Market Information

US: Consumer horticulture proposal reviewers needed to impact how federal research dollars are spent

If you want to influence how federal research dollars are spent on Consumer Horticulture, you can volunteer to be a reviewer of Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)…

New Zealand: Rising strawberry prices around Christmas 'unavoidable'

It is always certain that strawberry prices will skyrocket around Christmas-time. Most shoppers think they are being ripped-off when the $2 punnet of strawberries at the…

Western Australian vegetable growers fear water licence fees

Australian fruit and vegetable growers are lobbying against potential introduction of application fees for water licences. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation…

Microgreens provide budding Aussie businesses with fast-turnaround crops and ready market

Microgreens are proving to be increasingly popular in upmarket Australian eateries, which is how growing micro was what got Adam Tutt thinking big. The young vegetable farmer near Bowraville on the New South Wales north coast left the family farm and set up his own business. "I travelled overseas and had a look…

US farmers hit by trade tariffs

Tariffs are at the heart of a trade war between the U.S. and China. Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural commodities have taken a nosedive since China imposed tariffs on them in retaliation for steep U.S. import taxes on items like steel and aluminum.   In mid-summer China slapped a 25-percent tariff on imports of U.S. soybeans. By…

Market scan: Japan's modern greenhouse industry

A new greenhouse market scan focuses on the current situation in the modern greenhouse sector, including support measures of the Japanese government and an overview of newly built greenhouses. The government makes efforts to increase vegetable production. In 2014 the Next Generation Greenhouse program…

Westminster urged to promote fruit and vegetable sector

Britain’s agriculture policy needs to change, in order to ensure a more productive future for British fruit and vegetable producers. That was the message from the Fruit and…

Vegetables damaged by violent hail in Apulia

On the 10th of December, the Italian areas of Polignano , Monopoli and Fasano were hit by a heavy hailstorm. Giandomenico De Mola witnessed this and commented on it as follows: "Around 11:00 AM an exceptional and unusual hailstorm hit Polignano, and an hour later it migrated south". "There is clearly visible damage to crops such…

Early winter storm challenges trucking in Southeastern U.S.

Following an unusual and surprising winter storm over the weekend, growers and produce handlers and others in the Southeastern U.S. say it could have been worse. After dumping anywhere from…

Food bloggers weigh in on food trend realities

For the second year in a row FullTilt Marketing surveyed food bloggers from across the country to get their perspective on what they view as the relevant food trends and how…

Spain's minimum wage to jump 22% in new year

Spain's minimum wage will jump by 22% in 2019 - the largest annual increase in more than 40 years. It means millions of low-paid workers could see a pay rise from €736 ($835; £665) to €900, effective from January. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the increase on Wednesday, declaring "a rich country cannot have poor workers". The…

France: Cabinet delays raising food prices for farmers after protests

French farmers, who have always been a powerful factor in French politics, have long complained of being hit by a price war between retailers, which has benefited consumers…

Canadian report: Meat eaters will pay less, veggie lovers more

According to Canada’s Food Price Report , meat eating Canadians will benefit from dropping prices for animal protein in 2019, while the growing legion of meat-free eaters will pay more for their vegetables. Some 40 per cent of British Columbians aged 35 and under follow some variation of a meat-free diet, which is…

Slow start for Florida bell pepper season

Suppliers of bell peppers are reporting that it's been a slow start for the Florida bell pepper season. It's unclear what the reason for this is as the weather has been largely favorable in South Florida, the location of the current season. Additionally, there are reports of a lighter crop which has been…

Which EU country has the most citizens living abroad?

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China: Baby carrot market faces heavy competition

Baby carrots in China are growing in popularity yearly. It is not very common for Chinese people to eat raw vegetables, but they are getting more familiar with it. As Chun Wang from Directa Co.,Ltd. mentions: “China has raised the awareness of the benefits of consuming raw baby carrots, therefore the…

What are the biggest pitfalls on the Chinese import market?

