ISSUE 49: JUL 2019
 
   
   
     
  ISTF 2019 to feature keynote presentations from FAO and a blockchain expert  
     
 

The 2019 International Symposium on Tropical Fruits (ISTF 2019) will be held at the Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 24-26 September, organized by the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), with the support of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI) and the Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI).

For more information on the abstract submission guidelines, venue, registration fees, and important dates, visit www.itfnet.org/istf2019

 
     
   
     
  TFNet-led seminar on MD2 pineapple attracts 282 participants  
     
 

A total of 282 participants - including farmers, extension workers, researchers, government workers, input suppliers, NGOs, and the private sector - attended the seminar on Current Development and Challenges in Improving Production, Productivity, and Market Demand for the MD2 Pineapple Variety on 11 July 2019 at the Tan Sri Yusof Hashim Hall, MARDI, Serdang, Malaysia.

  
   
       
           
  BDS to release a book on sustainable cultivation of tropical fruits on August 23     (UPDATE) Workshop on dragon fruit marketing and value chain to be held in Vietnam  
           
  Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing (BDS), an associate member of TFNet, will release the new book Achieving sustainable cultivation of tropical fruits on August 23, edited by Professor Elhadi M. Yahia.     The tentative program for the international workshop on Dragon fruit Network (DFNet): Marketing and the Whole Value Chain to be held on September 9-10 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is now available.  
           
 

PHOTO REPORT: Fruit Expo and World Fruit Industry Conference held in Guangzhou, China

    
UPCOMING TFNET ACTIVITES
 
       
         
     

13th Session of the TFNet Board of Trustees  
Venue: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Date: 23 September 2019

2019 International Symposium on Tropical Fruits 
Venue: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Date: 24-26 September 2019

Workshop on Banana Fusarium Wilt 
Venue: Guangzhou, China
Date: TBA 2019 

  
           
 
TROPICAL FRUIT NEWS FROM TFNET COUNTRY MEMBERS
 
   
           
  INDONESIA: Indonesian tropical fruits can now be exported to Argentina     AUSTRALIA: Bumper avocado crop expected, plans export growth  
       
  Indonesia has received the green light from the Argentinian government to export its tropical fruits such as mango, banana and mangosteen as part of the two countries’ commitment to double their two-way trade value within the next three years.     Based on the industry’s latest quarterly forecasting, Australia is set to produce 95,000 metric tons (MT) of avocado for the April 2019 – March 2020 period.  
               
  MALAYSIA: Local fruits pricey due to low supply     BANGLADESH: Rambutan gaining popularity in Rangamati  
           
 

A Finance Ministry official, reacting to a local survey which showed that Malaysians were eating less than half the amount of fruits recommended by the World Health Organi­sation (WHO), described prices as “exorbitant”.

     Since 2013, Somoyon Chakma from Rangamati town has earned Tk 6 lakh (USD 7,800) by selling rambutan fruits and seedlings.  
               
  INDIA: Compound in mango leaves might solve USD 2.5 trillion shipping problem     PHILIPPINES: Banana export down by 7%  
       
  A team of Indian scientists has developed a compound from the leaf of the mango tree that can protect ships from rusting, which is far more efficient than synthetic paints while also being non-toxic and environment-friendly.     Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association Inc. (PBGEA) Executive Director Stephen Antig said there was a seven percent decrease of exported bananas from the Davao Region due to dry spell season.  
               
  MALAYSIA: Jackfruits among the next big export to China     INDIA: Mango exporters frustrated with US trade dispute  
       
  Government officials are holding discussions with China on exporting Malaysia’s honey jackfruit and swiftlet nests following the successful export of frozen whole musang king durians and MD2 pineapples.     Indian farmers grow about half the world’s mangoes, but in the village of Bedchit, in Gujarat state, the season is ending on a sour note for exporters after a recent bust-up over trade with the US threatens plans to boost global sales.  
               
  VIETNAM: Son la longan and safe farm produce week 2019 in Hanoi     NIGERIA: Association aims to curb mango losses from fruit flies  
       
  Northern Son La province launched ‘Son La Longan and Safe Farm Produce Week 2019’ at Big C Thang Long, Hanoi, on July 19.     President of the mango association in Nigeria, Hon. Abudulkadir Nasir, is working with farmers to reduce the losses from fruit flies from 77%.  
               
  INDIA: Banana farmers in Kerala form association     PHILIPPINES: China uses banana diplomacy to edge out Japan  
       
  Banana farmers in Kerala have formed a Banana Farmers Association as a follow-up to the National Banana Festival hosted there in 2018 by the Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action (Cissa), an NGO.     China became the largest importer of Philippine bananas last year, dislodging Japan, which had been the biggest market for decades. Some companies are now eschewing Japan for full-year supply contracts with Chinese importers.  
               
  VIETNAM: Bac Giang lychee revenue hits all-time high     CHINA: Produce shipments from Thailand rise  
       
  The 2019 lychee harvest in the northern province of Bac Giang set a new all-time record for revenue at over VND 6.3 trillion (USD 270.9 million), according to the Department of Industry and Trade of Bac Giang province.     The Trade Negotiations Department says shipments of fruits and vegetables to China rose by 31% year-on-year to USD 1.2 billion in the January-May period, boosted by the Asean-China Free Trade Area.  
             
 
TROPICAL FRUIT NEWS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
 
   
               
  COLOMBIA: Devastating banana disease may have reached Latin America, could drive up global prices     ECUADOR: Bananas lose edge in EU markets, see decreased export growth rate  
       
  The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) in Bogotá confirmed that four plantations in northern Colombia have been quarantined because of suspected infection with Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), a fungus that kills plants by clogging their vascular system.     Ecuador saw a 1.39% bump in its overall banana shipments between January and May of 2019, much lower than the 8.17% of the previous year.  
               
  IRELAND: Schnucks has partnered with Fyffes to create the world’s largest pineapple display     USA: Avocado prices are nearly double what they were this time last year  
       
  Just how big is the World’s Largest Pineapple Display? The display, which debuted June 28, is 20 feet by 36 feet — said vice president of produce and floral Mike Tipton.     The data may vary a bit from source to source, but it all has one thing in common: Avocados are definitely pricier.  
               
  TANZANIA: How avocado farming is helping communities flourish     STUDY: Avocado and citrus fruit production a threat to food security, experts warn  
       
  Africado is one of Tanzania’s first commercial avocado farms and the first to export its fruits abroad, including to the UK, the Netherlands and France.     The rising popularity of foods which rely on pollinating insects to grow – such as citrus fruits, avocados and soybeans – are a threat to global food security, experts have warned.  
               
  TURKEY: Mango production increased     USA: New study on citrus greening disease  
       
  In Antalya’s Gazipasa district, mango production started 7 years ago and the number of seed-grown mango trees in the area has now increased to 5,000.    

Orange juice is a staple on many breakfast tables, but the future availability of citrus products is threatened by the global spread of huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease.

  
               
  THAILAND: Commerce Ministry promotes market integration in fruit pricing     COLOMBIA: Citrus crops ravaged by HLB  
       
  With retail prices of mangosteens plummeting due to oversupply, the Department of Internal trade urged officials to help sell the fruits as quickly as possible.     Municipal leaders of Santo Tomás and Palmar de Varela, Colombia, have urged for an agricultural calamity be declared in the Atlantic due to the devastating and widespread effects of citrus greening.