AUSTRALIA: Naturo solution stops avocado browning

Australian-based Naturo All Natural Technologies has developed a solution it claims will stop the browning of freshly cut avocados and prolong the shelf life of the fruit for a minimum of 10 days when refrigerated.

A lady lawyer who is developing a farm in northern Luzon consulted us on what’s new in fruit trees. She said she has bought practically every variety from our nursery in Teresa, Rizal.

New Zealand’s Ambassador to Viet Nam Haike Manning and Nguyen Xuan Hong, general director of the Plant Protection Department of Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, signed the Official Assurance Programme.

An increased reliance on banana imports in Malaysia has driven market prices up by 30 per cent, The report suggests consumers in Kuala Lumpur are currently paying between RM4 (USD 1.01) and RM4.50 (USD 1.14) per kg for the popular pisang abu variety, up from RM3 (USD 0.76) per kg earlier this year.

Indonesian tropical fruit exporters could soon add New Zealand to their potential export markets following trade negotiations between the two countries, according to the Jakarta Globe.

The state’s banana growers will head to the ballot box next week to vote on increasing the banana levy to buy out a farm in far north Queensland infected by Panama disease Tropical Race 4 (TR4).

Strong demand from Asian markets, including triple figure growth in orange exports to Indonesia, has Australian citrus suppliers riding high after the first five months of the 2016 season.

Millions of people facing hunger in South Sudan will be driven to the brink of catastrophe if renewed flashes of violence derail the fragile peace process, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today, warning that the human costs of recent fighting in Juba will be compounded by deepening hunger across the entire country if peace does not hold.

The CFTRI proposed a waste-to-wealth model wherein waste generated in fields could be used for fibre extraction, stem juice production using CFTRI technologies and for vermi-composting. This model completes the sustainability cycle by bringing income to farmers, he said.

PINEAPPLE growers have sharpened their knowledge on the widely-used herbicide diuron, determined to make the most of it while they can.

A drought in Malaysia has led to a spike in durian prices, with some sellers here charging over $10 a kilogram more than they were a year ago.

Date palms are an iconic feature of landscapes in the Middle East and North Africa. These graceful trees are one of the oldest known fruit crops and have been cultivated for well over 5,000 years, providing sustenance for generations.

Technology obtained through solar energy could be utilised to increase crop production and better results and the scientists of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) were playing significant role in making the country self-sufficient in food production.

Fruit prices, affected by a recent typhoon, have more doubled, with no end in sight, bringing one township that was spared the brunt of the storm enormous profits.

Colquitt County is ranked among Georgia’s top 10 counties in watermelon acreage and farm gate value in 2014, according to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. Colquitt County Cooperative Extension Coordinator Jeremy Kichler said he believes his county’s watermelon acreage will increase this year with farmers looking for that viable alternative.

The Southern Hemisphere avocado crop is seeing small sizes in general this season, and South Africa which is around mid way through the season is no different.

Thai fruit importer Blue River International has launched a new mango in the UK after a drought in Thailand halted the cropping season of its usual variety.

Foreign trade in containers increased by 4 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year. Maersk said it expected this gradual growth to continue throughout the first semester of 2016.

Argentina is intensifying its surveillance programme in the fight against HLB after national plant health authority Senasa reported seven positive cases.

Pakistan trade authorities are forecasting a sharp rise in the country’s mango export volumes over the 2016 season, with shipments already tracking ahead of last year, according to local media outlets.

The Mexican avocado campaign is in a time of transition between the old and the new season, and prices are at an “all-time peak.” “Right now, the avocado trade is rather slow, because we are waiting to receive authorization to start with the new harvest and the new exports to the US,” affirms Celso Castillo, of Promega.

South Africa has been predicting a smaller citrus export crop from the beginning of the season, but it has now become apparent that volumes may drop further than predicted – a nine per cent reduction compared with last year.

The impact of El Niño has taken a toll on Latin American bananas. Colombia and Costa Rica recorded losses, causing a large part of the market to depend on Ecuador.

In recognition of how people, especially millennials, choose to communicate in current times, the California Avocado Commission is using a couple of avocado-themed murals to draw a connection between the fruit and the state in which it is grown.

Given the exponential growth that Jalisco’s avocado production could register after the opening of the US market to the fruit grown in this state, the Agricultural Council of Jalisco (CAJ, for its acronym in Spanish) warned about the possibility of overproduction and falling prices.

The avocado has brought a revolution in gastronomy and its success is due, among other things, to its health benefits. Avocados contain good fats and are cholesterol and sodium free, so many researchers are trying to create the perfect avocado in their labs.

According to the Active & Intelligent Packaging Industry Association (AIPIA), Canadian, Indian and Sri Lankan researchers have created a nanotech application of a natural plant extract called hexanal, which can be used to delay fruit ripening.

According to the mayor Palos Blancos, Beimer Mamani Montero, 60% to 70% of the papaya crops in the municipalities of South Yungas, Palos Blancos, Tipuani, Teoponte, and Alto Beni are being affected by a plague.

The Chilean Hass avocado industry is looking to build on last season’s exports of around 90,000 metric tons (MT), particularly in China where volumes are still small but are growing very quickly.

Venezuela’s mango season is providing some relief during worsening food shortages that are forcing the poor to skip meals and sparking a rash of lootings.

Fresh Del Monte has turned in a positive result for the second quarter of 2016, with net income attributable to the company coming in at US$96.2m, up from US$64.5m in the same period last year.