It isn’t easy to export to another country. You have to keep in mind a lot of things, and the products often have to meet specific requirements. Besides, exporting to a country like China, language and culture can also be a barrier. FruitMax is a company that’s professionally involved in helping foreign…

US: Farm Bill Conference Committee delivers final bill

The 2018 Farm Bill Conference Committee has released a final bill for Congress to vote on. Agriculture Committee Chairmen Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, and Ranking Members Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., released the text of the…

Danish government in favor of banning thin plastic bags

The Danish government is in favor of banning the thin plastic bags, according to newspaper Politiken . The prospective ban is part of the government’s plastic strategy, which seeks to dramatically reduce Denmark’s consumption of plastic bags. “We need to move away from the ‘use and throw away’ culture that we probably…

Australia: A reason to celebrate local products this Christmas

The Australian Made Campaign is urging shoppers to support local manufacturers, farmers and retailers by looking for the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo this Christmas.…

Spain: Canary tomato growers receive 8.7 M€ in overdue Posei aid

The Council of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Water of the Government of the Canary Islands has published the definitive resolution of the additional Posei aid for…

Alibaba's world electronic trading platform in Europe for the first time

On December 5th, the Alibaba Group and the Belgian federal government signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation, marking the European arrival of the world e-commerce…

Chinese delegation explores future of food in the Netherlands

How can enterprises enhance core competitiveness during the change from extensive pattern to intensive pattern in China’s fresh industry? And how to make the most of its strengths and accelerate the industrial distribution in the integration process of the industry chain? To find out these answers…

Swedish retailers are starting to grow herbs under their stores

As Ron Finley once said in his Ted Talk on Gorilla Gardening - “To Grow your own food is like printing your own money”. Urban Gardening is by no means a new phenomenon – it has been around for hundreds of years. Back in the 1800s urban gardening took up much of the space that we see in gardens and parks…

Dutch Greenhouse Delta signs memorandum for long-term partnership in India

Dutch Greenhouse Delta has concluded a partnership for the next two years with INDUCED, its first Indian partner. The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Agro Tech India Conference. INDUCED is part of food and dairy company Tasty Dairy Specialties Limited that is striving to boost the growth of agriculture and horticulture in…

Flow map of US exports & imports - 15 largest trade partners

Click here for the flow map of US exports & imports.

China: Early winter veg prices the lowest in five years

According to new data from the Xinfadi market, the early season vegetable prices have hit a five year low, even worse than in 2014. The emergence of this low price is actually…

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Canadian Produce Marketing Association welcomes signing of USMCA

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association said it welcomes the signing of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. CPMA has…

Ghana Plant Department warns vegetable & fruit exporters: 'No association, no exports'

From January 2019 onward, all vegetable and fruit exporters will be required to register to an association before being allowed to export produce from the country, says…

Guy Callebaut speaks about his trip as a Trias volunteer

“Ample opportunities for organic farming in Ecuador”

Last week the Trias organization sent Guy Callebaut to Ecuador. Guy is the GlobalGAP chairperson and a Trias volunteer. He went to this South American country to advise the Pacat cooperative. Trias is an organization that gives family-run farms all over the world a chance to make simple dreams come true.…

Demand of sprouts remains unvaried in autumn

As reported by Andrea Faedi from Vivo, while preferences change in autumn, the demand of sprouts and microgreens remains unvaried. "The important thing it to mix up the types of sprouts. For example, legume sprouts are very popular at the moment." The same goes for microgreens, which Vivo started to grow…

Copa and Cogeca make statement on Brexit process

On November 25th, the endorsement by the European Council of the Withdrawal Agreement is a new step forward an orderly Brexit, further minimising the prospect of a 'no-deal’…

China is world production leader of these 25 items

When the Peoples Republic of China is mentioned, the first things that come to mind is the recent economic resurgence and of course the huge population. Indeed, a country of…

Canada: 18,000 seasonal workers to head home as Ontario harvest draws to a close

Farmers all over Ontario are nearing the end of another successful fall harvest. The harvest was made possible by a seasonal labour program that has helped the province’s fruit and vegetable industry to thrive for more than 50 years. Approximately 18,000 workers from Mexico and the Caribbean, employed at approximately 1,450…

UK government to ration ferry space under no-deal Brexit

UK prime minister May’s cabinet is drawing up plans to ration space on ferries carrying vital supplies to Britain, amidst preparations for a no-deal Brexit that could leave…

