generation of travellers
While bok choy can be found in any regular Dutch supermarket, people still need to go to Asian supermarkets, also known as tokos, for other Asian leafy vegetables. “The buying public that frequent tokos is changing,” says Cees Visser of Dutch produce wholesaler, Asian Crop. “An increasing number of Dutch…
Eyal Sahar on the decline of small producers in Israel:
“We now grow 50% of our own bell peppers”
The harvest for the main volumes of the Israeli bell pepper crop will begin in the second week of November, but the first picking is set to take place in the coming week. Eyal Sahar, the owner of Gilad Desert Produce, says: “The first picking is mostly for the domestic market, and then the main harvest…
Transition begins for North American tomato season
The domestic tomato season in North America is winding down now as cooler weather descends onto many of the summer growing regions. US regions like Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina are seeing lighter supplies as each week goes by. On the West Coast, northern California and also some parts of Mexico…
Turkey set to launch "land bank"
Turkey's New Economy Program aims to update the infrastructure on land planning by launching a land bank to determine inactive agricultural lands and putting them to productive use. The initiative was announced by the Turkish Minister of Finance and Treasury Berat Albayrak, within the measures to lower food inflation. With the…
DUP said to refuse support
Brexit: EU and UK reach deal
A Brexit deal has been agreed between UK and EU negotiating teams before a meeting of European leaders in Brussels. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "We've got a great new deal that takes back control." The two sides have been working on the legal text of a deal, but it will still need the approval of both the UK and…
Aftermath Typhoon Hagibis
Japan: Strawberry farms devastated by floods
The city of Sano, in Japan's Tochigi Prefecture, is struggling to recover from the damage left in the wake of Typhoon Hagibis. The owners of flooded farms growing the prefecture's mainstay "Tochiotome"-brand strawberry now fear that their plants may not bear fruit in time for picking season. Tochigi Prefecture…
Diving into the depths of the 'sea of plastic'
Maruf Osman, a 23-year-old Ghanaian, gestures towards the slum-like cement and tarpaulin settlement behind him, set on an arid patch of wasteland outside the small town of San Isidro in Almeria, Spain's southern province that hosts the world's largest concentration of greenhouses. "Even in my country,"…
USDA proposes changes to Florida tomato marketing order
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing amendments to the Florida tomato marketing order that would reduce membership of the committee from 12 to 10, extend the length of terms of office from one year…
Javier Díaz Sánchez, of Agroiris:
"The Netherlands doesn't compete against Spanish peppers"
Almeria seems to be reducing the acreage devoted to tomato cultivation, and not only because of the impact of pests, such as the Tuta absoluta. “Even if some deny it, there is growing competition from Morocco, and the limit of imports stipulated by law is not always respected. At the same time, the…
Some $443,000 in project investments
Northern Australia: Undercover crops to be investigated
The northern parts of Australia could be on their way to becoming Asia’s salad bowl through more use of protected cropping systems. A new project backed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Northern Australia (CRCNA) will investigate the best way to support growers wanting to set up protected cropping…
UK: Unannounced inspections check workers’ welfare in Lincolnshire
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) has conducted unannounced compliance inspections in rural Lincolnshire. It is an attempt to check on agency workers’ welfare…
Low prices for Sinaloa's Mexican cucumber
In the mountain region of Mocorito, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, cucumber production is minimal. In addition, producers are obtaining low prices for their products. Pedro…
The value of Mexican tomato exports to the US fell by 11%
According to data provided by the Bank of Mexico, the value of Mexican tomato exports decreased by 11% in July 2019, totaling 124.1 million dollars. However, in terms of volume, sales increased by 9.7% year-on-year in July, reaching 140,676 tons. In May 2019, the United States formally finalized an…
Iran supports its tomato farmers
Head of the Central Organization of Rural Cooperatives of Iran (CORC) Dr. Hossein Shirzad announced that in the current crop year (March to September) a total volume of 325,000 tons of tomato has…
Greenhouse vegetable prices on the rise in CIS countries
Greenhouse vegetable prices have increased almost everywhere in the CIS region. Belarus and Moldova have witnessed the growth of prices on tomatoes and in Moldova the prices on cucumbers shot up. Crop rotation in the greenhouse complexes can be named as the main factor for the price formation in week 41…
UK: Work with China to transform food production
Businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million to work with Chinese partners on developing new smart farming technologies.KTN is hosting a briefing event for this competition on Tuesday, 5th November 2019 in London. World demand for food is expected to grow by 60% to feed a rising and more…
Indian government reviews tomato price situation
In view of rising prices of tomatoes, which have crossed ₹60 per kg (€0.77) in some parts of the country, including Delhi, consumer affairs secretary A.K. Srivastava on Friday…
Vegetable farming in Bangladesh rises sharply
The vegetable production numbers in Bangladesh have recently increased sharply as the farmers in the country have started farming on a more commercial basis. According to…
Spanish speaking countries
Muy esclarecedor.
