The state of South Africa's ports has become staple fare in mainstream media, as South Africans learn much more about the functioning (or lack of it, as the case may be) than they ever perhaps wanted to know. read more

The Macfrut Academy, the innovative digital platform aimed at professionals in the fruit and vegetable sector, has been launched. The first video-lesson is dedicated to the potato chain, with a journey that starts from mechanised harvesting in the field and arrives at packaging in the warehouse, with a focus
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At Stockholm's Friends Arena, 40,000 spectators watched with jaws dropping as extravagant hairdresser Frimpong performed an unexpected act during a recent match. In a striking display, Frimpong balanced a giant melon on his head, resulting in a viral sensation on social media. read more

Fera Science has launched two industry-led Enigma research projects, connecting tomato growers and vertical farming organisations with world-class science to help solve the most pressing sector challenges. read more

Zespri has released its November forecast for the 2023/24 season, reporting record levels of per-tray returns for green, organic green and RubyRed, with SunGold varieties “well up” on last season. read more

Belgian manufacturer KitoZyme has described the European Commission’s decision to approve the use of its KitoGreen product in organic farming as a “significant advancement in the world of organic agriculture”. read more

The City Food & Drink Lecture (CFDL) has announced the appointment of Allan Wilkinson as its new chair ahead of the 2024 edition on Monday 11 March at London’s Guildhall. read more

The House of Commons’ European Scrutiny Committee has called for the government to provide more information on recent EU proposals on gene-edited crops. read more

UK vegetable handling equipment manufacturer Tong Engineering has announced the completed acquisition of Terry Johnson Ltd – the company behind Swift Lift conveying and lifting machines – in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. read more

"In this massive crisis, we must act together in the interests of our country. The current, home-made budget situation of the federal government must under no circumstances be at the expense of the economy. With food security, agriculture in particular is an important pillar for the domestic economy.
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Two new funding streams are being made available by Growing Kent & Medway to back sustainable innovation and new technologies in the horticultural and plant-based food and drink sector. read more

New EU-wide rules on packaging threaten to have a detrimental economic and social impact without achieving their environmental objectives, according to a group of 14 Italian companies that produce plastic containers for food and drinks, including fruit and vegetables. read more

"The aim is to secure and further develop the future of agriculture and rural areas in Germany and Europe. The primary goal must be to give agricultural businesses an economic perspective while at the same time protecting the climate, biodiversity and animal welfare.
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German consumers want more homegrown apples in future, according to leading fruit and vegetable cooperative Landgard. read more

The Chilean Blueberry Committee has revised its export forecast for 2023/24, with the aid of iQonsulting, predicting 76,500 tonnes of fresh blueberry exports this season. read more

Particularly noteworthy is the Green variety, whose forecast yield per tray has reached a record level of USD 9. By comparison, the final Orchard Gate Return (OGR) in the previous season was USD 5.78 per tray. For Zespri Organic Green, the forecast per tray is
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According to the Sofia business newspaper Kapital, the local Parkmart Holding is now planning a revival with at least 25 Carrefour Express and Carrefour Market outlets in 2024. read more

Northern Hemisphere citrus production is expected to be up by 12.2% this year compared to the last year’s disappointing campaign. This is the forecast released by the World Citrus Organisation (WCO) for the upcoming citrus season (2023-24). The estimate is based on data from Egypt, Greece,
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The forecasts are positive for India’s 2023/2024 (July-June) apple production, with the volume set to reach 2.41 million tons in anticipation of favourable weather conditions in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Pear production is projected to total 312,500 tons, according to FAS Delhi
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For the Bronte Pistachio PDO, the fruit harvest ended a few weeks ago. This was reported toIFN by agronomist Alfio Paparo, a member of the board of directors of the Bronte Green Pistachio Protection Consortium and owner of the Aroma Sicilia farm. "The climate is threatening
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