Spanish white celery harvest has begun

Sipo has started the harvest of white celery grown in Spain, specifically from the Murcia region, which will be available from Monday, December 3rd. It is picked from December to the beginning of April. The choice of Murcia for cultivation was made to guarantee a commercially viable product, something which in recent…

Pacheco Pass, California

Truck spills fruit during harrowing stunt

We see the moment a truck spectacularly loses control on a mountain road and spills its cargo all over the lane. Footage recorded on a dash-cam in the vehicle behind shows the truck, loaded with crates, drive down the hard shoulder and hit the muddy bank. The truck then tilts to the left and smashes to the ground…

Ger Kingma, Hagé International:

"Shortages of all Spanish tomatoes with exception of cherry plums"

The Spanish tomato market is currently plagued by delays. Ger Kingma, Hagé International: "Not surprisingly, because the weather is bad in Spain, and rain is forecast for the coming days, and that delays the tomatoes. And when it is not raining, the humidity is still high, which is not beneficial for the…

Jordan: Vegetable prices skyrocketing

On Monday, December 3 2018, the Jordan National Society for Consumer Protection (NSCP) issued a statement on the prices of fruits and vegetables in Jordan according to…

Strawberry cultivation in Gaza

Palestinian farmers began harvesting strawberries readying their first shipments of the fruit to the West Bank. The export of strawberries from the Gaza Strip is described as “an adventure” and will prevent farmers from suffering large losses. From the West Bank, the goods are expected to be sent to Europe. “The past years have seen a significant decline…

John Grootscholten, Daily Fresh Radish:

“Dutch radish market completely changed in two weeks”

While the last two months were bad on the radish market with a large supply and low prices, the market situation has completely changed in the past two weeks. “Radish grew rapidly everywhere in recent months because of the high temperatures and the large amount of sunshine in September and October. But…

JyE Fruit and Vegetables, Guatemala:

"The demand for our vegetables is growing internationally"

"From December onwards, we will have a greater availability of our most important products, which are colored minicarrots, radicchio and zucchini. We produce all year round, although in some periods the volumes are lower. In any case, we are certainly able to offer a stable supply," says Álex Reyes, of…

Canadian experts:

‘Buy local to keep grocery bills down as fruit & veg prices expected to rise’

Fruit and vegetable prices will be on the rise in 2019, if predictions in a new report on food prices in Canada are accurate. The report, a collaborative effort by the…

20,000 Moroccan temporary laborers will harvest Spanish strawberries in 2019

Next year, the Moroccan government plans to send 20,000 seasonal laborers to Spain to harvest strawberries and other red fruits, as announced by the Minister of Employment, Mohamed Yatim, after meeting with the National Employment Agency (ANAPEC), responsible for the selection of candidates. The institution published a…

Column: Heleen van Rijn-Wassenaar

Will Win-Chain be the fresh-produce winner in China?

In 2016, the successful online retailer Alibaba took one of many important steps – this time in the fresh produce supply chain – when it founded Win-Chain. The first time I personally encountered this new Alibaba subsidiary was on 4 September this year, during my visit to the Asiafruit Congress in Hong…

Agriculture in Mozambique is making progress

The Macfrut delegation that presented the 2019 edition in Mozambique also had the chance to visit a few companies and markets so as to better understand the level and potential of the segment. For Mozambique, strengthening the fresh produce sector is a priority for economic and social development. Most…

Spain: Horticultural imports grew by 7% between January and September

Between January and September 2018, the Spanish import of fresh fruits and vegetables has increased by 7% in terms of both volume and value compared to the same period of…

Just another day for Port Kembla Biosecurity

Australia: Stinkbugs and 'Fury Road'

Biosecurity officers at Port Kembla deal with all sorts of things; beetles, stinkbugs, stagnant water on board ships and... the vehicles from the movie Fury Road. Yes indeed, the trucks and cars used in the most recent Mad Max film came in through Port Kembla, once filming in South Africa was over. “It’s not too…

Brunei to grow and export Seolhyang strawberries

The Seolhyang strawberry variety, developed in South Korea, is bigger and known to be twice as sweet as regular strawberries. Now, a South Korean-Brunei joint venture wants to…

New grocery-pricing system from Israel to slash food waste

Food expiration dates about to undergo a revolution

Some sources claim that about half of all the food produced in the world is wasted every year. That would be about two billion tons of food, worth billions of dollars. It’s a…