Eco-kultura vice-president: energy cost growth kills the segment of cheap greenhouse vegetables
Mr. Sergey Fomenkov, Vice-president on strategy and marketing for Eco-kultura shares the ideas of business diversification and on horticultural projects in new countries. Vegetable producers are considered one of the main beneficiaries from the import limitation policy, introduced in Russia in the recent…
Criminals exploited 600 Romanian and Moldovan workers in Spain
Spain’s Civil Guard dismantled a criminal organization that exploited workers from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The authorities found a total of 145 human trafficking victims who were held in semi-slave-like conditions and forced to work in difficult conditions with very little pay. The victims…
Australia: North Queensland melons making their way to Asia
High-value melons grown in North Queensland using innovative new techniques could soon be making their way onto supermarket shelves across Asia. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said his department was working with growers and the Port of Townsville to explore how…
Wouter Willems, ZON:
"On average, the bell pepper season has been just right for Dutch growers"
The Dutch bell pepper season is in full swing at Royal ZON. "The green and yellow season ends in week 43. However, we will continue on until week 45 or 46 with the red and orange varieties," says ZON's Sales Manager, Wouter Willems. "The market really collapsed last week. Germany is our most important sales…
Indian government offers puree as alternative to costly tomatoes
This festive season, Indian households have been struggling as the retail prices of tomatoes went up and up. In Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the supply of…
US: USDA’s McKinney leads mission to tap trade opportunities in Vietnam
When Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney leads a U.S. Department of Agriculture trade mission to Vietnam Oct. 15-18, he’ll be accompanied by nearly 80 industry and government representatives seeking to expand agricultural exports to one of the fastest-growing regions…
Philip Van Overbeke, Aardbeien Van Overbeke
“Rising strawberry supply lowers prices in Belgium”
The last tunnel of strawberries has been picked. Glasshouse cultivation is also slowly drawing to a close. "This means the strawberry supply on the market is increasing," says Philip Van Overbeke of the Belgian strawberry farm, Aardbeien Van Overbeke. "Prices have been falling for a while now too. At the…
Storms and acreage reduction result in limited supply of leafy vegetables in Spain
The leaf vegetable sector in Spain is not getting a break from the bad weather. On the weekend of October 5 to 6, heavy rainfall and hail storms were again recorded between Lorca, in Murcia, and Pulpí, in northern Almeria, one of the largest leafy vegetable production areas. The heavy storms recorded a…
Productive season for fruit and veg growers in the Crimea
Crimean agricultural producers have provided some figures on the fruit and vegetable production on the peninsula, as reported by the press service of the Ministry of…
Sharp drop in Polish greenhouse tomato prices
This week's tomato market in Poland has been marked by price drops, according to analysts of the EastFruit project. The appreciation of these products a week earlier had a…
Canada: Ontario supports farmers with farmers' market and on-farm sales
As part of Ontario's Agriculture Week celebration, Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, announced the government's investments in the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association and Farmers' Markets Ontario, two important organizations that connect farmers with consumers through…
New ranking compares food security in cities
Wageningen Economic Research developed a new city ranking tool which compares how the 850 largest cities in the world manage to provide their inhabitants with sufficient and nutritious food. "We invite city administrators to collaborate with us on developing this tool - the 'Cities & Food Security'…
Canada: Ontario government declares provincial food terminal a protected employment zone
The Ontario Food Terminal located in west-end Toronto has been declared a protected employment zone. This, in fact, prevents it from being relocated. Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark says the province made the decision to protect the estimated 100,000 jobs that depend on the terminal. The province…
Fresno County is top agricultural county in California and US
After the Tuesday morning release of the 2018 Tulare County crop and livestock report, which shows sales of agricultural goods produced there last year totaled more than $7.21 billion, a 2.5% increase from ag sales in 2017, it seems that -for the first time since 2013- Fresno County is the top…
US (FL): Virus in Mexican tomatoes causing concern, USDA action needed
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is issuing an alert regarding a virus found in Mexican tomatoes imported into Florida and potentially other U.S. states. ToBRFV, the tomato brown rugose fruit virus, is a highly virulent virus that can cause severe fruit loss in tomatoes…
"Feeding people and protecting our planet should go hand in hand"
