German food retailer Tegut has announced plans to take over the organic supermarket chain Basic, which it claims has run into “financial difficulties”. According to ESM magazine, Basic has over 19 outlets and employs approximately 500 people in its stores and headquarters in Munich. read more

Ecuador’s banana exports were up by just over 6% in March compared to a year previously. The shipments, totalling 96.03m boxes were mainly sent to the EU (31.2%), Russia (24.6%) and the Middle East (11.9%), according to the latest AEBE data. Europe’s total imports of Ecuadorian bananas were
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Chilean exporter Copefrut has become the first fresh fruit company in South America to be awarded CarbonNeutral Product certification by Climate Impact Partner for its organic apples. read more

Sustainable crop protection business Koppert has extolled the benefits of beneficial nematodes for biological pest control. read more

South African agricultural research group Agri Biz has warned that Southern Africa could be heading for drier times over the next few years as the El Niño weather system is replaced by La Niña. read more

A London-based charity which works to alleviate health inequalities and food poverty across the UK is hosting a celebration event in Barnsley, south Yorkshire, on 26 May to celebrate giving away its two millionth free fruit and veg voucher. read more

Lidl is planning a new regional distribution centre (RDC) on a 35-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds. read more

More than 200 people gathered at Almería’s Cervantes Theatre last Friday for a gala evening in honour of farmers producing the Adora tomato brand. read more

Emirati multinational logistics company DP World says it has taken another step towards its ambition of becoming the most sustainable logistics business in the UK after the successful trial of new solar energy units at its London Gateway hub. read more

Tomato producers in southern Europe say the uncontrolled growth in imports from Morocco and new green policies under the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy are threatening the viability of the European sector. read more

Rabobank has published its World Avocado Trade Map, charting global avocado production, consumption, and trade. read more

The World Apple and Pear Association (Wapa) has said that following last year’s successful return as an in-person event, Prognosfruit 2023 will take place in Trentino, Italy, from the 2-4 August. read more

Mission Produce has appointed Diana McClean as director of marketing and communications. She will lead Mission’s marketing strategy to strengthen customer engagement, drive business development and further market innovation as a leader in the avocado category. read more

Consumers across India are becoming more aspirational and adventurous in the foods they buy, and major improvements in the nation’s infrastructure will help suppliers to deliver on their expectations. That was one of the key takeaways from the opening session of Fresh Produce India 2023, which
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The South African citrus sector has been told it can expect a smooth transfer from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere supply season. read more

Sun World International executive vice president and chief science officer Jennifer Petersen has announced the appointment of Paola Barba as the company’s new table grape breeder. read more

Yuca or cassava supplies out of Costa Rica are seeing some challenges currently. Costa Rica is a year-round producer of the root vegetable and the crop takes approximately nine months to mature. “There’s an oxidization in this crop in the root and experts here say it’s due to a
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Just in time for Mother's Day and the barbecue season, SPAR is putting Styrian asparagus in the spotlight together with the "young WILD ("jungen WILDEN") vegetable farmers". The cooperation with the innovative farmers' group from southeastern Styria is now entering its fifth year. May is
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It’s very unclear what kind of damage the frosts have caused to the Polish blueberries, says Sandra Stefaniak-Syguła, co-owner of Polish berry trader Berrytrade: “It’s challenging for us to predict what kind of damages these frosts will cause, because we are not growers ourselves. And you
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Courgettes from the Spanish and Moroccan growing regions have been pushing onto the German market for weeks. The growing conditions in the exporting countries are good, the weather with summer temperatures allow the fruits to grow and ripen quickly. The trade reacts
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