Market information Flandria

Belgium: Head lettuce price doubled, now most expensive variety

A higher supply of leeks translated into slightly decreasing prices for the consumer. Because the weather has been warmer than usual, demand was lower. The supply of carrot…

Statement on the Tomato Suspension Agreement

"Enforcement of US antidumping laws needed to stop decline of US tomato industry"

Below is a statement from the Florida Tomato Exchange. "Earlier this month the Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE) requested that the Department of Commerce terminate the Tomato Suspension Agreement with…

Why farmers are angry in India's fastest-growing farm economy

Madhya Pradesh (MP) is an Indian a state that depends on agriculture for 30% of its income and reported 10.9% annual growth in its agricultural sector for 8 years up to 2015, India’s fastest growth. Now, farm protests are sweeping MP. At their core lies a deeper crisis; a fractured farm economy, where 46% of households…

New Zealand: Horticulture growth retains momentum

Horticulture growth retained momentum with a seven percent growth in export earnings since 2016, according to an updated report, with tariffs on exported produce down by 12 percent since 2012. The New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority (HEA) and Horticulture New Zealand commission the report New Zealand Horticulture –…

'Young' companies are a growing trend

At Eima, the Nomisma-Edagricole research institute on young farmers (Osservatorio sui Giovani Agricoltori Nomisma-Edagricole) presented the results of their analysis of the developmental characteristics of Italian young farmers. Although they represent less than 10% of Italian farms, the companies lead by "youngs"…

Mangaluru Airport, India: Vegetable flights to Gulf hit cargo record

Mangaluru International Airport, situated near India’s coastal city of Mangaluru, logged a record 649 tons of cargo handling in June this year, most of it being perishables.…

"Hainan Qianxi cherry tomatoes begin to enter the market"

"This year's harvest of Qianxi cherry tomatoes from Hainan have already begun to enter the market in November. The production season is estimated to last until March. The overall production volume reached 500 thousand tons, which is more or less the same as last year." This is according to Hainan fruit…

Romaine removed from shelves due to E. coli

Iceberg lettuce prices soar as much as 168% in United States

According to USDA data, after an outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce took the popular salad green off the shelves, prices for other types of lettuce soared. In a weeks’ time, the cost of a 24-piece carton of iceberg lettuces rose anywhere from 168 percent to 119 percent. On Nov. 19, iceberg lettuce sold for…

US pleased with signing of USMCA agreement

The US, Canada and Mexico have signed the USMCA trade agreement, to replace NAFTA. Following the signing, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said: “Today’s signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement continues the progress American farmers and ranchers have made since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect…

USDA invests in innovative management of California water supply

US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $449 million to help build an innovative water management system that will increase the reliability of the California water supply and create more than 560 jobs in the Sacramento Valley.…

Harvesting turnips in the snow and mud

Growers braved Winter Storm Bruce in Michigan last weekend as workers continued harvesting turnips. Despite six inches of snow falling from a blizzard the previous night, the workers were out there gathering some of the remaining turnips before freezing weather put a halt to harvesting, likely for the…

Fresh Aussie vegetable exports are increasing

Demand for fresh Australian vegetables is continuing to rise, but carrots are the leading traded commodity in both value and volume, according to AUSVEG. The vegetable industry is on…

Horticulture congratulates New Zealand Government on CoOL law

Horticulture New Zealand congratulates the Government on passing the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill into law. "Getting mandatory Country of Origin Labelling, or…

US: Agreement in principle reached on 2018 Farm Bill

House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairmen Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Pat Roberts (R- Kan.) and Ranking Members Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)…

New Zealand: Plastic bags to be phased out by the middle of 2019

The government of New Zealand has confirmed that single-use bags and thicker boutique bags will be phased out over six months, as soon as Cabinet signs off on the regulations. Bin liners and synthetic fabric reusable bags will still be allowed, as will bags provided for fruit, vegetables and raw meat. Associate Environment Minister…

The crop's greenhouse cultivation is gradually expanding

Spain: "The market is demanding more zucchini"

