Austria: Lidl appoints Michael Kunz as new CEO
Lidl Austria has announced the appointment of Michael Kunz as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1st August 2024. Kunz will take over the position from Alessandro Wolf, according to the retailer.

Source: esmmagazine.com

Turkish food delivery giant Getir raises $250 million read more

At B&B Fruit, the largest plum grower in the Netherlands, the harvest has already begun on some early plots with sandy soils. "These are still small volumes. We will start the traditional harvest at the end of next week," says Marinus Bunt. According to the plum grower, the harvest varies. read more

The freeze-dried strawberries from 'Frudist' have recently been honored with the 'Culinary Ambassador Lower Saxony Innovative 2024' award. Co-founder Alica Lammerskitten emphasizes that the recognition is very important for the innovative start-up. "The award confirms the quality and innovative nature of our products." read more

The Giumarra Companies have expanded their organic avocado program specifically for grocery retailers and foodservice operators. "With increased supplies from California and Mexico, we are meeting the growing consumer demand for both bulk and bagged organic avocados in different sizes," says Bruce Dowhan. read more

Lilibet, a new apple variety from Italy, has been introduced. This is the result of a partnership agreement signed between CIV and the Piedmontese company Sanifrutta, an agricultural cooperative with two warehouses in Costigliole Saluzzo and Verzuolo in Italy. The goal was to begin experimentation for the development of this new variety. read more

Bart Sosef has been appointed as the President of the Plant Products division at BioFirst Group. Bart, who is currently serving as the General Manager for Biobest Netherlands and Sales Director for Benelux, has extensive experience and will be joining the Executive Committee. He will report directly to CEO Jean-Marc Vandoorne. read more

Green beans are the exception among early Moroccan vegetables this season. While prices for almost all vegetables have dropped, beans have surprisingly seen an increase of at least 10%, according to Salah Eddine Belkadi, CEO of Unique Packing. "We produce and export flat green beans all." read more

"The Netherlands is an important player in the field of knowledge transfer in the agricultural sector, also in Peru," says Salvador Orrego de la Borda, agricultural advisor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Peru. "The seed market, in particular, is led by Dutch companies." read more

In Spain, an artificial intelligence (AI) system has been used in peach orchards to count and estimate the number of tree flowers with an accuracy of 90%, surpassing the 50% to 70% accuracy of manual counts. This AI technology is a collaborative development by the National Robotarium. read more

Historical data, gas analyzer readings, staff experience, and evaluation of stored fruit samples are usually the indicators that determine the order of opening a chamber. An optimal prediction can prevent losses due to overripening, that's why. read more

In week 24, deflation increases compared to the previous weeks; in fact, Lcc fruit and vegetable volumes are still positive, but sales value is in the red. Among the channels, there is still a close competition between discount stores and supermarkets for the best performance. read more

Flowers produced in Turkey's first flower greenhouse, which is heated with waste heat, are admired by the residents of the city of Samsun. In 2004, 1.7 million flowers were grown in the greenhouse established by Samsun Municipality. The flowers grown in the greenhouses are used to decorate parks. read more

Ercolini pear growers in Murcia are hoping that, as predicted by the Spanish weather service Aemet, the extreme southeast of the Iberian Peninsula will eventually not get the heavy rain and hailstorms expected for the coming days. The harvest will begin in a matter of days, "at the end of next". read more

Ondine, the flat nectarine protagonist of an innovative international Club project promoted by Frutaria and ASF Edition, is ready for its first real commercial campaign in Italy: the summer of 2024 will see it land in the fruit and vegetable department of the main retail chains. read more

Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, England, produces approximately 5,000 tonnes of strawberries and 1,000 tonnes of raspberries and blackberries. In addition to being a leading soft fruit grower in the UK, the farm is also pioneering the use of commercial robotic harvesting. read more

Minister István Nagy announced a HUF 50 billion tender (€125 million) released by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture to improve horticultural infrastructure. The initiative, titled "Support for post-harvest developments related to horticultural greenhouses and cold storages," aims to enhance these facilities. read more

Over a year ago, Robert Blomsteel and Ron den Hoedt founded EDN, a company that specializes in importing and exporting organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. In December, they relocated to a new office in Barendrecht. The organic products, sold under the brand name EDN Organic Freshness, make up approximately 60% of the total volume. read more

The Local Police of Almenara, in the province of Castellón, have successfully apprehended two individuals who were caught stealing melons from a field in the municipality. This accomplishment was made possible through the use of drones in their surveillance operation. The duo was taken into custody after being caught in the act by the police officers. read more

Maastricht University has constructed a new research greenhouse at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo in the Netherlands. Research will commence on September 1 in this state-of-the-art greenhouse focusing on the future of agriculture and horticulture. Studies will include new cultivation techniques and strategies. read more

"Jednym z najlepszych górskich jabłek na świecie jest to, które rośnie w sercu austriackiej krainy Styrii, a po ośmiu miesiącach kampanii, nadal mamy zapasy odmian Golden, Fuji, Royal Gala i Evelina, które będą dostępne przez kolejne dwa lub trzy miesiące za pośrednictwem hiszpańskiej firmy." read more