October 2013

Cyclone Phailin has ruined more than 70 per cent of banana fruit in Bihar’s Vaishali district, the hub of banana cultivation located north of the Ganga. Initial reports suggest that more than 70 per cent of the banana crop has been destroyed due to Phailin, District Agriculture Officer (DAO) DineshContinue Reading

HANOI (VNS)— Viet Nam expects to gain US$1 billion from exporting fruit and vegetables this year, according to the Viet Nam Vegetable and Fruit Association (Vinafruit). Last year, 13 markets for Vietnamese produce imported more than $10 million each, including China with an import value of $218 million, Japan withContinue Reading

Reports coming out of the Melbourne and Sydney markets suggest a mystery disorder, which affects mangoes, is on the rise. Known as resin canal, the defect appears in mangoes as they ripen, and although it doesn’t affect the eating quality, it causes a number of aesthetic problems for the fruitContinue Reading

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines — After successfully exporting organic rice to Hong Kong and the Middle East, the Don Bosco Foundation for Sustainable Development (DBFSD) has started exporting banana to Japan after it launched its organic “Balangon” banana variety in Makilala, North Cotabato. Mayor Rudy Caoagdan of Makilala on Saturday saidContinue Reading

Mango is one of the most important tropical fruit worldwide. In urban areas, there is an increasing demand for convenient “ready to eat” products. However, fresh-cut mangoes suffer from browning and softening. Conventional thermal treatments can reduce browning but may contribute to nutrient degradation. Alternative nonthermal postharvest technologies such asContinue Reading

Oregon-based Dragonberry Produce aims to lift dragonfruit from its niche status in the U.S. to become more widely consumed, through improved import practices that make the product more competitive. Sales executive Amy Nguyen told www.freshfruitportal.com her company would import 50 containers of dragonfruit from Vietnam in the 2013 fiscal year, but theContinue Reading

A national fruit fly strategy will be developed to reduce the impact of the pest on Australia’s fruit growing regions. Growers and industry representatives from across the country met this week to discuss new ways to tackle fruit fly. The Citrus Australia South Australia Regional Committee says the idea ofContinue Reading

The price of bananas has declined to one-year low of Rs25 to Rs30 per dozen in the wholesale market from Rs80 to Rs100 a dozen around two months ago, a market source said on Wednesday.   “The decline in the price is due to increase in the supply of theContinue Reading

Mong Reththy Group is co-investing $2 million to build a factory in Preah Sihanouk province for the packaging and export of Cambodian mangoes, the first company to formally ship the fruit overseas. Located in Koe Phos commune, the factory will cover 12 hectares of land and is a joint investmentContinue Reading

It’s been called the world’s sexiest fruit and it’s a darling of chefs, yet you may never have heard of it. So brace yourself for the taste of 2014: yuzu, a rare and costly citrus fruit from Japan, which is predicted to become as popular here as oranges.  It tastesContinue Reading

Recognising the health hazards caused by increasing use of chemicals, Himachal Pradesh government is now mulling to enact a legislation to ban sale and use of ethylene – a chemical used for artificial ripening of fruits.   Increase in use of chemical to artificially ripen fruits has stoked concern forContinue Reading