"After years without growing zucchini, this week, if nothing unexpected happens, we will start harvesting it again." The company for which Ana Ibáñez works, Agrorizao, is not the only one that is now adding this vegetable to its product range, or which has chosen to increase its production. "The market…

Pak choi wholesale price drops 80%

China: Vegetable prices sink to new low

The vegetable market seems quite depressed this year. Celery and cabbage only cost around 0.2-0.3 yuan [0.03-0.04 USD], and the price of pak choi has fallen below 0.1 yuan [0.01 USD]. The market has been like this for quite some time. Pak choi The overall market for the vegetable market has been relatively stable, mainly because of the temperature drop in…

Horticulture New Zealand congratulates Government on CoOL law

Horticulture New Zealand congratulates the Government on passing the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill into law.  “Getting mandatory Country of Origin Labelling, or CoOL,…

InterAcademy Partnership:

"Global food system is broken"

The global food system is broken, leaving billions of people either underfed or overweight and driving the planet towards climate catastrophe, according to 130 national academies of science and medicine across the world. Providing a healthy, affordable, and environmentally friendly diet for all people will require a radical transformation of the…

Healthy trends gain ground

Spain: Consumers prefer supermarkets that offer fresh produce

80% of consumers associate innovation with sustainability and prefer supermarkets that bet on offering more fresh products. This is one of the main conclusions of the Shopper Experience Observatory (OSE), presented by Salvetti Llombart in the framework of the Healthy Food Challenges event. Healthy trends are increasingly gaining ground among…

Spain and Morocco prepare recruitment of laborers at origin for strawberry harvest

The goal of the governments of Spain and Morocco is to have an ordered and safe recruitment campaign at origin for the berry harvest. Thus, the two have held a meeting in Huelva attended by the General Director for Migrations of the Ministry of Labor, Antonio Alarcón; the Secretary General of the…

Parisians want more local and organic produce

Protecting one’s health, eating good produce and avoiding courgettes in winter. Street interviews, done at the Aligre market in Paris’ 12th arrondissement, show that Parisians are certainly concerned about the food they eat. And then there are some numbers on organic products in France: – The amount of products of organic origin…

Yellow vests: a threat to the fruit and vegetable sector

After a hectic weekend and more than a week of demonstrations, the yellow vests continue their movement despite significant losses for storekeepers. The importer and exporter Frutas Ponche France is located in Perpignan. According to Charles Farran, the movement of "yellow vests" paralyzes the trade. People are especially…

Canada: Government invests in innovation to support greenhouse sector

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food was at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre to announce a federal investment of up to $5 million to the Automation Cluster under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Cluster will be led by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Canada's agricultural…

OFVGA welcomes Canadian innovation funding for greenhouse automation research

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) welcomes Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s November 26 announcement of $5 million in funding from the Canadian…

€444 million to be reimbursed to European farmers

The European Commission will reimburse €444 million to European farmers, in line with the regulation published. This amount was originally deducted from the 2018 budget for farmers' income support under the common agricultural policy (CAP) to create this year's so-called agricultural crisis reserve. Even though the…

UK: Government calls for evidence into labour shortages

In June 2018, the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a full review of the composition of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) – they…

"Great divergence in product varieties and production areas in the Chinese pepper market this production season"

"This year's chili pepper purchase season officially began in late July and lasted until the middle of October. There is a great divergence in the pepper market this year when it comes to production volumes and market prices." This is according to He Yan of Shaanxi Yahu Foodstuffs Co., Ltd. Chili pepper farm Chili peppers "As for…

Edward van den Eijnden and Piet Meerkerk, Angus soft fruits Europe:

"Shortages on strawberry and raspberry market"

"The strawberries are currently very expensive. On the free market, prices are around 7.00 to 7.50 euro per kilo. In October we have had a very high production thanks to the beautiful weather, which is now causing shortages. Also the next three weeks will be extremely expensive weeks because of the…

Italy: Lower quantities and higher prices for courgettes

The temperature changes over the past few weeks have stressed light and dark courgette plants, meaning there are problems in the production of these vegetables in the Fondi area. "Volumes are much lower than in the past campaign, and things will continue to be so for a few weeks," explains Michele Conti from OP Copla. Prices are…

