The United States of America Department of Agriculture has authorized the importation of fresh rambutan fruit from Vietnam, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico as traditional Latin American suppliers can no longer meet the increasing demand. Based on pest risk analysis, the US Department of Agriculture found that fresh rambutan from theContinue Reading
Once grown solely for domestic consumption in Southeast Asia, Rambutan is increasingly gaining popularity in western markets. While the demand was initially driven by the growing number of Asian residents in Europe and America, its unusual appearance and sweetness has gained it a niche as an exotic fruit worthy ofContinue Reading
A major constraint in rambutan export is the rapid deterioration of fruit quality and visual appearance. The fruit is high in water content and is prone to desiccation, resulting to an unappealing shriveled form. They are also susceptible to pathological breakdown from bacteria and fungi, characterized by dry hairs orContinue Reading
Sample of seedless rambutan, seed coat still present. Image from masalykitchen. One of the ways to achieve food security is by improving our crops. Aside from developing disease-resistant plants with higher yields, agronomists also increase the edible portion of produce. While the sweet and succulent rambutan flesh has improved inContinue Reading
Bio-dynamic freeze drying is a new technique that can minimize loss of natural phytochemicals present in horticultural crops during processing. The technique utilizes a natural process called sublimation, where matter is converted from solid to gas without going through the liquid phase. The Thai Freeze Dry Co. LTD. inContinue Reading
Known for its rich, sweet, tart, and creamy taste, santol is commonly consumed in the Philippines and Thailand. It is mostly eaten fresh – one has to suck on the thick flesh covering the seed to get the flavor. However, the fruit’s real potential lies in processing of its thickContinue Reading
Crops for the Future is an organization dedicated to the support, collection, synthesis, and promotion of neglected and underutilized plant species for the benefit of the poor and the environment. It evolved from the International Centre for Underutilised Crops and the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species. HungerContinue Reading
Africa is a treasure trove for medicinal plants found nowhere else in the world. Traditional African medicine is effective and still remains as the main source of remedies for the continent, servicing the needs of up to 80% of the population. Though little research and development has been done, theseContinue Reading
Fusarium wilt, caused by fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (or simply Foc), is a disease that threatens banana production worldwide. From the 1950s to 1960s, Foc race 1 devastated the Central American and Caribbean banana plantations that grew the ‘Gros Michel’ variety. This made the farmers switch to theContinue Reading
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