The statement by the Federal Minister of Labour, Hubertus Heil, that he expects a significant increase in the statutory minimum wage as of 1 January 2024 was met with anger by the German Federation of Agricultural and Forestry Employers' Associations (GLFA). Its President Hans-Benno
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Today more than ever, South Tyrolean mountain agriculture faces the challenge of producing food that stands out on the market for its quality and is characterised by the guarantee of regional origin. In 2015, the provincial government established the Laimburg experimental centre and the
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Production of lemons is expected to fall by 20 % and oranges and mandarins by up to 35 %. Calibres are significantly smaller due to high temperatures and the resulting heat stress, explained José Carbonell, President of the Argentine Citrus Association,
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The total throughput of the port of Antwerp-Bruges amounted to 68.7 million tonnes in the first quarter, a decrease of 4.5% compared to the same period last year. This decline is due to the still complex geopolitical and macroeconomic context which led to
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The European Commission has approved an Austrian aid scheme worth around €120 million to support agriculture and aquaculture in connection with Russia's war against Ukraine. The Netherlands has been authorised to grant guarantees totalling €70 million to
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Last year, imports of fresh vegetables to Germany veered off their growth course of many years. For the first time, fewer vegetables were imported again, and imports were lower than they had been for twelve years. There were sharp cuts especially in carrots and
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In 2022, the German corrugated board industry was again confronted with unprecedented cost pressure. Due to a considerably cooled consumer climate, the industry also had to accept a drop in sales. A draft for a new packaging regulation currently being discussed at the EU level
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The ERDE collection period 2023 has been in full swing since mid-February, and the ERDE (Erntekunststoffe Recycling Deutschland) initiative has again set ambitious targets for the new collection period. In 2022, a total of 38,476 t of agricultural plastics were collected via ERDE Recycling - an
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In the coming weeks, QS will carry out random audits at producer farms with a focus on "operational hygiene management during the harvest of fresh fruit and vegetables". Compared to the regular system audits, the scope of the random sample audits is significantly broader.
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The citrus season has been underway for about a month in southern Africa, covering mainly South Africa, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, with citrus exports going mainly to the Middle East (50%), Russia (18%) and Asia (15%). The Citrus Growers' Association (CGA) expects that the
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German consumers are willing to spend the most on products in sustainable packaging. In addition, more than half (59%) say that a sustainable lifestyle has become more important to them since 2019, according to the results of a survey commissioned by Pro Carton, the European
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Aldi Nord is voluntarily foregoing margin and massively reducing the prices of fruit and vegetables. A clear sign that customers can rely on Aldi Nord in economically difficult times, according to the discounter. After the drastic price cuts for coffee, butter and
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On 11 April, the asparagus season was officially opened, making the popular vegetable from Brandenburg the talk of the town again. Last year, the harvest volume recorded a sharp decline compared to 2021, according to Statistik Brandenburg. read more

In Nauen, Brandenburg, Edeka Minden-Hannover says it is breaking new ground and building the Edeka store of the future, where forward-looking and sustainable concepts are being implemented in all areas - be it the construction in timber construction with natural insulating materials,
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At the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, the new specialist department "Market and Food" is to develop solutions for the upcoming challenges in the field of food and food security, according to the ministry.The leadership of the new department
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The average income of farms developed significantly positively in the 2021/22 marketing year. The partly strong profit increase was recorded by enterprises of almost all farm types - from arable farming to animal husbandry to mixed farming. According to the
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By week 14, exports stood at 8,873 t, 55% more than at the same point in the previous season, simfruit refers to the Kiwi Committee. read more

The blueberry market has experienced very high growth in recent years, both on the production and consumer side. In particular, the increase in production in various regions of Europe led to a seasonal oversupply and consequently to a decline in the
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Marked night frosts, as occurred in the first week of April, can cause considerable damage during fruit blossoming. The Agricultural Meteorology Department of the German Weather Service (DWD) has therefore investigated whether climate change increases the risk of late frost damage to plants. read more

Overall, the Seeberger Group looks back positively on the year 2022. According to the company's own information, its turnover remains stable at around 300 million euros in a challenging industry environment. After two years of the pandemic, the Seeberger Professional business unit in particular was able to achieve
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