A total 270 kilograms of cocaine were intercepted by Customs in two containers loaded with bananas. These were intercepted at Malta Freeport, sailing from Ecuador to Slovenia. read more

In week 20, Bienek Fruchthandels began selling Spanish cherries this year. "The season started with smaller fruits, each carrying a diameter of about 26-28 mm. However, since the middle of this week, we also have larger calibers with 30+ available. Due to the fact that the weather in Spain has
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In Germany, vegetables were grown on around 126,000 hectares in 2022 - a decline of around four percent compared to the previous year. This is according to the report of the "National Dialogue on Food Systems". Asparagus, onions, lettuces and carrots grew on more than half of the land. read more

Perla Nera, the dark-skinned, low-seeded midi watermelon, particularly sweet and crunchy, produced exclusively by O.P. Francescon, Peviani S.p.A. and O.P. La Mongolfiera, has just started its 2023 marketing campaign. Archived production in Senegal, which has
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Flooded fields, broken riverbanks, damaged infrastructure. The scenario seems very similar to what we have experienced in recent days in Emilia Romagna, but we find it in the Valencian community in Spain (in particular Alicante and Valencia). read more

Several factors have put the dollar's status as the world's dominant currency under fresh scrutiny. Apart from the rivalry with China, the fallout from the war in Ukraine and the U.S. debt ceiling, Russia's exile from global financial systems last year also fuelled speculation that non-U.S.
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The global pineapple market is experiencing various dynamics across different regions. In the Netherlands, natural flowering in Costa Rica has resulted in larger volumes of pineapples being shipped to Europe, ensuring a plentiful supply until the end of June. read more

Morocco's pumpkin exports to the United Kingdom have expanded quite a lot, reaching an impressive 11,000 tons by the end of January 2023. Over the course of one year, from January 2022 to January 2023, Morocco's exports accounted for a significant 13% share of the UK pumpkin market, establishing
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The grape crisis, or rather crises, taking place in Italy, as repeatedly reported, was not overcame by all producers. Those who have been able to, have tried to come up with new ideas and new entrepreneurial solutions. One of them is Giovanni Mangiapane, a long-established grape grower in the
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The Ukrainian vegetable industry will not soon return to pre-war production levels. The total market decline is estimated at 25-30%, according to Ivo Kyumyurdzhiev, the director of Rijk Zwaan Ukraine. The company Rijk Zwaan has been active in Ukraine since 1998, providing vegetable seeds to
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According to Peaches and Apricots of France, “the very first harvest of French apricots will take place this week (week 20), and more significant volumes should arrive on the market from the end of next week (week 21) and in week 22. For the whole season, forecasts are based on a volume
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In Belgium, Coöperatie Hoogstraten's strawberry production is currently switching between different cultivation systems. "It's nice that we've started again; the cultivation systems are merging fairly smoothly with stable volumes. The ever-bearers and heated spring crops are heading toward
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After the appointment of Saro Tumino as the new general manager for Italy, international seed company Harmoniz - which was recently created from the merger of TomaTech and Nirit Seeds - continues to demonstrate the high strategic value of the Italian table tomato market. This time, the company
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This season's notable fall in citrus production has been offset by prices that have defended the value of exports against the drastic drop in volumes traded. read more

The EU Joint Research Centre’s (JRC) latest report on droughts in Europe predicts that summer 2023 will be even drier than last year. The situation in Spain, northern Italy, and France particularly raises ‘concerns for water supply for human use, agriculture, and energy production’. read more

Hungary’s 2023 apricot export season, set to start next month, will see lower volumes sent to the rest of Europe due to widespread frost damage during spring. Last year producers and exporters in the country had a good season, with reasonable volumes, while prices received from Germany,
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"After severe Formosa papaya shortages in Brazil due to weather conditions, production is slowly picking up a little," says Robbert van Essen, Sourcing Manager at the Dutch company, Yex. read more

Table grape and cherry breeder International Fruit Genetics LLC (IFG), announced that its international cherry team hosted its first-ever European IFG Field Days in Zaragoza, Spain on May 16, 2023. Over 50 cherry growers and retailers across four continents attended the event, where IFG provided
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The Augsburg delivery service start-up Boxbote is looking for an investor. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine with the resulting inflation and consumer reluctance to buy has led to a significant drop in sales. As a result, the
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In Austria, the first heavy thunderstorms this year with hail, heavy rain and partly stormy winds have left clear traces. According to the Austrian Hail Insurance, thunderstorm cells were particularly severe from the Waldviertel to the eastern lowlands and from the Graz to the south.
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