Lidl has announced the launch of its ‘anti-waste bag’ in Spain, a €3 bag of fruits and vegetables that do not meet certain aesthetic criteria but remain suitable for consumption.  read more

Chickpeas have become the latest pulse crop to come into fashion as Brits look to find cheap but nutritious ways to bulk out their meals. read more

The government’s food tsar Henry Dimbleby has resigned over the Conservatives’ “insane” inaction against obesity, reports Sky News. read more

Just Eat, the UK’s leading food delivery app, has launched a new partnership with Iceland to bring affordable food to households across the UK. read more

A new raspberry developed by Pacific Berries is being introduced with the aim of helping growers in the Pacific Northwest supply fruit for longer and managing harvests more efficiently. read more

Salix Fruits has opened a new office in Sadat City, Egypt, marking the latest stage in its ongoing international expansion. It will source Egyptian citrus for the company’s growing customer base. read more

Westfalia Fruit India has announced the arrival of this season’s first sea container of Tanzanian avocados and the first air shipments from Westfalia Fruit Peru, marking the beginning of what is shaping up to be a “strong and exciting” 2023 campaign, according to a media release from the
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The 2023 New Zealand kiwifruit export campaign is under way, with single-desk marketer Zespri anticipating a “more stable” shipping environment this year. read more

China is set to harvest its first crop of home-grown durian with orchards on the island of Hainan forecast to produce over 2,000 tonnes of fruit.  read more

Martin Cowie has been appointed CEO of BGP International and Fresh Solutions Group (FSG) read more

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Agritech innovator B-hive is gearing up to open the UK’s first potato protein extraction facility this year in partnership with Branston. read more

Should retailers spend a penny or two more so they don’t get caught short? That question has dominated discussions in the European fresh produce business over the past month or so, even before the Fresh Produce Journal’s editor Fred Searle broke the news of a major tomato shortage in the UK. read more

South Africa’s minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, Thoko Didiza, has said the government will be supporting the country’s citrus sector through its multilateral relations with Vietnam, Philippines, and Singapore to promote greater market access in the East. read more

No buyer has been found for stricken fresh produce supplier Wellpak. read more

The critical importance of agri-tech to agriculture and food is a key topic which will be discussed at the upcoming South West AgriTech Showcase next month. read more

Aldi says it has maintained its position as the UK’s best paying supermarket by raising its starting pay for store assistants to a minimum of £11.40 per hour nationally, and £12.85 within the M25. read more

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is set to hear evidence on the extent to which the UK food system is impacted by climate change and biodiversity decline. read more

An industry-wide taskforce has been set up to safeguard the rights of workers employed under the seasonal workers scheme. read more

Growers in South Africa’s late table grape growing region, the Hex River Valley, are due to wind up their harvest over the next ten days. read more