‘The only way that I can see is that there must be some private operators in our terminals. That’s the global trend with government owning ports and being the landlord,’ says Anton Rabe, executive director of Hortgro. JEREMY MAGGS: Well, let’s move now from politics to South
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Extreme weather in Morocco has not only impacted the vegetable sector, as Fruitnet reported this month, but also the berry segment, according to Nabil Belmkaddem of Moroccan cooperative BestBerry, causing current shortages and price rises on the European market.  read more

The Egyptian potato campaign kicked off at the beginning of the year. It is not yet clear how much volume will be harvested and exported, as growers' opinions differ and the pressure of the local market's needs will dictate the volumes available for export. read more

South African exports to Saudi Arabia and Jordan are affected by the situation in the Red Sea. While some exporters still use Red Sea ports like Jeddah and King Abdullah Port (necessitating a US Navy escort and “hectic” insurance premiums when entering Red Sea waters), various others have
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The ramifications of the war in the Middle East and the freight crisis it has caused in the Red Sea are severely disrupting the flows of agricultural exports and threatening the campaigns in many countries. Mourad Erraguragui, vice-president of the Moroccan Association of Intercontinental Road
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China takes the lead as the world's largest producer of walnuts in shells, with an impressive annual output exceeding 705.8 thousand tons. The United States secures the second position, contributing over 405 thousand tons annually. Iran completes the top three, with an annual production
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Scottish seed potato exports to Egypt are all but complete, with the majority arriving before the Red Sea situation escalated. read more

Egypt achieved a remarkable increase in its fresh table grape exports to the EU countries in 2023, reports EastFruit. However, this success was tainted by scandals involving the illegal use of protected grape varieties in the country. Despite this, the Egyptian products reached a historical
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In a notable departure from conventional cash crops, Kenyan farmers are turning to Hass avocados as a more profitable option. This shift is fuelled by the soaring international demand for avocados, notably from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Europe and China. read more

Circumnavigating Africa means a time extension of about 20 days. And it contributes to an estimated increase in costs of up to USD 1,500 per container, which translates into an increase of up to more than 10 euro cents/kg on the product, damaging the competitiveness of fruit and vegetables
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The ramifications of the war in the Middle East and the freight crisis it has caused in the Red Sea are severely disrupting the flows of agricultural exports and threatening the campaigns in many countries. Mourad Erraguragui, vice-president of the Moroccan Association of Intercontinental Road
read more

Egypt achieved a remarkable increase in its fresh table grape exports to the EU countries in 2023, reports EastFruit. However, this success was tainted by scandals involving the illegal use of protected grape varieties in the country. Despite this, the Egyptian products reached a historical
read more

Despite a significant decrease in wholesale prices for tomatoes in Ghana, retail prices remain high. From Q2 to Q3 2023, the cost of a box of imported tomatoes fell by 43% from GH¢3,000 to 1,700, while locally produced tomatoes saw a 47% drop from GH¢1,500 to 800. However, consumers in Accra
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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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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

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

Due to the adverse effects of climate change on global crop yields and extensive land development in Cyprus, consumers are likely to experience a 20% increase in orange prices. Chris Markidis, KEAN's director, attributes the steep rise to a threefold increase in orange juice costs. He identified
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"The 2024 harvest season is already in full swing, one week to ten days earlier than last season. From a logistical perspective, the ports remain the biggest challenge for the sustainability of our growers. The favourable forecast is largely supported by a good, cold and
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The potato market is experiencing a brief lull. "Given that there are still some problem batches on the market, sales towards the french fry industry are slightly slower. But the long-term prospects look better," says potato trader Leen Meijer from the Dutch company of the same name. read more

"The year 2023 was unprecedented: weather anomalies affected 90 per cent of the references within the department, to the extent that it caused a kind of 'climate' inflation. The question is whether we are facing a particularly unlucky year, or a new
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