Green agriculture has a vast potential to transform the agricultural sector in a way that enables access for everyone to nutritious food and at the same time ensures conservation of crucial natural resources, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said today. Qu delivered his remarks at the high-profile…
Australian scientists want hairy & motivated flies
Australian scientists are on the lookout for energetic flies with… well, plenty of body hair. Yes, you read that right. Flies wanted with a lot of body hair to pollinate crops and help expand Australia’s fruit, vegetables and nut production. Pollination is vital to the success of many fruit, nut and…
Freshuelva
Turnover from Huelva's berry exports in 2019 already at 1,200 M€
In the framework of the AgroBank conference on new crops in Huelva's agricultural sector, held at the Ibero-American Forum in La Rabida, Freshuelva's manager, Rafael…
Syria: Unprofitable tomato season for Daraa province
Although Syria’s Daraa province witnessed high efficiency and abundant quantities of tomatoes this year, still the farmers were stricken with losses. The reasons for this are…
September - November 2019
Seasonal rainfall outlook for vegetable growing regions Australia
For vegetable growers in eastern Victoria, NSW and Queensland it is time to review their water availability for summer crops. A drier than average spring is forecast for most…
VeggieTracker survey:
Quarter of Americans do not eat vegetables
Incredibly enough, a survey by VeggieTracker.com led to the conclusion that one in four Americans have never eaten a vegetable in their life. Ridiculous as that sounds, the survey reveals that many are motivated to increase their vegetable intake. About 72% admit they wish they ate more vegetables while…
US importers set to deal with new round of tariffs on European goods
Importers in the United States are still assessing the impact of the recently announced new set of tariffs on imported goods. This time, the United States will impose a raft of additional duties on European imports. These range from aircraft to Scotch whiskey to clothing, but there are also certain…
US: Greenhouse growers asked to complete water survey
A U.S. Department of Agriculture funded project seeks to understand how greenhouse growers use water, including recycled water, in their greenhouse operations. If you are involved in a greenhouse growing operation, complete this brief (5 to 10 minute) water use survey: http://tinyurl.com/UConnWaterSurvey…
Farmers who voted for Brexit may face labour shortages because of this
In the three years since the Brexit vote, there has been a decline in immigration from some areas in Europe. And this is impacting agri businesses across the country. The…
Seven things to know when exporting to China
Dr. Mathew McDougall is CEO of Reach China and he is also known to be an expert in doing business with China. As Australia’s trade relationship with China is growing by the…
Eurostat
Trade statistics on fruit and fresh vegetables sector in the EU
About 1.5 million holdings in the European Union manage fruit orchards and about 0.8 million farms cultivate fresh vegetables A little over 1.5 million farms in the EU managed fruit orchards in 2016, which was equivalent to about one in every seven (14.8 %) of all the EU's farms which had some utilised…
NZ: Vegetable prices set to increase by more than half
Vegetable prices could increase by as much as 58% by 2043, risking New Zealanders’ health, if central and local government policies that will stop new vegetable growing in New Zealand are accepted. That’s the finding of a Deloitte report prepared for Horticulture New Zealand to balance debate around land…
Nigeria: CEO of Dangote Tomatoes wants total ban on tomato imports
Nigeria’s biggest tomato plant owned by billionaire, Aliko Dangote, has called on the Federal Government to ban the importation of tomatoes. According to the Managing-Director…
Spain and Netherlands sell less
Morocco sells more tomatoes to the EU
According to data provided by the Euroestacom (Icex-Eurostat) statistical service, corresponding to the period between August 1 and July 31, in the last 8 campaigns, the Netherlands and Spain have been reducing their tomato sales in the European Union (EU) campaign after campaign, while imports from…
Sharp rise in the price of Polish cucumbers
Persistent cold weather and rain in Poland have caused a significant reduction in the supply of cucumbers to the market, according to analysts of the EastFruit project. Only…
Mastercard and Rabobank enter partnership on new project
Plans to bring financial inclusion tools to 1 million farmers
Mastercard and Rabobank announced a partnership to give one million farmers in emerging markets access to a digital platform that makes it easier for them to sell their produce for a fair price. The platform builds on the current Mastercard Farmer Network and will be enriched by Rabobank’s experience…
Spain: Almería’s horticultural season started earlier
The 2019-2020 season in Almería is already underway, which means it is several weeks ahead of its usual dates. However, this might be quite important, as the horticultural…
Indoor AgTech Landscape: 1,000+ companies innovating inside