Wholesale buyers in Ukraine face difficulties buying tomatoes

Wholesale buyers in Ukraine are finding it difficult to acquire large enough volumes of tomatoes. Some of them claim a shortage of these products on the market, the Ukrainian…

Russia: Greenhouse vegetable production up by more than 25%

As of October 30, 2018, the gross yield of greenhouse vegetable crops in Russia amounted to 820.1 thousand tons, which is 25.7% more than in the same period of 2017. This has…

Rabobank: Global food price stability in 2019 threatened by trade wars, disease and El Niño

A “melting pot” of risks – including US trade war with China, disease and extreme weather – threaten global food price stability next year, according to research from…

Turkey: Fresh fruit and vegetable exports increasing

Turkey Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association Chairman, Ali Kavak, said: “Turkish growers are producing around 50 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables annually. As exporters, we export around 3.5 million tons and we expect around 10-15% increase in our export figures. The summer season was too long…

Though not a recession yet

OECD: “Trade tariffs and higher interest rates are slowing global economic growth”

According to the latest forecasts from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the global economy will continue to slow down in 2019, amid prolonged trade…

Spain: Complaints due to "unjustified" fruit and veg price drops

COAG has denounced an "unjustified" reduction of fruit and vegetable prices at origin due to the roadblocks in France, as reported in a statement. The protests that are taking place in France are causing delays and making the movement of goods much more difficult, but the shipments are arriving and there is no…

Italy: Low prices worry cherry tomato producers

The tomato campaign is in full swing in Ispica after a short summer break. One of the leading companies in the area is Agricola Giamblanco which mainly grows PGI cherry and plum tomatoes.  After a season characterized by excessively-low wholesale prices, the new one seems better even though prices remain fluctuating. "This is due to the…

Spain: The seed sector has an undeniable potential for growth

Spain's seed sector has a growth potential to position itself among the most active seed sectors in the world, as was unanimously stated in the Seeds Production and Movement Day organized by the National Association of Vegetable Producers (ANOVE). Achieving this requires the participation and close collaboration of all…

Saudi Arabia: Prices go up as rain and labor shortages impact vegetable farming

Weeks of stormy and wet weather in various agricultural producing regions of Saudi Arabia has affected the farm yields, which were already suffering due to a labor shortage.…

Logistics rivals gain ground as Maersk retreats

A.P. Moller - Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, looks content to let rivals increase their market share while it holds back from adding capacity in the next year. Maersk’s share of global container shipping capacity has actually shrunk by 1.5% in the last 12 months. The carrier’s main rivals have…

Australian berry growers welcome Federal Government support for fresh produce

The peak industry body representing Australia’s fastest growing fresh produce sector – berries – has welcomed the federal government’s confirmation of a $650,000 assistance…

GP, Tamara de Weijer's blog:

"Vegetables as medicine - a healthy development"

What influence do vegetables have on a person's health? This is a question GP, Dr. Tamara de Weijer, can answer. For the past five years, she has been specializing in the use of nutrition and lifestyle advice in her practice. Dr. De Weijer is the ambassador for the ‘Nationaal Actieplan Groenten en Fruit’ (National Fruit…

Increase in Pacific worker numbers good for horticulture

Horticulture New Zealand is pleased Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway have increased the amount of Recognised Seasonal…

High prices for cucumbers and aubergines

Roberto Bologna, a leading producer from Igea Marina, reports that there is little produce available and whatever there is costs more than the period average, meaning it's a good time for Italian cucumbers and aubergines. Cucumbers produced in Romagna "I grow the produce in greenhouses until late autumn and prices are very good…

Tomato suspension agreement between US Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato growers remains in effect

While earlier this week the Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE) asked the US Department of Commerce to withdraw from the agreement, eliminate the reference prices and resume the…

Turkey: Tomato prices start to rise again

The price of tomatoes has started to rise again in Antalya, the center for tomato production in Turkey. In the wholesale market, tomato prices had dropped below 0.60 USD per kg, however now they have again risen to above 0.70 USD per kg. Tomato prices had increased by 35.2 % in September and that was the product with…

Australian vegetable industry strongly condemns mistreatment of workers

In response to the Harvest Trail Inquiry released by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), AUSVEG has expressed concern about the level of non-compliance detailed in the report and is confident actions already undertaken by the industry will result in better conditions for workers and remove those operators in…

