Co-op retailers report a growing engagement with banana producers in Peru through visits connected to sourcing programs coordinated with Equal Exchange. During a recent visit, co-op staff traveled to Peru to observe banana production systems and cooperative governance structures utilized by. read more

The Valencia orange crop in Southern Africa in 2025 surpassed the initial expectations, leading to higher export volumes and putting additional strain on markets and logistics. This information was reported in the latest newsletter by Boitshoko Ntshabele, the CEO of the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa. read more

China has made significant progress in the digitalization of agriculture. Nanjing Agricultural University has developed Sinong, the first open-source large language model (LLM) in the country tailored for the agricultural industry. The project is already being hailed as a major advancement. read more

Belgium: Colruyt to open half an hour earlier

Starting from Monday, February 16, all Colruyt stores and Collect&Go pick-up points in Belgium will open at 8 a.m., which is half an hour earlier than previously. Colruyt claims to be the first discount store to open its doors this early.

Source: retaildetail.eu read more

The Association of Agricultural Workers of the Canary Islands (Atratican) has expressed concerns about the purported importation of fruit from South America into the Canary Islands being falsely labelled as if it were produced in Spain. The association warns that this practice could escalate further. read more

Multicedi continues its growth and development path, confirming itself as one of the main players in the Organized Retail sector in Central and Southern Italy. The group closed 2025 with a turnover of 2.1 billion euros, an increase of +17.5% compared to 2024. read more

Exports of grapes, apples, plums, and cherries from the Republic of Moldova to the European Union can continue under the existing preferential quotas, as these have not been exhausted. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization (MDED) after a technical issue occurred. read more

Exporting larger volumes of fruit is not expected to lead to higher prices in the domestic Brazilian market, according to IFPA. Speaking on VEJA magazine's Mercado program, presented by Veruska Donato, IFPA country manager Valeska de Oliveira Ciré outlined how production seasonality between read more

Florida citrus growers and shippers are still facing challenges in shipping citrus fruit to the European Union due to a strict non-tariff trade barrier imposed by the EU. This barrier prevents them from exporting to the EU because of the EU's stringent requirements on... read more

In the heart of a rural area in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, Nosipho Mdakane is cultivating more than flowers. She is growing a dream with her flower farm Izimbali Growers. At the age of 39, the former construction professional has transformed a piece of land into a vibrant flower farm. Mdakane, read more

Bejo is increasing its greenhouse area in the Netherlands due to growing demand for seed production. In Velden, located in the province of Limburg, the company has acquired a greenhouse complex that was previously used by a hydrangea grower. The greenhouse was purchased from Queens Flower. read more

The fruit and vegetable department, as we have reiterated several times, is for many retailers the calling card of the fresh produce section and of the store in general. It immediately conveys a sense of freshness, often defining and embodying seasonality with specific choices. read more

An intense wave of extreme bad weather is hitting the South of Italy and the major islands at the moment, shaping up as a true Mediterranean cyclone, named "Harry". Torrential rains are expected, with locally exceeding 200 millimeters, accompanied by strong winds. read more

On January 23, 2026, as part of the 16th edition of the Fruit and Vegetable Fair TSW in Kielce, the 4th Raspberry Conference will take place - an event that has quickly gained the status of one of the most important points on the agenda for raspberry producers. read more

Ahmed Adel, CEO of Egyptian garlic exporter Global Veg Egy, stated that while the acreage for garlic has increased in Egypt, the yield has not shown a similar increase. He mentioned, "The acreage for garlic in Egypt has seen an increase this year, growing about 20 to 25 per cent compared to last year. However, read more

Nowa Zelandia wyeksportowała rekordowe 1,65 miliona ton świeżych owoców i warzyw w ostatnim roku sprawozdawczym. Ten najwyższy jak dotąd wolumen był całkowicie napędzany przez eksport kiwi, który osiągnął około 926 000 ton, co stanowi wzrost o 17% w porównaniu z poprzednim rekordowym rokiem. read more

Some growers and shippers are consistently providing sufficient quantities and high quality Fairtrade bananas. "Despite widespread industry discussions in the last quarter of 2025 regarding anticipated supply shortages in 2026, the supply of Fairtrade bananas from Ecuador, the primary source for Equifruit Fairtrade bananas, has remained steady." read more

Belstat reported that Belarus harvested 3 million tons of potatoes last year, which was a lower volume than in 2024. The weaker harvest in 2024 contributed to a shortage of root vegetables in early 2025. "In 2025, farms of all categories harvested 3 million tons of potatoes," Belstat reported. read more

The campaign for Peviani's rosettes has started with great success, a project designed to meet the needs of the retail sector and the modern consumer by combining certified quality, ease of use, and a strong visual impact on the shelf. The rosettes represent an added-value proposition. read more

South African plums, sugar plums (or prunes), and nectarines have the highest potential in China, according to Jacques du Preez, Hortgro's manager for trade and markets. He made this statement while speaking at a seminar organized by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). Similar to Australia and Chile, South Africa has a strong supply. read more