The Mixing Bowl created an image keeping track of the indoor growing landscape featuring 1000+ companies that take part in the industry, from greenhouse growers, to suppliers of environmental controls. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) or, Indoor Ag, as it is more commonly known, has been garnering…
Positive results for Freshfel Europe’s ‘Follow me to be healthy with Europe’ campaign
In July 2019 Freshfel Europe together with Aprifel launched the ‘Follow me to be healthy with Europe’ campaign, co-funded by the European Union. The programme was launched at the Eurockéennes in Belfort, France and has continued to gain traction on social media with the help of influencers who have a…
BBC2 documentary
“What Britain Buys and Sells in a Day”
Nationwide Produce, based in Lancashire, is one of the largest, longest-established and most diverse produce companies in Europe. IT is involved in growing, grading, packing and buying and selling sell fresh produce. The BBC shot a documentary at Nationwide’s new distribution center in Evesham, titled…
How natural and political unpredictability impacts demand for global produce
Vanguard International Group recently published a piece commenting on global trade and how political uncertainty and natural events have an impact on the produce industry. Below is the article that Vanguard published, along with a link: In the fresh produce industry, unpredictability is a given. Early…
Arnaud Gavila, Euronego SL:
“Supermarkets want better quality fresh produce"
“Supermarket consumers want more and more quality products, in France and in Europe. For now, I work mostly with wholesalers, but my next goal is to expand my work with retailers,” explains Arnaud Gavila of Euronego SL, an import-export company located in Spain. “Supermarkets used to be seen as ‘cheap’…
Deadline for this is end of this week
Macron tells Johnson to overhaul Brexit plan
French president Emmanuel Macron has given Boris Johnson until the end of the week to fundamentally revise his Brexit plan. This move increases the chances of the negotiations imploding within days. The UK proposals tabled last week are not regarded in Brussels as being a basis for a deal and Macron…
US: USDA announces $1.89 million investment to support rural small businesses and communities
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Director J. Scott Angle announced today the Agency’s $1.89 million investment in small business research grants. “It is great to support rural small businesses. These businesses will use their investment to create something that will help farmers and…
Record exports of EU tomatoes according to EU report
According to the latest short-term outlook report for EU agricultural markets, published on 3 October 2019 by the European Commission, total EU production of tomatoes should reach 16.8 million tonnes in the new season, an increase of 4% compared to 2018. The rise is mostly driven by a growth of…
Spain: Almería’s horticultural season started earlier
The 2019-2020 season in Almería is already underway, several weeks ahead of its usual dates. The horticultural sector is facing financial trouble and needs to generate revenue as soon as possible. Economic hangoverAlthough the first produce will not go on sale until the beginning of October, the aim of…
Greenhouse tomato production spans most U.S. States
While Florida and California accounted for 76 percent of U.S. production of field-grown tomatoes in 2016, greenhouse production and use of other protected-culture technologies help extend the growing season and make production feasible in a wider variety of geographic locations. Some greenhouse…
Top 50 US container ports
Each year, America’s ports handle millions of twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers holding cargo that is worth billions of dollars to the United States economy. These ports serve not only as entries and exits to the U.S. but as a gateway to the rest of the world. While all ports work hard to process cargo quickly and…
Volume strong again on asparagus
Supplies of asparagus are picking up after a high-priced market in late summer. “Peru is coming on and almost everybody out of Baja, Ca. has already started. Typically the majority start between the 4th and the 10th of October,” says Chris Brazeel, sales manager of Jacobs, Malcolm & Burtt (JMB) based in San Ramon, Ca. “But they…
Winter vegetables currently being transplanted in Campania
Open-field transplants of winter vegetables in Campania have been going on since mid-August and will continue until mid-October. The main crops include cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, endive and fennel. Puntarellas from Gaeta are also planted in the northern Caserta area, destined to the Rome and Fondi…
El Niño triggers 27.9% decline of vegetable production in Philippines
According to statements by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) of Northern Mindanao, there was a 27.9 percent decrease in the volume of vegetables, root…
‘More grapes, persimmons, figs, pink pomegranate, tomatoes’
More Uzbek vegetables and fruits to be exported to Russia
Fruits and vegetables, exported from Uzbekistan, will be delivered to Russia according to a simplified scheme. The corresponding agreement was signed in Tashkent on 1 October during a visit to Uzbekistan by a delegation of Russian senators led by Valentina Matvienko. Dozens of Russian companies now work…
