SOURCE: Opalyn Mok, Malay Mail Penang may be famous for the Unesco heritage city of George Town and the biosphere reserve up on Penang Hill but come June, hordes of visitors from all over South-east Asia and beyond will descend on the island state for its durians. Between the monthsContinue Reading
SOURCE: Astrid van den Broek, Freshplaza Whether it’s grapes or apples or–in this case papayas–many growers and shippers across the country are looking into new varietals of fruits especially. This includes Ecoripe Tropicals which began shipping a new type of papaya in March, the Andean Mountain Papaya. “We’re currently exploringContinue Reading
SOURCE: Bree Caggiati, Fruitnet Record rainfall of almost three times the norm has hit the Chinese province of Guangdong this April, according to data from its weather bureau. The heavy spring rains and hail followed an unusually warm winter, which have combined to seriously impact the province’s large lychee crop.Continue Reading
SOURCE: Brigitte Daley, The Express According to growers, the price per tray for the fruit, which still fetches top dollar in city cafes, is half what it used to be due to the oversupply in Australia, while the cost of freight, labour, chemicals and fees have vastly risen, leaving farmersContinue Reading
SOURCE: USDA Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) application to permit food derived from a banana line genetically engineered (GE) for resistance to Panama disease. The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) in Australia issued a license permitting the commercial growthContinue Reading
SOURCE: International Labor Organization Small banana growers engage in dialogue, devise practical approaches to safety and health and foster collaboration among stakeholders in celebration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The Philippines is renowned for its robust agricultural sector, particularly in the production of high-quality bananasContinue Reading
SOURCE: University of Córdoba, Phys.org Although plastic allows food to be packaged safely and hygienically, its extensive use constitutes a significant environmental challenge due to its limited recyclability and short shelf life. Thus, industry and the scientific community have been looking for more sustainable alternatives for decades. A recent studyContinue Reading
SOURCE: Fiji Times Research work is being conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways to try and open up Fiji’s banana export market to New Zealand and other neighbouring countries. Banana as an export commodity was prominent in the 1950s-60s but went ‘out of business’ in the early 70sContinue Reading
SOURCE: RADING GERRO, China Daily Kenya’s avocado sector is seeking improved cooperation with China in food safety to expand exports to the lucrative market. Kenya is one of the leading avocado producers in Africa, and China is a huge market for Kenyan avocado farmers and exporters. But many have failedContinue Reading
SOURCE: Akila Kannadasan When he noticed tamarind trees in his village bear plenty of fruit in January this year, P Rajkumar knew his mango yield would be poor. “This is the thumb rule my ancestors followed,” says the mango farmer based in Vanavasi in Salem district: that if tamarind treesContinue Reading
SOURCE: Maura Maxwell, Fruitnet Colombia, the world’s fifth biggest banana exporter, says it is on course to increase shipments by 5 per cent this year after last year’s drop in productivity. The country exported 105.5m boxes (20kg) of bananas last year, 2.3 per cent less than the 108.1m boxes shippedContinue Reading
SOURCE: The Sun The MD2 pineapple cultivation project in Sabah, under the People’s Income Initiative – Agro Entrepreneur (IPR-INTAN), is expected to yield 5,000 tonnes with an estimated income of RM20 million from late October until July 2025. Sabah Rubber Industry Board (LIGS) deputy general manager Eswadi Roslan said theContinue Reading