With the regional fruit auctions beginning and the harvest in progress, the 25/26 apple season in South Tyrol, Italy, is gaining momentum. Current forecasts indicate promising quantities and quality, as confirmed by Michael Sparer (right), fruit broker and managing director of the agency. read more

Albania's State Police announced that three individuals have been arrested in Berat after Croatian authorities blocked and destroyed approximately 8 tons of tomatoes. The shipment, originating from Albania, was discovered to have elevated levels of the pesticide chlorfenapyr. read more

The Garden Centre Association (GCA) has announced that Dan Lawton from Moss & Moor has been appointed as the Area Co-Chair for the North, which includes Scotland and Northern Ireland, on its Executive Committee. Dan Lawton, who currently serves as the General Manager at Moss & Moor in Ilkley, will be joining Justin, the Chair of the North region. read more

Sormac, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of advanced processing machinery, has experienced robust and consistent demand for both individual machines and complete turnkey production lines for new factories since the opening of its UK office in 2023, according to Sean Martin, managing director at Sormac Ltd. read more

The apple is the most consumed domestic fruit in Switzerland. The Apple Day is intended to raise awareness of the importance of the national fruit in nutrition and agriculture. Therefore, the Swiss Fruit Association, in cooperation with various partners, distributes apples. read more

Polish watchdog says Jeronimo Martins' Polish unit misled customers

Poland's consumer watchdog has stated that the Polish division of the Portuguese retailer Jeronimo Martins, which owns the Biedronka supermarket chain, deceived customers with its pricing and promotional campaigns. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection... read more

"The Dutch and Belgian pear season has started. We are talking about Decana and Conference, which are currently being harvested and will be available until March," reports Stefano Pezzo, owner of Cherry Passion Verona. "We have been importing Decana and Conference from those areas for ten years." read more

The European fruit and vegetable campaign is currently characterized by contrasts. There is a low garlic harvest in Spain, potato overproduction in France, and unstable onion prices influencing the market for these products in Europe. Yohan Lanoë, the head of the Lanoë Group, has analyzed the situation. read more

W Jaiylgan village, Manas district, farmers are getting ready to harvest "Lastochka" sweet peppers. The crop is cultivated on 5 hectares of land, with each plant yielding 4-5 peppers. The anticipated harvest is approximately 120 tonnes. The seedlings were planted in February as part of the government-supported "3+2" program. read more

Fall is approaching, and the first wild mushroom harvests are already underway in some areas of Spain. The weather has been favorable, and the outlook is good. Dried and fresh mushrooms have been losing ground to frozen mushrooms due to their ease of supply and long shelf life. read more

The Italian pear industry is currently going through a significant transformation. The traditional specialized regions in Northern Italy are facing a decrease in production due to urgent phytosanitary challenges. On the other hand, Southern Italy is becoming a new center for growth and innovation, drawing in new opportunities. read more

After years of decline, fruit and vegetable sales are once again growing in Italy. In the first half of the year, sales increased by 5.7% for vegetables and 4.3% for fruit compared to the same period in 2023. However, this is a recovery that is not yet fully complete. read more

Organic agriculture remains popular in Spain, Italy, and Portugal, with Spain being more of a producer than a consumer. Conventional production techniques are gradually aligning with organic practices due to the requirements of the Common Agricultural Policy and supermarkets. read more

The anniversary edition of the National Young Growers' Day took place last Friday at Edens Plants & Creations in Wezep, the Netherlands, and it turned out to be a real success. According to one of the organizers, Christiaan Rietberg, it was "a fantastic day" with a strong turnout and plenty of excitement. read more

Citronex is a family-owned company that already has ripening facilities in Poland, Romania, and Hungary, and is now expanding into Western markets. Marek Szulc, the COO of Citronex, has high ambitions for the new facility: "The new ripening facility is being built in Zele, Belgium. read more

Belarus is looking to enhance its flower production industry with the assistance of Chinese investors. President Alexander Lukashenko extended an invitation to Chinese companies during his visit to Beijing to establish greenhouse complexes for growing roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, and various other flowers. read more

Poland maintains its position as a leader in raspberry production in the European Union, but the situation for growers is not easy - especially for those focused on industrial raspberry production. When it comes to doing this in a profitable way, what... read more

Egzport arbuza z Maroka do Unii Europejskiej wzrósł o ponad 53% między styczniem a czerwcem, według danych handlowych z Eurostatu. Dzięki temu Maroko wyprzedziło Hiszpanię jako największego dostawcę tego owocu do UE. W pierwszej połowie roku Maroko wysłało ponad 130 000 ton. read more

The summer cut flower trials in California once again attracted global attention in August, with visitors from various parts of the floral industry. Attendees came from California, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Florida, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Maine, Oregon, and Washington state, making it the third... read more

The Agroponiente Group in Spain has concluded the 2024/25 season with its best results ever. The company achieved a 15% increase in turnover, reaching €376 million, maintaining the growth trend that began in January 2022. read more