Campaign comes to a close in Extremadura
"Rebound of tomato prices expected to continue"
“Zucchinis and peppers are not going to replace tomatoes, especially those intended for the processing industry. It is true that there has been some oversupply worldwide in the last few campaigns, but some balance is being recovered,” says Domingo Fernández, president of the Association of Agricultural…
Reducing red tape for agricultural fairs
CAN: Ontario making it easier to celebrate rural traditions
Ontario is working to reduce red tape for over 500 Ontario agricultural and horticultural organizations in the province. This fall, the Ontario government will introduce…
Russia: Biggest grower in Primorsky area went bankrupt
The federal state unitary enterprise Dalnevostochnoe has been declared bankrupt by the arbitrary court of Primorsky area. The bankruptcy procedure was initiated by the Rosselkhozbank, to which Dalnevostochnoe enterprise owes about 1.4 million Euro. The bankruptcy procedure of the state enterprise began…
P&O Ferrymasters enters into partnership with SGS Maco
'We will offer customs declaration services in event of "no-deal" Brexit'
P&O Ferrymasters announced it has entered into a partnership with SGS Maco to offer customs declaration services to P&O Ferrymasters’ customers. This will maintain easy and…
Kazakhstan: Million-dollar fine for greenhouse investor cancelled
When Dirk Aleven with FoodVentures invested in Kazakhstan, he probably didn't expect to be faced with a 1 million USD fine. The investor, engaged in tomato growing, was importing the equipment to the country, when the customs service and the State Revenue Committee conduced an unannounced inspection.…
Knowledge and innovation: unlocking the potential of food and farming
Today Commissioner Phil Hogan welcomed the fourth Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) report (available soon), putting together the work done for the past three years in this area. During this mandate, a key priority was to further integrate knowledge and innovation in agriculture across…
Ukraine breaks its vegetable import record
Ukraine vegetable imports have significantly exceeded the figure of the previous record, which had stood for nine years, and in the 2018/2019 season (August-July) exceeded the…
Webinar: the name of a plant variety in the Community Plant Variety Right system (CPVR)
In this webinar, recorded at the EUIPO Academy in May 2018, Bénédicte Legrand, Denomination Expert at the CPVO, explains the process in which names are given to newly protected plant varieties in the European Union. This webinar also outlines how this CPVR "naming" process fits with the rules and…
Spain exports record-breaking volume of cucumbers: 675 million kilos
This campaign, Spain has exported the largest volume of cucumbers ever. From August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019, a total of 675.06 million kilos have been shipped; 32 million kilos more than in the previous season, in which 643.07 million were exported, which entailed an increase of 4.97%. The turnover has…
Man proposes to girlfriend by growing carrot inside engagement ring
A Canadian seeking an imaginative way to propose to his long-time girlfriend, so he secretly grew a carrot inside of an engagement ring, after which he lured her to the garden to pick the lucky carrot out of the bunch. John Neville and Danielle Squires, who live in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada with their…
Greenhouse water savings survey
If you are involved in greenhouse production, then the University of Sydney would like to hear from you! A Horticulture honours student is completing her thesis on water use efficiency in the Australian greenhouse industry. You can show your support by taking 10 - 15 minutes, to anonymously share your insights on water use…
Breaking records to promote STEM education
David Rush uses a sword to slice grapes
An Idaho man claimed his second real-life Fruit Ninja record by slicing through 70 flying grapes in one minute, standing on a balance board. David Rush, who has broken more than 100 Guinness records to promote STEM education, stood on the balance board while Jonathan Hannon threw grapes into the air one…
Cambodian farmers switch from rice to vegetables
They say a farmer's work starts before dawn, but in Cambodia’s Battambang province, farmers work together late into the night to prepare their vegetable harvest for the overnight bus ride to the capital city’s markets. Photo by Max Fannin A metal barn that was empty hours ago is now filled with colorful…
Province of Tien Giang develops specialised vegetable-growing areas
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has developed specialised vegetable growing areas that yield higher profits than rice. They include vegetable areas in Chau Thanh…
The losses suffered by Canary tomato sector due to Brexit may amount to € 3.5 million per year
From the very beginning, the Canary tomato sector has been one of the Spanish productive sectors most affected by Brexit. If the attempts to redirect the community aid for…
Presidential decree
Uzbekistan: Agency for development of horticulture and greenhouse farming will be established
A resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures for further development of horticulture and greenhouse farming in the Republic of Uzbekistan” was adopted. UzA reports about it. This decree envisages introduction of effective mechanisms for improving the management system and…
US: Urban ag in the 2019 DC Food Economy Study
The DC Food Policy Council just published the 2019 DC Food Economy Study. The report is filled with interesting information about food production and the future. Urban agriculture was featured in the report as well. The report stated that urban farms in DC should have more access to resources and…
Food writer Corby Kummer:
“USDA relocation is part of Trump's War On Science“
As the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to relocate to Kansas City, Missouri, at the end of this month, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says…
Indian chili season looking promising, sufficient availability and good prices
The chili season in India has started recently and thanks to a great rainy season, the chili has a lot of potential. Better prices combined with more than enough quantities available make for a great season ahead. India has entered the chili season and the expectations are sky-high, according to MK Exports’…
Freight Line Europe & CSI-Fresh
EORI code, Portbase, wooden pallets and crates - are you ready for Brexit?
On Wednesday, 25 September, Freight Line Europe (FLE) and CSO Fresh organized a Brexit meeting in the Netherlands. "We have to assume the UK will leave the EU at some point. We are, therefore, very pleased with the large turnout here, in Ridderkerk," says John de Boom of FLE. "Our goal is to make everyone aware…
CEO of Tesco says No-Deal Brexit is a real issue for fresh food in Britain
Speaking with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum 2019 in New York, Tesco CEO Dave Lewis says the issue in case of a no-deal Brexit is fresh…
Mexico and the US agree on the definitive elimination of the additional tariff on tomatoes
After intense negotiations and having reached an agreement on August 20, Mexican tomato producers traveled back to Washington to meet with representatives of the Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, with the purpose of ending the payment of the 17.5% provisional compensatory duties that were reactivated…
Flandria market information
"Falling prices for all lettuce varieties in Belgium"
Green cabbage is in season in Belgium again, and large numbers of these are being auctioned. A slightly more abundant supply of tomatoes made for falling auction prices for…
New Zealand growers still lack seasonal workers
Australian growers welcome increased backpacker numbers
Australia’s National Farmers’ Federation has welcomed results showing a 20% increase in the number of backpackers applying for a second year working holiday maker visa. 43,219…
Floodwaters ruin hundreds of highland vegetable crops in Dominican Republic
The Tireo and Constanza rivers in central La Vega province broke free from their banks due to the rains on Tuesday, flooding hundreds of plantations with various crops in highland towns. The floodwaters damaged cabbage, potato, broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetable crops. The hardest hit were the…
Half of the EU peppers came from Spain in the last campaign
Spain sold 1,163.19 million kilos of pepper to the EU during the pepper campaign - between August 1, 2018, and July 31, 2019 - which corresponds to 46.71% of the total,…
How to avoid greenwashing in your marketing and promotional material
If you are thinking about marketing and promoting the environmental benefits of your products, be very careful with the language you use. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) recent case against Woolworth’s shows that it will not tolerate misleading or deceptive conduct in this…
Growers believe suspension agreement on other items would devastate US growers
The newly drafted and updated Tomato Suspension Agreement between the United States and Mexico was signed last week. With this in place, the 17.56 percent duty paid by importers of Mexican tomatoes is set to cease along with the investigation into alleged "dumping" practices of Mexican growers. Growers…
GLASE provides analysis of CEA market growth to industry members
One of the benefits offered by the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium to its industry members is its Industry Talks series. This series of informal conversations are presented by academics and field experts who focus on topics suggested by the consortium’s industry members.…
APMC market – Lasalgaon
India: Vegetable supply drops by 40 per cent at market
With the monsoon drawing to an end, the supply of vegetables at Vashi’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market has been affected and the prices of fruits and…
USDA announces termination of the Processed Raspberry Research and Promotion Order, program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the Processed Raspberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order has been terminated. The termination of the order ends the research and promotion program that was established in 2012 to expand the market and uses of processed raspberries. The…
Coalition of farmers, restaurants and chefs urge passage of USMCA