Half of surveyed businesses breaching workplace laws

Australian Fair Work report: Widespread non-compliance in horticulture sector

In Australia, a Fair Work Ombudsman inquiry into workplaces was done along the nation’s Harvest Trail. Unfortunately it has found widespread non-compliance, with inspectors recovering more than $1 million in unpaid wages for over 2,500 workers. The damning report reveals that during the inquiry, FWO took court action…

South Italy: Current situation of the fruit and vegetable campaign

The first observations on the 2018/19 winter vegetable campaign pointed out a not very reassuring trend. The frequent and unusual adverse climate conditions extremely affected the production. To better understand this, FreshPlaza interviewed Rocco Viggiano, the legal representative of the Fe.Vi. Frutta – a…

Spain: Reduction of fruit exports and growth of veg shipments in September

Spanish fruit exports have fallen by 18% in terms of volume and by 10% in terms of value in September compared to the same month last year, totaling 342,032 tonnes and 353…

High-tech (smart-tech) in Mexico still on the rise

Jungle Talks in cooperation with Rabobank Westland recently organized a trade mission to Mexico. A group of Dutch horticultural suppliers and organisations visited renowned Mexican producers from 10 to 16 November. The Dutch expanded their network during the Expo Agroalimentaria in Irapuato and discussed…

Shortage of tomatoes in US market

There is great pressure on tomato supplies in the US market at the moment due to a number of factors. One of these is the transition of seasons, with several growing regions finishing up for the season, while others are either suffering from cold weather or they simply haven't started yet. Florida is…

Thanksgiving dinner

What went into your Thanksgiving dinner? In 2017, American Farmers produced 1.8 billion lbs. of green beans, almost 8 billion lbs. of sweet corn, and over 3.5 billion lbs. of sweet potatoes! Source: twitter.com

How USMCA will impact North American cross-border shipments

The U.S., Mexico, and Canada released text to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on September 30, 2018. While many news outlets reported on the new…

Call to Norwegian retailers to buy more domestic tomatoes

Cheap imports frustrate Norwegian tomato growers

Large numbers of imported tomatoes along with unusually low prices are currently causing frustration among Norwegian tomato growers, according to Katrine Røed Meberg from…

UK: NFU monitors Sainsbury's and Asda merger

Sainsbury's has confirmed plans to merge with Asda, which is currently owned by US supermarket giant Walmart. The retailers have said that grocery prices would fall in both chains as a result of the merger. Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said the deal would lead to no store closures and no job losses in stores. The combination…

"Innovation in agriculture vital to address future food challenges"

Rapid advances in agricultural innovation that address climate change and support family farmers are crucial if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's Director-General told the opening session of the first International Symposium on Agricultural…

...and try to hold on to them longer

US farmers seek more temporary H-2A workers

When US farmers are unable to find the labor they need, the federal ‘H2A visa program’ allows them to bring in workers from foreign countries. The visas are costly and the process is time-consuming, yet the number of visas granted continues to climb. For more than 100 years and five generations, Bruce Talbott’s family has…

Italy: Outlook for the courgette campaign

Carmelo Calabrese is an agronomist and the president of the OP Fonteverde di Ispica, “The courgette campaign in South-Eastern Sicily has just begun and it is characterised by two things: good prices due to a shortage of produce from Central Italy and a widespread fear of the New Delhi virus”. Calabrese, “The season is at the…

Peter van Pijkeren, IRI:

“The fresh category is changing quicker than ever and is full of opportunities”

Fresh is one of the most important drivers behind the growth of supermarkets in the past 12 years. While turnover within supermarkets was 27.3 billion in 2006, it has risen to 38.5 billion in 2018. The contribution of fresh to total turnover is the largest and increased by 4.7%. “The fresh category is…

EU ministers back 'fair' Brexit deal with UK

In a momentous moment of unity in Brussels, the 27 national European Union ministers backed the draft of the terms of Britain's exit from the bloc. At least that is what the…

Australia: Queensland's struggling strawberry farmers get creative

For a while now, Australian growers have been despairing over dumping tonnes of perfectly good fruit that was too small or odd-shaped to find a market. The sad cases of…

