RAT, 9 April 2014 (NNT) — Director-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Mr. Olan Pitak has urged local farmers in Trat province not to export premature Durians or risk adverse effects on market prices of the fruit. Mr. Olan visited local Durian fields in Trat province in order to receive updates from growers and […]

The Pakistan government has made hot water treatment compulsory for mangoes destined for the EU to avoid being barred from the market, reports Pakistan website www.dawn.com. The decision to implement this treatment, which eliminates fruit flies,  was made at a meeting between the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) and the […]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is urging countries to step up their monitoring, reporting and prevention of one of the world’s most destructive banana diseases, Fusarium wilt TR4, which recently spread from Asia to Africa and the Middle East. The disease, also known as Panama disease, has the potential to […]

Banana exporters are looking at new markets for Cavendish bananas in anticipation of a possible production surplus, once the industry recovers by the end of this year from the destruction of typhoon Pablo in 2012. “Most of the banana growers in the region expect a surplus and are looking at new markets to combat a […]

The Australian Banana Growers Council (ABGC) has reported industry-wide crop losses of around 5% across North Queensland’s banana plantations, as the first preliminary estimate after Cyclone Ita passed through Innisfail and Tully on Sunday morning. In a release, ABGC chairman Doug Phillips said that while the average stood at approximately 5%, some farms had registered […]

Farmers in Vietnam are feeding leftover unsaleable watermelons to their livestock. The economic climate and changing legislation is forcing farmers to make alternative use of the fruit. Can watermelons be a good alternative for animal feed? Ms. Dinh Thi Thu, a farmer in Thanh Phu Village, says that her family has harvested only 50% of […]

MELBOURNE: Malaysia has urged Australia to import more of its fruits and agricultural produce. Malaysia’s Consul-General here, Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya, said among the fruits that were allowed into Australia included frozen durians (whole fruit and pulp), chilled durian pulp and minimally-processed pineapples. “But there are other Malaysian fruits that can be imported here, […]

Over the last several years, many farmers in Tien Giang Province who once grew rice have escaped poverty by switching to soursop cultivation.   Dao Van Dong in the province’s Tan Phu Dong District, for example, earned VND75 million (US$3,500) from selling 10 tonnes of soursop in the last harvest.   Dong, who has a […]

High blood pressure affects many Americans every day. Arturo Figueroa, an associate professor at Florida State University, learned that hypertension can be lowered by consuming juicy watermelon in people who are overweight when they are at rest and stressed. The study did not begin with watermelon but with a concept. The concept was that more […]

The European Union’s recent ban on imports of Indian mangoes and a few vegetables due to concerns over the presence of fruit flies has given leading fruit and vegetable exporters in Pakistan a chance to collaborate and expedite enforcing higher standards of agriculture practices.   “We have taken the recent EU’s ban on Indian mangoes […]

Although poor rainfall has come as a setback for certain crops such as paddy rice, sugarcane, and maize, it has come as a boon for jackfruit. Jackfruit growers anticipate a higher yield this season as compared with last year’s harvest.   According to jackfruit growers, the poor realisation of rainfall has facilitated an increase in […]

Did you know that bananas are happy fruits? Eating just one can help relieve irritable emotions, anger and or depression.   Here are a few reasons why you should eat a banana:   1. Banana is one of the favourite fruits for many people because it can lift depression and Europeans often call it a […]