by Yzza Ibrahim, Fresh Plaza     The agricultural sector of Ghana has been suffering from an intense drought. The dry season lasted for over three and a half months. Temperatures on average have been between 39 to 40 degrees Celsius, while the lack of rain impairs the irrigation of the fields.   “The current situation […]

by Carl Collen, Fruitnet   New Zealand kiwifruit giant Zespri has revealed that its 2015/16 kiwifruit season broke numerous records, with the biggest-ever total return to growers, highest-ever Green return per hectare and record sales volumes for both Zespri Green and Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit.   Zespri Chairman Peter McBride explained that total sales revenue for […]

  It’s been a long time coming, but as of late June Michoacán will not be the only Mexican state with the right to ship avocados to the United States.   The state’s northern neighbor Jalisco has received the most hype over the expected measure, but according to the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service […]

  Seeka Kiwifruit Industries’ commitment to its avocado growers has paid off with average export returns of $26.86 per export tray for the 2015-16 season, well up on last season’s $16.64 per export tray.   “Our growers have done a great job in producing really good quality fruit,” said Simon Wells, Seeka General Manager Grower […]

by Tim Linden, The Produce News   As soon as June 27, 2016, avocados from any Mexican state will be allowed into the United States, as long as packers follow a systems approach for shipping and the protocol has been certified.   On Feb. 5, 1997, the U.S. Department of Agriculture first allowed limited shipments […]

  A seminar and business meeting themed “Korean food market access”, supporting Vietnamese businesses boost farm product exports to the South Korean market, was held in Hà Nội on May 24, 2016.   Attending the seminar were 12 South Korean food importers, along with Vietnamese businesses and associations.   Tạ Hoàng Linh, deputy director of […]

by Gabrielle Easter, Fruitnet   Chinese citrus company Asian Citrus Holdings has announced the closure of its Hunan orchard.   The orchard was established in 2007, with around 1.05m orange trees and more than 750,000 grapefruit trees planted at the site in southern China.   Operations at the Hunan plantation will cease as of the end […]

by Sander Bruins Slot, Fresh Plaza   Drought conditions in Brazil have hampered papaya production there and have led to limited volumes of the fruit. With less product available for export, prices for the fruit in Europe have been strong.   “Papayas are more expensive at the moment than they were two months ago,” said Guillaume […]

  As of  May 20, Taiwan will have a new president on board, and this change of political power structure has led to the uncertainty in cross-strait relations. According to the report of Chinese language United Daily News on May 19th, Taiwan’s agricultural exports to China has shown signs of slowing down.   Mr. Wu, […]

  A UNIVERSITY of the Sunshine Coast researcher hopes to improve the health of Pacific Islanders with the launch of a major research project into tropical fruit production.   Professor of Horticulture Steven Underhill has received a $2.3 million grant from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Development to run a four-year study in conjunction […]

  Out of season rains in Kerala have reduced pineapple demand among consumers, leaving farmers with plentiful supplies and causing a crash in prices of over 50 percent. As of Monday 23 May, the price at Vazhakulam-Muvatapuzha markets had fallen to below Rs 10 (USD 0.15) per kg. The average price of the fruit is usually […]

  For decades, San Diego and its 18,000 acres of avocado trees has been the top avocado-producing county in the United States. Yet, due to amount of salt in the irrigation water going up by 20 percent, according to one expert, production there is suffering. Ventura County is now on the verge of overtaking San […]