Belgium: Colruyt to open half an hour earlier

Starting from Monday, February 16, all Colruyt stores and Collect&Go pick-up points in Belgium will open at 8 a.m., which is half an hour earlier than previously. Colruyt claims to be the first discount store to open its doors this early.

Source: retaildetail.eu read more

The Association of Agricultural Workers of the Canary Islands (Atratican) has expressed concerns about the purported importation of fruit from South America into the Canary Islands being falsely labelled as if it were produced in Spain. The association warns that this practice could escalate further. read more

Multicedi continues its growth and development path, confirming itself as one of the main players in the Organized Retail sector in Central and Southern Italy. The group closed 2025 with a turnover of 2.1 billion euros, an increase of +17.5% compared to 2024. read more

Exports of grapes, apples, plums, and cherries from the Republic of Moldova to the European Union can continue under the existing preferential quotas, as these have not been exhausted. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization (MDED) after a technical issue occurred. read more

In the heart of a rural area in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, Nosipho Mdakane is cultivating more than flowers. She is growing a dream with her flower farm Izimbali Growers. At the age of 39, the former construction professional has transformed a piece of land into a vibrant flower farm. Mdakane, read more

Bejo is increasing its greenhouse area in the Netherlands due to growing demand for seed production. In Velden, located in the province of Limburg, the company has acquired a greenhouse complex that was previously used by a hydrangea grower. The greenhouse was purchased from Queens Flower. read more

An intense wave of extreme bad weather is hitting the South of Italy and the major islands at the moment, shaping up as a true Mediterranean cyclone, named "Harry". Torrential rains are expected, with locally exceeding 200 millimeters, accompanied by strong winds. read more

Ahmed Adel, CEO of Egyptian garlic exporter Global Veg Egy, stated that while the acreage for garlic has increased in Egypt, the yield has not shown a similar increase. He mentioned, "The acreage for garlic in Egypt has seen an increase this year, growing about 20 to 25 per cent compared to last year. However, read more

Nowa Zelandia wyeksportowała rekordowe 1,65 miliona ton świeżych owoców i warzyw w ostatnim roku sprawozdawczym. Ten najwyższy jak dotąd wolumen był całkowicie napędzany przez eksport kiwi, który osiągnął około 926 000 ton, co stanowi wzrost o 17% w porównaniu z poprzednim rekordowym rokiem. read more

Belstat reported that Belarus harvested 3 million tons of potatoes last year, which was a lower volume than in 2024. The weaker harvest in 2024 contributed to a shortage of root vegetables in early 2025. "In 2025, farms of all categories harvested 3 million tons of potatoes," Belstat reported. read more

South African plums, sugar plums (or prunes), and nectarines have the highest potential in China, according to Jacques du Preez, Hortgro's manager for trade and markets. He made this statement while speaking at a seminar organized by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). Similar to Australia and Chile, South Africa has a strong supply. read more

Bejo is expanding its greenhouse area in the Netherlands in response to increasing demand for seed production. In Velden, in the province of Limburg, the company has acquired a greenhouse complex previously operated by a hydrangea grower. The greenhouse was purchased from Queens Flower. read more

Germany's retail and wholesale sector has been experiencing a significant increase in business insolvencies, with traditional, well-established companies being particularly impacted. According to data from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, the number of corporate bankruptcies has been on the rise. read more

Chrysanthemums that have been cut will be exported from Japan to the United States for the first time this year. The Aichi Minami branch of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, will be conducting the exports in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. read more

A.R. Chiranjeevi of Scion Agricos, an Indian fresh produce importer and exporter, states that India's trade of fresh produce with Europe depends on establishing trust through systems and transparency, rather than focusing on short-term price agreements. He mentions that Europe has taught him that building long-term relationships is more beneficial than prioritizing immediate profits. read more

"We received Peruvian, South African, and Zimbabwean blueberries in mid-November," says Horacio Ozer Ami Gimenez, co-owner of ByBlue, a Dutch company solely focused on that fruit. "Last year, we received about 40% more blueberries from Peru than in 2024, but demand is good, and export prices are." read more

The month of January is proving to be challenging for greenhouse horticulture, as it is being negatively affected by unfavorable weather conditions that are directly impacting volumes and prices. In Spain, the low temperatures and poor solar radiation in the first weeks of the year have read more

"Z powodu niskich temperatur, zbiory spowolniły, a ceny wzrosły" - mówi Francesco Marangio, dyrektor sprzedaży w firmie Marangio Farm w Vittorii, w prowincji Ragusa. Sycylijska firma posiada około trzech hektarów ziemi, z których wszystkie są wykorzystywane do uprawy chronionych roślin. read more

Aby zbierać ziemniaki, gruszki lub cytryny, niezbędna jest okazjonalna ulewa. W miarę dostosowywania wyboru upraw do przeciętnych warunków klimatycznych każdej okolicy, plantatorzy zazwyczaj zadowalają się "normalnym" rokiem pod względem opadów deszczu. Tak nie było natychmiast w 2025 roku w Hiszpanii i read more

The price of Crispy Honey Kumquats from Rong'an, Guangxi, China, have been highly popular in recent years and have enjoyed strong sales. This season, weather conditions in the production area have been favorable, resulting in stable fruit quality; however, sales are currently under pressure. read more