Demand on a retail front is holding up extremely well in Ireland, following a busy holiday period. The cold snap we are experiencing is likely boosting consumption and sales. Prices are holding steady accordingly. Food service trade is slightly lacklustre although still busy, as to be expected
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Back in December we spoke to Ben Goodchild from Nationwide Produce, he spoke about the challenging strawberry market at the time. Then it was due to bad weather, less planting in the UK and a lack of air cargo space for the Egyptian imports. read more

Market participants surveyed by Mintec in the first week of January were expecting strong shipments ahead of the release of the December 2023 position report on 11 January 2024. Estimates for the December shipment figure were reported in the range of 215-260 million pounds, with most respondents
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FruitCast, the startup behind a novel AI-based forecasting tool for the soft fruit industry, was one of just 13 businesses chosen from across the UK to showcase innovation and investment opportunities to leading global investors. read more

UK: East of England Co-op goes viral read more

On a dark December Wednesday, Maurice Langeslag, together with Nikki and Tom Peters from Wim Peters Nurseries, were setting up a large party tent while attending other tasks. Christmas was around the corner, and they wanted to share some of that blissful Christmas spirit with the company's staff. read more

An association of farmers in Luxembourg has indicated that if the country relied solely on its own fruit production, its supply would have been exhausted as early as Tuesday. This highlights the need for increased support for local agriculture. read more

The Azura group, a company in the fields of fruits, vegetables and aquaculture, and Suez, a company in circular waste solutions, have today announced the signature of contracts to operate composting platforms dedicated to organic waste from Azura’s operations in the Agadir and Dakhla regions. read more

Mexico’s 2024 blueberry production is forecast at 81,000 MT, an eight percent increase over 2023 on sufficient water access and growing export demand. The rate of production growth is projected to be slower in 2024 compared to 2023 due to competition from Peru. Production in 2023 reached an
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Capogreco Farms in Western Australia have been working with the Orange Candy melon since 2016 and have been given the exclusive marketing right in Australia and New Zealand, starting this year. read more

At 64, Adriaan Breeuwsma is not yet ready to spend his days at home or sailing his boat. "I've worked in the fruit and vegetable sector my entire life and wouldn't want to do anything else. I simply love it too much," he says. read more

Cherry tomatoes predominantly came from Italy and the Netherlands, while beef tomatoes were mainly from Spain and Turkey. Round tomatoes were primarily from Turkey, Spain, and Morocco, while vine tomatoes from Spain and Turkey topped the market. Overall, quite a diverse range of products was
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Domestic ware potatoes continue to form the basis of the product range. As these consistently impressed in terms of quality, they could generally be sold without difficulty. According to BLE, not much happened in terms of price. Meanwhile, a few French Agata supplemented the domestic batches. In
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The sky-high chicory prices did not fall with the arrival of the new year. "In Belgium, not all chicory roots have been harvested yet, and they likely won't be fully harvested either. Surrounding countries are in a similar situation, resulting in a continuing shortage," begins Benny Cuypers of
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El Niño's weather patterns have affected the growth and distribution of summer fruits in Rio Grande do Sul, including watermelon, melon, and passion fruit. These fruits are set to hit the market at higher prices due to decreased yield. read more

In 2023, Tajikistan faced a significant drop in agricultural exports. The total export decreased by 13,000 tons, amounting to 178,000 tons in total. read more

The supply of blueberries is getting better. “However they’re still a little snug because the Chilean crop overall is down about 20 percent,” says Tony Biondo of Trucco Inc. “It started slow out of Chile but it’s picking up now.” read more

Due to inflationary cost and price increases, as well as weather-related shortages, German wholesale markets look back on a challenging sales year in 2023. The current conditions are also extremely challenging at the Bremen wholesale market, as Lars Jansen, the head of the wholesale market,
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According to Fresh Fruit, in the last months of last year, Peruvian fresh onion shipments experienced a slight boost thanks to the increase in European demand and Egypt's export ban on onions. This scenario provided an opportunity for the Peruvian onion to gain a greater market share and
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The regional minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, José Luis Aguirre, showed his support for the Valencian citrus sector, which is in the middle of the campaign, and said that "imports of oranges from Egypt and other third countries are being monitored." read more