The rosy-cheeked pear FRED® from Varicom has gradually established itself since its successful brand launch in 2018. The Swiss club pear is now cultivated in all the traditional pear-growing regions of Western Europe - whether in France, Switzerland, Italy or Belgium - and the harvest volume
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That between Germany and fresh fruit and vegetables remains an unbreakable bond that is celebrated every year during the Fruit Logistica trade fair hosted in Berlin. read more

A failed field test has led to a major discovery about Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). According to new research, the bacterium that causes HLB disease can interfere with ACP’s sense of smell, rendering some kinds of insect traps useless. The work is currently available as a preprint. read more

The Picodi South Africa analyst team conducted a comprehensive review of changes in minimum wage across 67 countries. The study also evaluated the price fluctuations of basic groceries and compared the cost of a "survival basket" to the minimum wage. The analysis was based on net wages to
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Last week, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo led a diplomatic mission to China. A Memorandum of Understanding for pork exports and principle agreements for importing Belgian chicory and bell peppers were signed. It seems apples, too, will soon be able to enter the Chinese market soon.
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On Monday, Hessing told its employees about its intended decision to close its production location in Zwaagdijk, the Netherlands. By mid-2024, the VersFabriek's doors - where the fruit and vegetable processor produces things like stir-fry vegetables and salads - will close. That work will be
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New Zealand: Statement of Preliminary Issues released for proposed Foodstuffs merger read more

Spain's avocado campaign is currently in full swing with the harvest of the Hass variety. The drought and lack of water resources in Malaga have led growers to diversify their production in other regions, such as the Region of Valencia, where FreshPlaza visited the facilities of Grupo
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High temperatures dominated the first part of autumn - in October and November - with direct repercussions on seasonal products such as vegetables. Production calendars between northern and southern Italy overlapped, causing confusion in the market and only today demand
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Morocco continued to consolidate its position in the fresh blueberry market in Southeast Asia in 2023, reports EastFruit. Moroccan blueberry exporters not only broke their previous record of shipments to this region, but also expanded the number of countries that import their berries. read more

Arrigoni S.p.A., Group leader in the production and distribution of technical solutions for active crop protection, has completed the acquisition of Financiere European Trade S.A.S. and indirectly of its subsidiary European Trade S.A.S. ('Emis'), a French company based in
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At a recent fruit and vegetable trade show in the Netherlands, Gebrs van Aarle's commercial manager Marc Ehlert said the company is starting to buy in more directly from the source, both locally and abroad. For citrus, the wholesaler has also found its way directly to the crop. read more

Israel’s planted citrus area in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 is forecast to be 16,200 hectares (ha), the same as MY 2022/23. The production area is estimated at 15,850 ha due to low profitability and water shortages, which has disincentivized farmers to plant new citrus crops. In recent years,
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Supply of the squash calabaza is low right now. “I’d say that supplies of calabaza are less than half. It’s about the weather conditions,” says Alan Goldberg of A&B Tropical Produce, acquired by GrubMarket last month. “The conditions have gotten very dry in Costa Rica so the
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The sales of Spanish produce, and especially tomatoes, are falling short of expectations. "Usually, we see prices rise across the board in January, but that's not the case now," says Luis Ramos from MG Fruit. read more

Morocco continued to consolidate its position in the fresh blueberry market in Southeast Asia in 2023, reports EastFruit. Moroccan blueberry exporters not only broke their previous record of shipments to this region, but also expanded the number of countries that import their berries. read more

By mid-January, the stock of onions stored at room temperature in the hands of producers in Spain "is very limited" and, of this stock, "the amount of quality onions to be packaged in nets or supermarket bags is minimal," says Fermín Utrilla, from Biodiversa. read more

The Melinda Consortium's forecasts for 2023/2024 are encouraging. read more

At the Borsa Patatedel meeting on 12 January 2024, the Joint Commission analysed the commercial situation of the sector in both Italy and Europe; read more

On 12 January, Assomela hosted a delegation from the People's Republic of China at the FAO led by the Honourable Mr. Ambassador Guang Defu, who was visiting the Trentino-Alto Adige region to get to know the Italian apple-growing sector and to discuss cooperation between the
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