Syngenta has launched a new resource to combat the spread of Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV). The ToLCNDV Information Centre is a one-stop location providing key details about resistant varieties and agronomic insights to target this damaging pest. read more

China has a 3,000-year-long history of eating pears. It is the world’s largest pear-consuming and producing country with per capita consumption of fresh pears exceeding 12kg, far above the world’s average according to 2020 FAO data. read more

Markets in Asia are increasingly open to exports of pears, apples and kiwifruit from Italy, according to representatives at trade and market access specialist CSO Italy. read more

Interest in Egyptian oranges from Europe has been soaring, according to Osama Saleh, commercial manager at grower-exporter Houd ElNile, including from Spain. read more

Grocery price inflation has fallen below 10 per cent for the first time since July 2022 and now sits at 9.7 per cent for the four weeks to 29 October 2023, according to the latest data from Kantar. read more

Potato grower and supply chain specialist AKP Group has completed the acquisition of York-based potato supplier Wolds Produce. read more

Pink Lady has donated 150,000 apples to FareShare, the UK’s biggest charity fighting hunger and food waste, in a tie-in with its family-friendly PinKids apples. read more

Pink Lady has donated 150,000 apples to FareShare in a tie-in with its family-friendly PinKids apples. read more

Ecuadorean banana exporter association Acorbanec celebrated its seventh anniversary this week by reaffirming its commitment to improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the country’s banana industry. read more

Mountain Blue has appointed Ben Gudex as agronomist and Craig Fulton as international technical manager to advance its work in blueberry cultivation and genetics. Gudex, a seasoned blueberry agronomist with over 15 years of experience, brings extensive expertise in both conventional and organic
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The Soil Association has called for the government to double UK fruit and veg production “through nature-friendly farming” after the House of Lords dubbed the future of the horticulture sector as “bleak”. read more

November 2023 is set to be the biggest month ever for store openings at M&S. read more

Nationwide Produce has been awarded BRC Grade AA certification for its new packhouse operations in Evesham just three months after applying for it. read more

At last month’s Fruit Attraction exhibition, French interbranch organisation Interfel drew inspiration from the Tour de France as it expanded the country’s presence in Madrid, taking visitors on ‘Le Tour Frais’ of France’s various regions, with the Tour Eiffel of fruit and vegetables
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Producers in Chile are working to minimise the impact of recent rains which have damaged early cherry production in different parts of the country. read more

The NFU has welcomed many of the House of Lords’ recommendations to the government to help grow the UK horticulture sector made in its ‘Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector’ report published today (6 November). read more

Comment: The main challenge for farmers in the UK and across the world in coming decades will be to produce increasing quantities of nutritious and healthy food, while at the same time making significant environmental gains including improving soils, saving water, and reducing carbon emissions.
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Many of the world’s leading fruit and vegetable breeders have welcomed a landmark decision that gives variety owners extended legal protection for what are known as essentially derived varieties (EDVs). read more

The Soil Association Group used its annual trade conference last week (2 November) to share its vision for ‘Organic For All’ – an ambitious new approach for scaling organic production and consumption in the UK. read more

UK horticulture, the £5 billion industry focusing on fruit, vegetables and ornamental plants, is under-prioritised and unappreciated by policymakers, leaving holes in the nation’s food security and ability to meet net zero goals. read more