Mexico: Tomato exports to the USA are in danger

Mexican tomato exporters fear that Florida producers in the United States may curb the suspension agreement that allows them to send tomatoes to that market without tariffs,…

Turkey: Tomato prices and production

Tomato harvest has started in Antalya, the center for greenhouse tomato production in Turkey. Tomato seedlings were planted during the month of August and the growers have started receiving products in 3 months. Tomatoes were sold at Antalya wholesaler market for 0.50 USD per kg which is a strong…

Dutch consultancy firm PUM cooperation with ZimTrade

Experts from the Netherlands to revive horticulture in Zimbabwe

Plans have been put in motion to establish model horticulture farms in Zimbabwe as a way of reviving this sector. The southern African country used to have a vibrant horticultural industry, but it was harmed quite extensively by former president Mugabe's chaotic land reforms in the early 2000s, aimed at…

Global food security improvements projected to be largest in Asia

ERS’s annual International Food Security Assessment (IFSA) estimates and projects levels of food insecurity at a national level for 76 low- and middle-income countries. Using a demand-oriented model, ERS projects per capita food consumption based on prices and income and evaluates it against a daily…

Russian cucumber and gherkin production up by 14%

The total production of cucumbers and gherkins in Russia has grown by 14%, from 1.70 million tons to 1.94 million tons, as reported by RBC, citing data from the "Analysis of…

The first stage, increasing the cultivation of okra

Mexico wants to increase vegetable exports to China

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa) held a working meeting with entrepreneurs from the People's Republic of China and…

Unusual colours and shapes

Italian-Spanish collaboration: farming and marketing new courgette varieties

A Sicilian seed company, a Spanish company that wants to specialise in courgette for the Italian market and an Italian support company for the logistics located in Spain are collaborating after a very successful market test in Spain, Italy and UK. In the Cadice area, the Mercado Montilla company plans to improve the courgettes’ size…

Total agricultural output in the EU up by 6.2% in 2017 compared with 2016

The economic accounts for agriculture show that total agricultural output in the European Union (EU) stood at € 432.6 billion in basic prices in 2017, up by 6.2% compared with 2016. In 2017, the equivalent of 56% (or €244.1 bn) of the value of agricultural output generated was spent on intermediate…

UK: A briefing note on the withdrawal agreement

After months and months of negotiations, a draft withdrawal agreement between the EU and UK was published on Wednesday 14 November. The draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms of the UK's ‘divorce’ from the EU, over 585 pages. In addition, the EU and the UK published a joint political declaration on their…

Upper East Ghana tomato farmers switch to onions

Tomato farmers in the Upper East Region, formerly supplying the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, are increasingly shifting to onion farming. The main reason are the long delays…

Qatar aims at self-sufficiency in vegetable production

The Qatar Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) is undertaking many initiatives to develop the agricultural sector through providing support to farms and investors. The agricultural strategy of Qatar is aimed at reducing the dependence on imports and achieving self-sufficiency in vegetables. It is based…

Turkey: Currency rate drop increases greenhouse equipment export opportunities

The greenhouse equipment industry in Turkey continues to grow with every passing year. Currently 90 companies are operating in this sector with 70 of them being domestic companies. The companies are also looking to expand their market share in the global competition. The drop of Turkish currency in the last 6…

Russia seeks self-sufficiency in greenhouse vegetable production

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture estimates that the national production of greenhouse vegetables in 2018 will exceed one million tons. It also foresees a continued growth…

Alba Bio: hard times for the tomato, good the courgette

Vittorio Gona, the president and marketing manager of the Alba Bio PO from Sicily said: “The winter season production of greenhouse vegetable kicks off in the second week of November. Our PO farms almost all the produce demanded by the market. However, at the moment, the placement is proving to be quite…

Cuba will resume hot pepper exports

The state newspaper Granma, the official organ of the Communist Party of Cuba, announced that the country would resume its exports of hot pepper as soon as December. The Horticultural Company Wilfredo Peña, which already has a contract to deliver about 300 kilograms of this product to a foreign client, will be…

University delves into current research on local food systems

There is one consistent response to questions about the research behind the benefits of local food systems: it depends. This is due, in part, to the fact that there is no single definition for “local” food. Therefore, none of the benefits of local food systems is guaranteed; it depends on how exactly…

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