The International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) held its annual congress from May 8–10, 2025, in Mallorca, Spain, bringing together over 1,520 professionals from 73 countries. The event served as a platform for industry representatives to discuss market trends, production forecasts, and other relevant topics. read more

The new season's mini watermelons, grown in Italy, have been on the market for a few days. This is a much better start than last season, when orders were weak until July due to poor weather that discouraged consumption of summer fruits. "At the moment, we're producing one barrel of processed fruits. read more

"Simon Schumacher, spokesperson for the Association of South German Asparagus and Strawberry, mentioned that the asparagus season had a slow start due to cold weather, but with a few weeks of sunny days, the demand for asparagus has increased along with the rising temperatures." read more

Piña Designs has launched biodegradable hair ties made from upcycled pineapple leaves and natural rubber. Created by female entrepreneurs from the University of Colorado Boulder, the product aims to reduce the 15 million synthetic hair ties discarded daily. These eco-friendly ties are durable and environmentally friendly. read more

W tym sezonie zanotowano znaczący spadek podaży ananasów z Kostaryki, co już zaczyna podnosić międzynarodowe ceny. Według Luisa Quesady Quirósa, menedżera sprzedaży Ambrosia Fresh, grupy eksportowej składającej się z małych rolników, spadek podaży nie dotyczy wyłącznie jednego obszaru. read more

The Kenyan avocado season has just begun and will last until October, and even into December for the late fruits, according to Abraham Cheruiyot, the director of Kenyan fresh produce exporter Saki Farm. Cheruiyot stated, "Our avocado season runs from April to October every year, but we have early fruits that we can start harvesting from March." read more

When the campaigns for Almeria's major crops, such as zucchini, eggplant, tomato, pepper, and cucumber, are coming to an end in most production areas, two other significant ones arrive: melon and watermelon. Each season in Almeria is unique. Fruit and vegetable producers in Almeria face new challenges each season. read more

In a quiet corner of Bratislava's Fresh Market, inside Nom Nom Asia, a vertical farming tower filled with trays of microgreens growing under LED lights stands ready for customers to harvest themselves. This marks the first commercial deployment of StoreField, a Slovak startup striving to revolutionize the farming industry. read more

Interfood Azerbaijan has reached its 30th edition and it reaffirms its focus on fruits and vegetables. The trade fair, held in Baku from May 13th to 16th, 2025, saw a significant number of visitors. FreshPlaza discussed the event with Italian Omar Papi from Futura srl. "We observed a read more

Serbia continues to be a top exporter of frozen raspberries in terms of value, but is expected to have a difficult 2025 season due to decreasing yields. In contrast, Serbia's main competitors, Poland and Ukraine, are optimistic about achieving higher prices despite the weather affecting their plantations. Yulia Tymoshenko from read more

Plantings are now complete in most areas, with only a few areas of heavier land remaining to be planted. The majority of planting has been finished. Consumption is as expected with the current warm weather. Conditions are very dry in most regions, and there is very little rain forecast for the upcoming days. read more

The Russian government has reduced its federal support for potato and vegetable production in 2025 by 13%, allocating 3.7 billion rubles, down from 4.24 billion rubles used in 2024, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's national report on agricultural development. The budget cut is significant and may impact the agricultural sector. read more

Tajikistan continues to solidify its position as a top dried fruit exporter in Central Asia. In the first quarter of 2025, the country exported over 26,500 tons of dried fruits valued at more than $9.4 million. This expansion reflects a positive trend seen in earlier years, such as 2023 when the country exported 81,800 tons of dried fruits. read more

In the 2025 citrus season, Argentina will produce traditional varieties such as Salustiana, Navel, Midknight, and Valencia. Additionally, it will conduct trials with blood oranges to diversify its supply. However, the sector faces challenges well before the fruit reaches the market. High internal read more

Qatar-based startup VFarms has successfully grown iceberg lettuce heads weighing over 600 grams, nearly four times the standard weight typically achieved in vertical farms globally. This achievement was made even more significant as it was accomplished under some of the most challenging growing conditions on earth, with external temperatures exceeding. read more

In a significant development for India's fresh produce industry, Mr. Dinesh Shinde, CEO and founder of Anusaya Fresh India Pvt. Ltd., and Mr. Bilal Issa, Trade Director of SanLucar, a globally renowned brand in fruits and vegetables, have announced a strategic partnership between Anusaya Fresh and SanLucar. read more

Wiosna to sezon ziół, potwierdza Ahmed Bouklata, specjalista ds. dostaw ziół na hurtowym rynku w Kolonii. "Już teraz możemy zaoferować pewne odmiany ziół, takie jak pietruszka kręcona i szczypiorek z lokalnej uprawy. W przypadku większości produktów wciąż jednak jesteśmy zależni od importu ze Hiszpanii i Włoch lub dostaw powietrznych. read more

Bako Sweet is entering the West Coast Produce Show with strong momentum, surpassing others in the category in terms of both dollar and volume growth, as reported by Circana data. As the top sweet potato brand in the U.S. in terms of dollar sales, Bako Sweet is assisting retail partners in achieving Thanksgiving-level success. read more

The agricultural organization COAG in Malaga has expressed concerns about an alleged fraud committed by the company La Unión in Almeria, which is affecting greenhouse and subtropical vegetable growers. The suspected non-payment amounts to over 400,000 euros and impacts 16 families who specialize in crops such as. read more

A Market Orientation Mission to the Netherlands for Ukrainian companies in the (organic) frozen berry industry has been announced. The main products for this mission are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and blueberries. The mission will take place from Tuesday, the 20th to... read more