As South Africa correspondent Fred Meintjes explains. Compared to South Africa's total fresh produce exports, which amount to almost 300 million cartons, the fig sector is still a very young industry. However, specialised export teams have been working to develop a long-term
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Maersk has issued an update on the current situation in the Red Sea, confirming that the risk remains too high to resume sailing in the region. read more

Colombian avocado organisation Corpohass has signed up to the Colombian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CECODES), an organisation recognised as the regional centre of the Global Network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). read more

Following one of its best production seasons in 2021/22, during which nearly 250,000 cartons were exported, South Africa’s fig exports dropped to below 100,000 cartons in 2022/23. read more

In terms of volume, ginger shipments in 2023 amounted to 73,196 tonnes, which corresponds to growth of +31% compared to the 55,701 tonnes of the previous year. read more

The innovation demonstrated by Northern Ireland potato supplier Wilson’s Country in launching new and value-added mash products over the past year was cited as a key factor in the business securing the ‘Best Medium Sized Company’ accolade at the 2024 Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards
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Industry body British Apples & Pears (BAPL) has stepped up its call for fairer returns on the back of new research showing the financial strain growers are under. read more

Colourful salads with roots have become a trend product in the past year. Following the regional expansion of hydroponic cultivation in Germany, the intensity of advertising in the food retail trade (LEH) for this product sector also increased in parallel. The quantities from the
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End Food Waste Australia with the Australian Bananas Growers’ Council, Melons Australia, and the horticulture industry have released a new, nationwide plan to help halve Australia’s food waste by 2030. read more

The South African fruit export industry’s focus on India – highlighted by a delegation of key industry figures to Fresh Produce India last week – is expected to provide new impetus to the country’s efforts to boost its presence in this large consumer market. read more

Costa has formally launched its Innovation Centre at the company’s glasshouse facility in Guyra, on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. read more

Citrus Australia’s Annual Awards have recognised outstanding achievements and contributions made by members of the Australian citrus industry. read more

The new Dutch herb season has begun. "The greenhouses have been steamed clean, and we've replanted everything. In about three weeks, our product range will again include most of the Dutch herbs. Unfortunately, too late for Easter, but that's beyond our control," says Piet van Vugt. Last year,
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Last week, dumpling specialist Burgis from the Upper Palatinate hosted a webinar focused on potatoes. Experts Petra Müller, Head of Foodservice & Export Sales, and Manfred Mottl, Regional Key Account Manager for Northern Bavaria, discussed "everything worth knowing about the main ingredient of
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Over several years, China planned and developed its new Seed Law and associated Regulations. The enactment of the 2022 Seed Law followed extensive consultations with stakeholders around the world. Impressively, submissions were welcomed and considered. The end result is a comprehensive framework
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In Australia, an Alice Springs grape producer, Rocky Hill Table Grapes, has ceased operations, attributing the closure to the stringent standards and accreditation demands of the nation's leading supermarkets. Founded in 2002 in Undoolya, the business provided green seedless grapes across
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Delivering fruits and vegetables to a restaurant or store in the city center is often quite tricky, expensive, and inconvenient. Lorenzo Engelen and his team devised a handy solution: Qarry. The specially developed electric cargo scooters offer the load volume of a small van but are as nimble as
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The peak of grape supply from Chile is starting with 38 million boxes expected to be exported worldwide until week 12 which is 27 percent less than last season. (Peak supply is expected from now until week 13.) "We are continuing in a season with more demand than offer," says Pascuala Vergara
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Tosca, the reusable plastic packaging and performance pooling solutions company, welcomed Laurent Le Mercier as EMEA President, reporting directly to Eric Frank, Chief Executive Officer. Most recently, Laurent served as the Chief Executive Officer of a French transport and logistics company,
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Robinson Fresh is expanding its grape sourcing efforts to include regions in Chile, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Mexico, according to Andy Kampa, general manager. The company has observed an "extreme shortage" early in the season due to a delayed start in Mexico in 2023. Conversely, an early
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