SOURCE: Donna Lu, The Guardian Scientists have submitted Australia’s first genetically modified fruit – a Cavendish banana – to regulators for approval, saying it has been engineered to withstand a deadly fungus that poses a threat to banana growers worldwide. The banana, known as QCAV-4, has been genetically modified toContinue Reading
by Vivian Sequera, Reuters A resistant fungus which wilts banana and plantain plants and infects soil could worsen the food crisis in Venezuela, where 6.5 million people already suffer hunger, growers groups and a United Nations agency say. The Fusarium tropical race 4 fungus has so far been located inContinue Reading
SOURCE: Arab News Saudi Arabia is on course to becoming self-sufficient in papaya, with the production of the tropical fruit increasing to 4,717 tons annually, as the Kingdom pushes to raise the rate of cultivation as part of achieving food security under Vision 2030. With 95 percent self-sufficiency, the Kingdom’sContinue Reading
SOURCE: CGTN Chinese scientists have recently discovered that passion fruit can directly kill the eggs of fruit flies, providing a new method to control the pest, according to a Science and Technology Daily report published Thursday. The fruit fly is a major pest species that reduces the yield of commercialContinue Reading
SOURCE: Meg Bolton, ABC Pineapples are selling for record high prices and those in the industry say consumers need to get used to paying more for the Australian-grown product. A lack of supply has pushed prices to record highs with the fruit being sold for as much as $14 eachContinue Reading
SOURCE: Produce Report On April 11, China’s General Administration of Customs announced via its website that fresh jackfruit from Malaysia meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements would be permissible for import into China. Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security stated at the beginning of 2023 that it would focus thisContinue Reading
SOURCE: Qiu Quanlin, China Daily Driving 50 kilometers north from Xuwen Port, the world’s largest roll-on/roll-off passenger terminal, there is another sea to be found — one of fresh pineapples. At this time of year, farmers in Xuwen county of Zhanjiang, in the western coastal area of Guangdong province, areContinue Reading
SOURCE: Maura Maxwell, Fruitnet The Aldi South Group together with Aldi Nord and other sectoral stakeholders, including Heartwood LLC, Banana Link, Dole, Grupo Iren and Banafem, have announced the successful completion of a pilot project to understand worker-led living wage verification in major banana production countries in Latin America. TheContinue Reading
SOURCE: Dy Tung, VNExpress Vietnamese fresh and dried banana exports to Japan and South Korea hit $6.6 million and $4.1 million respectively last year, accounting for 0.6% and 1.3% of the countries’ market shares. Vietnam can increase exports if local firms improve banana quality and packaging, and conduct more marketingContinue Reading
SOURCE: Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Business World Production of Cavendish bananas, the main export variety, remains threatened by Fusarium wilt or Panama disease, likely dampening exports, according to the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA). “For the first three months, our production was even worse than last year. We’re kindContinue Reading
SOURCE: Twila Wheelan, Jamaica Information Service The Government remains committed to strengthening the institutional capacity for increased banana and plantain production. This undertaking was reiterated by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., who said the industry continues to present a great opportunity for local farmers. Last year,Continue Reading
SOURCE: Fred Searle, Fruitnet One country that has just embarked on its own Hass avocado journey is Uganda – and hopes are high that the East African nation can one day become a major player in exports to Europe and beyond. Producers will be looking to emulate the success ofContinue Reading