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

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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New Zealand: Statement of Preliminary Issues released for proposed Foodstuffs merger 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

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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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

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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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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WA Farm Direct, in collaboration with Sunland Fresh Fruit in Cobram VIC, proudly announces the first export out of Australia of the much-anticipated Ondine series of flat peaches and flat nectarines. This marks the first-ever export of these summer fruits from Australia. read more

The Indian apple imports have slowed down significantly due to the situation surrounding the Red Sea, Prashant Gidwani, director at Indian fruit trader Fresh Fruit Alliances Pvt. Ltd states: “The recent Red Sea issues have disrupted trade on one of the world's most important shipping routes.
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On January 8, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance specialists in Russia's Trans-Baikal region identified a quarantine pest in a 5-ton shipment of fresh tomatoes imported from China. The culprit was the Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a significant threat
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Australian Bananas has launched a new back to school campaign highlighting how the fruit has remained a staple of Australian lunchboxes throughout the years.  read more

Pistachios were exported from Turkey to 96 countries in 2023. While $151 million 568 thousand of income was obtained from exports, the country with the most sales was Germany. Pistachios are grown mostly in Sanliurfa and Gaziantep. read more

E.Leclerc the best performer in France in December read more

EastFruit experts have repeatedly drawn attention to the rapid expansion of the greenhouse business in Turkmenistan, where the main emphasis is on growing greenhouse tomatoes thanks to access to cheap natural gas. In particular, we wrote about the prospect of doubling the area under greenhouse
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Plant Genetics, the licence holder for the Volcani Institute in South Africa, has come under the full ownership of Denau Holdings. The Volcani Agriculture Institute was established in 1921 and is Israel's national Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), the driving force behind Israel's
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The current situation in the Red Sea and the delays caused by ships having to navigate around the Cape of Good Hope are creating numerous challenging scenarios. Joey Deen from Denimpex, who has been importing Chinese products into the Netherlands for decades, discusses the situation's impact. read more

South African avocado farmers are gearing up for their inaugural export to Japan, with the first shipment scheduled for June. However, the readiness of Durban port is a significant concern. The government has recently allocated funds to improve port functionality, but the slow turnaround time
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India’s table grape shipments into Europe face a major challenge in order to overcome a sudden lack of logistical access via the Red Sea. read more

Aiming to give a boost to the movement of rail-based containerised cargo, Bangladesh is set to build another inland container depot (ICD) in the Ghorashal area in Narsingdi district in central Bangladesh. read more