Farmers, restaurants and their customers will all benefit from improved trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico, according to a coalition of California agricultural…
Demand average for California strawberries
Supplies of strawberries look ample right now. “There are enough supplies out there right now,” says Jim Grabowski of Well-Pict in Watsonville, Ca. “We’re still getting strawberries out of Watsonville, Ca. The season is winding down there. Picking will continue until “the rains come”--so whenever it…
With satisfying prices for everyone involved
“High demand for Polish capsicums this season”
The Polish capsicum season has been good to the traders. Demand was high and although there was a lot of competition, the prices were satisfying for everybody involved. As the season is wrapping up, one exporter prepares for the next season, as they export a variety of winter vegetables. The end of the…
Japan to slash agri tariffs, implement new quotas
Trade deal signed by Trump and Abe
On Wednesday, Japan agreed to cut or eliminate tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of U.S. ag commodities and erect new quotas under a trade deal that US President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe signed. About 88% of the roughly $14.1 billion worth of U.S. ag exports to Japan would be either tariff-free…
Consequences for Canada both good and bad
“US ag industry nearing a marketing disaster”
These past few weeks, hardly a day goes by without some bad news from the American agri media about some market calamity as a result of President Trump’s trade war with China. It’s all because China has basically instituted a boycott of most imported US farm commodities in retaliation to high American…
Peppers take leading position away from tomatoes in Almeria's greenhouses
Peppers have taken the leading position away from tomatoes in the greenhouses of Almeria, as revealed by the forecast of the production of both crops for the 2019/20 campaign. The pepper acreage will expand considerably, reaching 11,570 hectares; 445 hectares more than last season (+4%). Since 2017, the…
California bell pepper season set to transition shortly
Weather conditions in the Coachella Valley have been ideal for the upcoming bell pepper season, growers say. Temperatures have been close to the average for the time of year and no inclement weather has been recorded since the start of the growing season. The timing of the harvest is also considered to…
India: Not just onions, now tomatoes too will pinch people's pockets
In India, after onions, now tomatoes are next in line to bear the brunt of supply shortages and rising prices. In the past few weeks, tomato prices have seen a surge of around…
Kent and Netherlands forge partnership to grow international Agri-food research and innovation
A new agreement aimed at developing innovative food and drink trade and investment opportunities in the UK and the Netherlands has been signed today. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by NIAB EMR, the fruit research centre at East Malling (Kent, UK), Locate in Kent and Oost NL, the East…
Could duckweed be the next big vertical farm crop?
Duckweeds are a family of aquatic plants that can be found floating on still or slow-moving bodies of water worldwide. Also known as bayroot or watermeal, duckweed is a popular food in Southwest Asia. Duckweed is a major source of protein, which accounts for 40 percent of its dry weight. It’s also the…
Capsicum experiencing steady volumes but growth in value in Australia
A comprehensive review of capsicum volume, value, and consumption in Australia was released. The report found that while there was an almost negligible volume change at -0.1%, the value for capsicum grew with +8.5%. The report found that the average household still purchased capsicum at similar volumes…
Polish vegetable market: tomatoes top list of biggest price increases
According to the analysts of the Polish Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, in August 2019, compared to August last year, the purchase prices of vegetables for…
Millingandi region, New South Wales
Australian lettuce farmer sees region's fresh potential
Since buying a lettuce farm in Millingandi around five years ago, Larry and Karen Sher’s business, Millingandi Greens, has gone from strength to strength. Although most of NSW is in drought, as far as produce is concerned Mr. Sher believes the Far South Coast could be the diamond among the rough. "My…
Mexican tomato must adapt to the new phytosanitary measures imposed by the US
According to data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the average per capita consumption of red tomatoes in the United States in 2017 reached 177.042 million kilos. China accounts for 31.8% of the world's tomato production and it is the world's largest producer.…
"Increasing opportunity for vertical farms in the UK"
In a recent GLASE webinar, Jonny Reader, research associate at the University of Nottingham and design engineer at V-Farm talked about the current fruit and vegetable market in the UK and insecurities surrounding Brexit. Here are the 5 take home points: UK farming activities relay on forging seasonal labor…
Iceland importer Jóhannes Þór Ævarsson on market trends:
“The low-carb trend has a big influence on the market”
