Morocco’s exports of fresh and processed berries totalled 157,616 tons in the first four months of 2023 compared to 218,904 in the same period last year, representing a 28% drop, due to competition from the Egyptian market and adverse weather. read more

Assuming normal growing conditions for open-field and shade house cultivation, as well continued greenhouse technology use, Mexico’s 2023 fresh tomato crop is estimated at 3.87m tons, a marginal increase over the official 2022 production estimate of 3.8m tons, according to USDA data. Despite
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Last week, the 25th AECOC Congress of Fruits and Vegetables, held at the Palacio de Congresos de Valencia, gathered together more than 600 producers, distributors and associations of the sector. At the inauguration of the event, the general director of the Association of Manufacturers and
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Chile’s 2022/23 lemon crop is estimated to increase by 26.4% to 172,000 tons, due to favourable climatic conditions. According to FAS Santiago data, lemon exports will increase by 33.9% to 75,000 tons due to higher production and a decrease in freight costs. Likewise, the 2022/23 orange crop
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At the Freshfel Europe Annual Event, Salvo Laudani, President of Freshfel Europe, called on the sector to join forces in reinforcing the role of the sector as essential and address the misperception on health, prices, and environmental and safety aspects around fresh produce. Fresh produce is
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South Africa saw a slight fall in its volumes of apples, pears and grapes in 2022/23, due mainly to stagnated production area and a return to normal yields following record production for all three crops. A USDA report highlights that apple and pear producing regions experienced hailstorms in
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ASPROCAN, the Association of Canary Islands Banana Producers, has rolled out a new research project “Plátano de Canarias y los Retos 2030”, which aims to provide practical solutions to producers to move towards sustainability and meet the challenges posed by the European “From
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The NWCG’s preliminary crop estimate projects 19.9m (9kg equivalents) cartons will be sold this year. This would mark a significant increase on the 13.3m cartons packed in 2022. read more

Spain’s fruit and vegetable imports in the first quarter were up 17% year-on-year in the first quarter to around one million tons, with the volume from non-EU countries rising by 20%, according to data from the Spanish Federation of Associations of Exporting Producers of Fruits and Vegetables
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BASF has expanded its ecovio® portfolio for extrusion coating of paper and board by adding a grade for home and industrial composting for hot and cold food packaging. The new extrusion grade ecovio® 70 PS14H6 is approved for food contact and shows excellent barrier properties against liquids,
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Mexico has retained the title of the world’s leading avocado exporter, while the US is the leading importer. This is the finding of a recent Rabobank study, which reports that Mexico currently accounts for 30% of global avocado production, thanks to a 6% increase over the past decade.
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The UK has seen dramatic declines in insect numbers in recent years, driven by a range of factors, including pesticide use. In response, UK retailer Tesco and WWF have teamed up with start-up tech innovator AgriSound to launch its new insect-monitoring device called Polly across several English
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Ecovalia has launched a new EducaBio programme aimed at raising awareness of its green leaf label for healthy and organic products. Educational centres from all over Spain will be participating in the organised workshops, which will educate people about the importance of healthy eating and the
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There is no let-up in the inexorable growth of organic food sales in the US, with sales surpassing US$60bn for the first time in 2022, according to the Organic Trade Association’s 2023 industry survey. Despite inflation pressures, supply chain disruptions, global political upheavals, a
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The volume exported reached 249,314 tons of fresh mangoes, compared to the 232,275 tons shipped in the same period of the previous campaign, according to figures from the Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters (APEM). read more

UK retailer Tesco has redistributed 88% of its surplus food in the UK, beating its own target of 85%. The target, set in 2016, was beaten in the last year thanks largely to the supermarket’s relationships with partners including FareShare and Olio. Last year, Tesco donated more than 25 million
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Attendees will meet certified organic companies from Spain, Portugal and the rest of the world and have the chance to discover the latest innovations in the sector, try different products, and form contacts with wholesalers, retailers, supermarkets, distributors and restaurants. read more

Cricket is approaching rising costs prudently by lowering output of less profitable products. The firm has reduced broccoli and cauliflower production by between 5-10% due to the dry season and strong summer heat. Cricket’s planned supply for this season is 50,000 tons of broccoli and
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Announced last September, Mission Produce plans to open a state-of-the-art ripening, packing and forward distribution centre (FDC) in the UK in the spring of 2023. Featuring the company’s cutting-edge “Mission Control” ripening room technology, the facility is designed to serve both retail
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