Iceland’s main supply of fresh produce depends on the import industry, because the country’s climate doesn’t allow enough local production to sustain the country. Jóhannes Þór Ævarsson, managing director of fresh produce for Innnes import and wholesale company, tells us: “Our local greenhouse technology…
More peppers and fewer tomatoes in Almeria in the 2019/20 campaign
According to the forecasts made by the General Provincial Secretariat of Agriculture of the province of Almeria, a total of 11,570 hectares will be devoted to the cultivation of peppers in the 2019/20 campaign. This is 445 hectares more (+4%) than the 11,125 hectares of the 2018/2019 campaign. It is…
U.S. and Mexico avoid anti-dumping dispute on tomatoes
Mexican tomato growers have signed a deal to raise the prices of the tomatoes they sell in the U.S. market. That ends a threat from Washington, D.C., to slap a 25-percent anti-dumping tariff on tomato imports. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the deal will protect U.S. growers from unfair trade…
Harvesting has the president's attention
Belarus harvests in full swing
In Belarus, the harvesting campaign is in full swing. The harvesting of cereals will be followed by vegetable crops. According to an article on eng.belta.by, crops are also being gathered in from experimental fields of the Belarus president. They claim the Belarusian head of state pays a huge amount of attention to agriculture.…
Mangochi District - Malawi
Hospital administrator suspended for transporting cabbages in an ambulance
A hospital administrator from the Mangochi District Hospital has been suspended for transporting cabbages from Ntcheu District to Mangochi District, using an ambulance. The vehicle was stopped by community members. The Mangochi District Council has suspended the administrator John Phiri, with pay, after residents…
Benny Cuypers, BelOrta
"Limited production causes sharp increase in Belgian tomato prices”
The Belgian tomato season got off to a rough start this year - the overlap with the Spanish season made for difficult price formations. There were also large volumes coming onto the market. In June, the situation did a complete u-turn. This was partly due to the heat and the increasing demand. “We have…
Who gives them an assignment?
"Students offer free advice to horticultural company
Renate, Jorg, and Jasper are fourth-year students of Business Administration and Agribusiness from the HAS Hogeschool in Den Bosch. For their specialization International Business Management, they are looking for a horticultural company in Europe (but outside the NL) with at least 50 employees. "With our…
Nepal: Vegetable prices shoot up - vendors blame rain
In Nepal, the vegetable prices have increased significantly as the festival of Dashain nears. Unfortunately, the consumer had to bear the brunt as the price of potatoes,…
Versus Euro and Dollar
Pound Sterling could come under pressure sooner than expected
The British Pound was coming under pressure against the Euro, the US Dollar and other major currencies on Thursday, September 19. A potential reason behind the softness could…
Turkish tomatoes for Italian delicacies
Izmir, a city located in western Turkey, is one of the major exporters of dried tomatoes in the country. The city exports dried tomatoes to 85 countries, mainly to Europe. Tomatoes are planted in April every year and harvested in July. Then, they are left to dry on white sheets. Tomatoes are sun-dried…
Tropical storm Imelda strands trucks carrying produce
Just over two years ago, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and its surrounding areas, causing catastrophic flooding. Towards the end of last week, the area east of Houston was hit again, this time by tropical storm Imelda. “These types of storms can only happen in June, September or October in our area,” says…
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue:
“Better trade news on its way”
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told attendees of the United Fresh Washington Conference that a new trade agreement with Japan may be only days away. Perdue spoke Sept. 18 at the Washington Conference. He said President Trump is working to expand agriculture exports even as the administration stands up to China’s illegal…
Heat issues cause US broccoli market to spike
The broccoli market in North America has taken a turn, with the last couple of weeks seeing higher prices. Supplies have been hampered by persistently warmer than usual weather in the growing regions, including Salinas. Suppliers have noted a drop in quality as some of the crop succumbs to heat. "We are…
Hurricane Lorena skirts growing regions
Ex-Hurricane Lorena traveled along the western coast of Mexico late last week, dumping upwards of 150mm of rain in some areas. The hurricane skirted Colima on Friday and at one point was predicted to travel along the Baja California peninsula Saturday and Sunday. However, it changed course and crossed…
Market “fair” for celery right now
With the local deals for celery still ongoing, the market on celery is down slightly. “The supplies of celery are steady. We’re at our budgeted volumes so we don’t see any supply issues for the next several weeks happening,” says Joseph Angelo of Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville, Ca. Angelo notes that…
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